Randy Johnson is widely considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. With his intimidating 6’10” frame and blazing 100 mph fastball, Johnson dominated hitters for over two decades in Major League Baseball. He racked up numerous pitching awards and accolades including 5 Cy Young Awards, 10 All-Star selections, and a perfect game. Johnson’s Hall of Fame career makes his vintage baseball cards highly sought after by collectors. Here are some of the most valuable and desirable Randy Johnson baseball cards on the market today.

1988 Fleer Randy Johnson Rookie Card (RC#111) – Johnson’s rookie card was issues in 1988 as part of the Fleer set. Like many 80s rookies, it saw low initial print runs and demand. As Johnson’s career took off in the 90s, interest in his rookie card grew tremendously. In top graded gem mint condition, a PSA 10 1988 Fleer Randy Johnson rookie card can sell for over $10,000. Even lower graded copies in EX-MT condition still command several hundred dollars. This is undoubtedly the crown jewel of any Randy Johnson card collection due to its scarcity and significance as his first major league card.

1992 Upper Deck Randy Johnson (#144) – This is considered Johnson’s true breakout card as it captures “The Big Unit” in his prime during the early 1990s. The dramatic photography shows Randy mid-windup, glaring menacingly at the batter. Upper Deck was the premier brand in the early 90s and their sets had much lower print runs than competitors. Combined with Johnson’s rising popularity, this makes the 1992 UD card quite scarce in high grades. A PSA 10 copy could sell for $2,000-3,000 while an EX-MT example is around $200-300. This was one of the first cards to illustrate Johnson’s dominance on the mound.

1995 Score Randy Johnson MVP Watch (#606) – This card featured Johnson during his MVP and Cy Young award winning 1995 season where he went 18-2 with a 2.48 ERA and 294 strikeouts for the Mariners. It marks one of his best individual seasons and the card has gained in demand from vintage 90s Mariners PC collectors. PSA 10s typically sell for $400-600 given the card’s relative scarcity in top condition after 25+ years. Even well-centered EX-MT or MT+ copies can fetch $50-100. The card perfectly captures Johnson’s legendary season and MVP caliber performance.

1998 Donruss Studio Randy Johnson (‘Big Unit’ variation) (#59) – This rare parallel insert featured special photographic printing techniques to depict Johnson looking even more intimidating than usual. Only available through hobby packs at about a 1:1000 ratio, ungraded examples rarely come on the secondary market. The parallel text variation has become highly coveted by super collectors. A ungraded ‘Big Unit’ example could demand $1,000+ while a PSA 10 may hit $5,000 given the ultra-low population. This eccentric parallel capture’s Johnson’s imposing stature in a truly unique way.

2001 Upper Deck MVP Threads Randy Johnson (#69) – As Johnson entered his late career prime with the Diamondbacks, Upper Deck created parallel “MVP Threads” inserts featuring stars from that season. The photography shows Randy unleashing a fastball with his DBacks uniform accentuated. Only obtainable at a rate of about 1:400 packs, PSA 10s can reach $500-800. Even low pop EX-MT at $150 remain quite scarce and desirable years later for Advanced Statistic PC collectors. The card perfectly encapsulates Johnson’s dominance during his championship season in Arizona.

2004 Topps Heritage Randy Johnson (#43) – Another highly demanded parallel, Topps Heritage included rare red ink signature parallels as 1:2400 inserts. Untouchable in their original state, even ungraded examples are quite valuable at $500-1000. This captures Johnson in his twilight years still dealing heat for the D-backs and Yankees. The card’s rarity, serial numbering, and autographed memorabilia aspect make it a true crown jewel even out of a grading slab. Completing high end parallels like these puts collectors among the hobby’s elite.

In conclusion, Randy Johnson’s Hall of Fame career and intimidating presence on the mound have kept collectors clamoring for his vintage baseball cards decades after his retirement. As one of the most dominant pitchers ever, his rookie card remains one of the most expensive from the 80s. Meanwhile, rare 90s inserts and parallel variations pull top dollar due to extremely low print runs. As with any all-time great, securing a true gem mint Randy Johnson rookie or one of his ultra-scarce inserts would be the pinnacle of any collection. His legend on the diamond is appropriately matched by the high values and demand for relics of “The Big Unit” in cardboard form.