Mark McGwire, nicknamed “Big Mac,” is best known as one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball history. Between 1987 and 2001, McGwire played for the Oakland A’s and St. Louis Cardinals, wowing fans with his monstrous home runs. He holds the single-season home run record with 70 in 1998, and finished his career with 583 home runs total. McGwire’s amazing home run prowess during the 1990s drew massive attention to the sport and generated tremendous interest in collecting his baseball cards. Many consider his rookie card from 1987 and his 70 home run record-breaking cards in 1998 to be among the most coveted in the hobby. Let’s take a deeper look at Mark McGwire baseball cards and analyze their current prices and historical value.
McGwire’s true rookie card is from 1987 Topps, issued during his first season in the major leagues with Oakland. These rookie cards initially sold for around $1-$3 in packs during the late 1980s. As McGwire’s career progressed and he established himself as an elite power hitter, the value of his rookie card grew steadily. By the late 1990s, as McGwire was chasing Roger Maris’ single season home run record, near mint condition 1987 Topps McGwire rookie cards were fetching $50-$75. Once McGwire broke the record with 70 home runs in 1998, demand exploded and prices skyrocketed. Mint 1987 McGwire rookies jumped up to around $200-$300 over the next couple years.
The 1998 season was truly magical for McGwire card collectors, as there were multiple premium and parallel issue cards marking his record-breaking campaign. Several of these parallel and short-print variations are now extremely scarce and command astronomical prices. Let’s examine some of the top McGwire cards from 1998:
1998 Topps McGwire #338 – This is considered his main record-breaking base card from the flagship Topps set. In mint condition, copies in recent years have sold for $300-$500. Short-printed pristine gems could reach $1,000+.
1998 Topps McGwire Gold Label #GL13 – This ultra-short-print parallel version features gold foil lettering and was inserted roughly 1 per case. Near mint examples have sold for $5,000-$10,000. Graded mint copies in the $15,000-$25,000 range aren’t unheard of.
1998 Topps McGwire Record Breaker #RB3 – Topps inserted these special parallel cards featuring McGwire after he broke Maris’ record. They are extremely scarce and valuable, with mint copies easily topping $10,000-$15,000 at auction.
1998 Fleer Fall Classic Mark McGwire Record Breaking Home Run #FB17 – Another short-print parallel lauding McGwire’s achievement. Even well-worn raw copies command $3,000-$5,000 due to the card’s famous uniqueness.
1998 Bowman’s Best McGwire Refractor #BR7 – Fantastic looking refractors that number less than 100 copies in existence. High-grade examples have sold for astronomical prices like $50,000.
1998 Stadium Club Chrome McGwire #141 – Popular Chrome parallel that displays vivid colors. Mint versions rarely sell for under $2,000.
1998 Donruss Diamond Kings McGwire #DK26 – Diamond parallels /100 copies made. Even well-used copies fetch $1,000+. Top-notch copies over $3,000.
In addition to chase parallel cards, McGwire’s main rookies and base cards from other 1998 sets like Fleer, Upper Deck, and Donruss Parallel also exploded in value after the home run record. For example, near mint 1987 Topps Traded and Rookie Cup cards would rise to $150-$250 levels.
McGwire’s dominance sustained high demand for several years. By the early 2000s, as Barry Bonds began his record chase and surpassed McGwire, prices leveled off some. However, 1987 and 1998 McGwire rookies have remained two of the most popular chase cards for fans and investors. In the late 2000s, with McGwire admitting past steroid use and Baseball’s steroid era under more scrutiny, there was a sell-off period. Near mint 1987 rookies fell under $100 at times, though the rarest 1998 parallels held steady.
Today, as steroids perception has grown more nuanced and collectors focus more on historical significance than moral judgments, McGwire mania has reemerged. His 1987 Topps rookie is once again a cornerstone of most vintage collections. Near mint copies consistently sell for $150-$250 nowadays. Also, as the record-breaking 1998 season becomes more nostalgic, prices have rebounded sharply onparallel hits from that magic year. Examples like the Topps Gold Label and Donruss Diamond Kings over $5,000+. Condition-sensitive gems cresting six-figure prices. Overall, McGwire’s finest cards remain icons for serious collectors fascinated by the steroid era’s major home run chases and milestones. As one of the most prolific sluggers in baseball lore, Mark McGwire cards seem poised to retain their fascination for generations to come. His rookie and record-breaking issues are timeless and still command top dollar over 25 years since their release.
