The San Francisco Giants have a long and storied history that spans over a century since their founding in New York as the New York Giants in 1883. With this lengthy history also comes a vast collection of baseball cards depicting Giants players, managers, coaches and other figures from the organization over the decades. In this article, we will examine some of the most noteworthy and valuable Giants baseball cards that have been produced throughout their history from the early 1900s to modern day.
One of the earliest and most coveted Giants cards is the 1909-1911 T206 White Border set which featured future Hall of Famer and three-time batting champion Dave Orr. Only 50 of the Orr cards are known to exist in collectible condition, making it one of the key early Giants cards for any serious collector. Another hugely significant T206 issue is the 1911 portrait of future Hall of Famer and three-time pitching champion Christy Mathewson, which has sold for over $150,000 in top condition due to his prominent role in Giants history and scarcity.
Moving into the 1920s, some noteworthy Giants issues include a 1924 W514 Babe Ruth card picturing “The Bambino” in his lone season playing for the Giants before being sold to the Yankees. Despite his short Giants tenure, the card remains quite collectible. From 1933 comes a Goudey Johnny Vergez Giant Ace issue, one of the earliest specialized subsets focusing on an individual player. Only about 50 are known to exist. A rare 1934 Goudey Mel Ott Giants Lender card shows the Hall of Famer before Lenders financial troubles led the set’s decline in production.
In the post-WWII era, the most iconic and valuable Giants card may be the 1952 Topps Willie Mays rookie, widely considered one of the true “holy grails” of the hobby due to Mays’ all-time great career and the set’s beautiful design. Only about 100 PSA/DNA gem mint examples are known to exist. The iconic “Catching the Giants” action photo also led to this cardfetching over $2.5 million in recent years. Another darling of 1950s collectors is the 1955 Topps Willie McCovey rookie, which has also reached six-figure prices as Mac’s emergence launched the Giants’ ’50s dynasty.
Some other fascinating post-war Giants issues include a scarce 1951 Bowman Don Liddle card showing the pitcher in an action pose, and a scarce 1952 Topps Monte Irvin that featured one of baseball’s first African American stars. Both highlight important people in Giants history whose careers have been recognized more in modern years. A rare 1960 Topps Willie Mays errors card holding value due to a mistaken player photo also captivates collectors.
Into the more modern age of the 1970s and beyond, significant Giants cards include a 1974 Topps Gary Matthews Jr. rookie, the last Giants issue featuring the classic design before the 1975 redesign. Rookies of Hall of Famers Joe Morgan and Tom Seaver from the same vintage also draw collectors. Iconic moments like the 1989 World Series defeat of the A’s spawned a hot rookie card for Will “The Thrill” Clark from Upper Deck. Rarest and most valuable of the period may be an uncut sheet of the 1989 Fleer Draft Picks Giants cards, featuring future stars Matt Williams and Tyler Green.
The 2000s saw a new wave of modern stars emerge for the Giants. Notable early rookie issues include a 2000 Bowman Bonds refractor and 2002 Topps Brandon Crawford base rookie. Iconic plays from the 2010, 2012 and 2014 championship runs created enduring cards like a 2010 Topps Buster Posey “Is This Real?” photo variation and 2014 Topps Madison Bumgarner World Series MVP insert. Superstar shortstop Brandon Crawford’s 2016 Topps Update Gold Refractor 1/1 remains among the singularly rarest and most valuable modern Giants issues.
Today, the Giants continue their storied history and new players etch their names into the franchise lore with each passing season. Legends of yesterday remain revered and their classic cardboard representations create a tangible connection to baseball’s past. For dedicated Giants collectors, discovering a key vintage issue from one of the team’s all-time greats or tracking down a modern hit can provide an exciting reminder of the pride, passion and history behind over a century of Giants baseball. With new stars still being made, the collecting journey promises to continue yielding treasures from this most storied of MLB franchises for years to come.
