The Oakland Athletics are one of the most storied franchises in Major League Baseball, with a rich history that stretches back to their beginnings in Philadelphia in the late 19th century. Over the decades, many legendary players have donned the A’s green and gold including Connie Mack’s great pitching teams of the early 20th century, the Bash Brothers dynasty of the late 1980s, and Moneyball stars of the early 2000s. With such iconic players, it’s no surprise that some of the rarest and most expensive baseball cards feature Oakland A’s. Below is a look at some of the most valuable vintage and modern Oakland A’s cards on the hobby.
Reggie Jackson – 1972 Topps #490: Arguably the most famous Athletic of all time, Reggie Jackson is revered by fans of the green and gold. His legendary “Reggie! Reggie!” home run performance in the 1973 World Series helped cement his place in Oakland sports lore. High-grade copies of his iconic 1972 Topps rookie card are some of the rarest and most expensive A’s cards. A Near Mint-Mint (NM-MT 8-10) copy fetched over $250,000 at auction in 2020. Even well-kept copies in Excellent (EX 5-6) condition sell for thousands.
Catfish Hunter – 1968 Topps #189: Although he only pitched 5 seasons for the A’s, Jim “Catfish” Hunter was integral to Oakland’s 3 straight championships from 1972-1974. His 1968 rookie card is one of the iconic early issues of Topps and high-grade copies remain scarce and pricey. An NM-MT copy set the auction record for any pre-70s A’s card at $195,000 in 2021. Graded EX examples still trade hands for $10,000+.
Rickey Henderson – 1979 Topps Traded #T62: No other player embodied the speed and excitement of the A’s franchise quite like Rickey Henderson. His 1979 Topps Traded rookie is among the key chase cards for completionists. An exceptionally scarce card even in lower grades, a PSA EX-MT 5-6 copy shattered records when it sold for $65,000 in 2019. High-end PSA 10 GEM MINT specimens rarely come to market.
Rollie Fingers – 1969 Topps #175: A key piece of those early 1970s championship bullpens, Rollie Fingers’ intimidating mustache and dominating fastball made him an instant star upon his rookie season. Considered one of the elite 1970s rookie cards, PSA 10 1969 Topps Fingers cards now sell for $5,000-10,000. Copies grading 8-9 can still cost over $1,000.
Jose Canseco – 1985 Donruss #49: Canseco’s rookie season coincided with one of the most storied offenses in MLB history. His iconic “lightning bolt” pose made his 1985 Donruss one of the most recognizable modern issue rookies. BGS/PSA GEM 10 grades have brought over $10,000, with 8-9 grades still valued around $1,000-2,000. Canseco captivated collectors even after leaving Oakland.
Mark McGwire – 1986 Topps Traded #24T: Just before he and Jose Canseco took the league by storm, McGwire had one of the iconic traded set rookie cards. Widely considered one of the finest modern baseball cards ever designed, PSA 10 1986 Topps Traded McGwire rookies are true trophy cards valued between $20,000-30,000 today. Even well-kept mid-grade copies retain strong value due to rarity and aesthetic appeal.
Jason Giambi – 1992 Bowman #140: Giambi emerged as one of Oakland’s biggest bats in the late 1990s before signing a huge free agent deal with the Yankees. His rookie card from Bowman’s return set in 1992 remains one of the most desired A’s cards from that period. PSA/BGS GEM 10 grades are incredibly rare and valued over $2,000 today.
Barry Zito – 1999 Bowman #500: As one of Moneyball’s “Big Three” starting pitchers, Barry Zito won the 2002 AL Cy Young during his early Oakland days. Considered the finest of his rookie cards, a PSA 10 1999 Bowman Zito sells for around $1,000 currently. Even mid-grades remain relatively pricey for a modern card due to Zito’s success and rarity of high finishes.
Miguel Tejada – 1994 Bowman #646: Tejada was the heart of the A’s infield during their early 2000s playoff runs. Generally regarded as his best rookie issue, a PSA/BGS 10 of Tejada’s 1994 Bowman flagship rookie would fetch over $1,000 today. Well-kept mid-grades still trade around the $200 mark.
This covers some of the most prominent and valuable Oakland Athletics baseball cards from throughout the franchise’s history. With such respected players wearing the green and gold over the decades, top A’s cards remain highly sought after trophies for vintage and modern collectors alike. As long as the A’s franchise continues producing MLB stars, their best rookie cards are sure to retain significant worth to the hobby.
