Nolan Ryan had a legendary baseball career spanning from 1966-1993 that saw him break numerous pitching records. As one of the most famous and accomplished pitchers of all time, Ryan’s baseball cards from his playing days with the New York Mets, California Angels, Houston Astros and Texas Rangers are some of the most sought after and valuable cards in the hobby. Let’s take an in-depth look at some of Ryan’s top Topps cards and what they can be worth today.
Ryan’s rookie card came in the 1967 Topps set. As the #516 card, it features a shot of the fiery-haired righty pitching for the Mets in his debut season. In poor condition this card might fetch $100-200 but a nicely centered copy in NM-MT 7 grade could pull in $1,000-2,000. High-end PSA/BGS gem mint 10 examples have even sold for upwards of $7,500 showing the card still has strong demand from Ryan collectors.
Arguably his most iconic card is the 1973 Topps #139 featuring Ryan’s then-record breaking 383rd strikeout. Printed during the season when he set the single season strikeout record, this photo captures the magnitude of the achievement. Poor copies can be found for under $100 but conditioned copies in the 7-8 range will set you back $500-1,000. True gem mint examples in PSA 10 are valued north of $3,000 with one recently selling for over $5,000.
Another highly sought after Ryan issue is his 1975 Topps #250 card from his first season with the Angels. This depicts “The Ryan Express” mid-windup and is one of the earliest Angels cards in the hobby. Poor-fair graded copies can be found for $50-100 range while a quality NM-MT7 copy will command $300-500. High-grade PSA 10s have changed hands for $1,500-2,000 showing the strong collector interest in this transitional Ryan card.
The 1980 Donruss #28 card pays homage to Ryan’s then record-setting 5,000th career strikeout. Not as iconic an image as the ’73 Topps but still a must-have for any Ryan PC. Lower grade copies under $100 are easy to find but a quality PSA 8 is worth $200-300. True gem PSA 10s regularly sell for $700-1,000 prices.
A real “key” card is Ryan’s last Topps issue in the 1993 set as a member of the Texas Rangers. Sporting the #681, it captures Nolan on the mound in his final big league season at age 46. This extremely scarce card in high grades. Most PSA 9s sell in the $150-250 range while a true pristine PSA 10 has sold for over $2,500, showing the extreme rarity and collector demand for the card.
Moving into the high-end, there are a select few Ryan gems that can command big bucks. His 1968 Topps high number card #610 N-M (Never Made) variation is the gold standard. Only 109 were printed by error and it depicts an airbrushed fantasy image of Ryan pitching. The highest grade PSA 9 sold for over $15,000 in recent years while a sole PSA 10 example is said to be worth north of $50,000 due to its ultra-rare status.
Similarly, Ryan’s 1972 Topps #1 card is legendary in its own right. As the very first card in that year’s set it features a rare straight-on image of “The Ryan Express” releasing the pitch. PSA 9s can go for $1,000-2,000 when available but pristine PSA 10s that grade at the height of the hobby’s recent boom sold for as much as $6,000. With such a small population, this iconic #1 may someday crack the $10,000 price point.
While many of Nolan Ryan’s Topps cards from his prolific 27 year career can be collected on a budget, some of his true milestone issues deserve premium status and command big money today. For the top conditioned examples in PSA/BGS’s finest holders, you could pay thousands. But it’s easy to see why – Ryan shattered records and redefined what was possible on the mound. His iconic baseball cards resonate strongly with collectors and will undoubtedly retain their value for generations to come.