Dave Winfield had a legendary career playing Major League Baseball from 1973 to 1995. The 12-time All-Star won a World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Given his tremendous success and longevity in MLB, Winfield has many valuable and sought after baseball cards from the 1970s through the early 1990s. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of Dave Winfield’s top baseball cards and their potential worth.
1973 Topps Dave Winfield Rookie Card (#498)
As Winfield’s true rookie card from his debut MLB season with the San Diego Padres, the 1973 Topps #498 is one of the most important cards in his collection. In high grade, this card can be worth thousands of dollars. In a near-mint to mint condition (NM-MT 8-10), recent sales of the 1973 Topps Winfield rookie have ranged between $3,000-$5,000. In lower grades of good to very good condition (G-VG 3-5), the card still maintains a value of $500-800. The 1973 Topps set had a small printing and Winfield went on to have a Hall of Fame career, making this one of his most coveted rookie cards.
1975 Topps Dave Winfield (#498)
While not technically a rookie card since he had played two seasons prior, the 1975 Topps Winfield is still a highly valuable card due to the scarcity of high grade copies. This is considered one of Winfield’s key vintage cards. In a NM-MT 8-10 condition, the 1975 Topps Winfield has sold for $1,500-$2,500 at auction. For a nice copy in the G-VG 3-5 range, expect to pay $300-500. The card captures Winfield during his early All-Star years with the Padres and remains quite tough to find in top condition due to the fragile 1975 Topps design.
1981 Fleer Update Dave Winfield (#U-36)
The 1981 Fleer set is notorious for its poor quality control which led to many off-centered and damaged cards. However, Winfield’s card stands out for being rarer to find properly cut within the fleer borders. Considered a key issue in the Fleer Update subset, high grade copies of this Winfield in NM-MT 8-10 can sell for $800-1,200. Well-centered examples in G-VG 3-5 still hold value at $200-350. Fleer only produced cards in the base and update sets for one year in 1981, adding to the appeal of this Winfield issue.
1983 Topps Traded Dave Winfield (#T79-T)
After being traded from San Diego to the New York Yankees, Winfield’s first card with his new club was in the 1983 Topps Traded set. This marked the start of Winfield playing for some of baseball’s biggest franchises. Examples in NM-MT 8-10 condition can reach $600-900. For a nice well-centered copy in the G-VG 3-5 range, $150-250 is a fair price point. The ’83 Topps Traded set is highly collectible and capturing Winfield’s move to the Yankees adds importance to his card in the set.
1987 Topps Dave Winfield (#660)
By 1987, Winfield was a perennial All-Star and established veteran playing for the Yankees. His photo and design from this period are some of his most iconic. High grade copies of the 1987 Topps Winfield in NM-MT 8-10 can sell for $400-600. For a card in average centered very good condition, around $100-150 is typical. The 1987 design is highly collectible and Winfield was still performing at a high caliber, making this a standout card from the late stages of his career.
1992 Topps Gold Dave Winfield (#93)
As a member of the 1992 World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays, Winfield’s performance was recognized with this prestigious Gold Foil parallel card in the ’92 Topps set. Only available through limited pack distributions, Gold parallels hold tremendous value. Examples in pristine NM-MT 10 condition have sold for over $1,000. Even in top-notch NM-MT 8-9 condition, $600-800 is reasonable. This commemorates one of Winfield’s finest career moments and remains one of his most valuable modern issues.
There are certainly other notable Dave Winfield cards that can hold value, such as rare errors, promos, or autographed/memorabilia cards. The cards profiled here represent some of his most iconic issues that typically range from $100-$2,500+ depending on condition, with his 1973 Topps rookie understandably being the most expensive. As a Hall of Famer who played over two decades, Winfield has built up an impressive collection of collectible cards that any vintage or modern baseball card enthusiast would covet. His sustained success translates to consistent demand and value for even his well-loved common issues.
