Topps has been producing baseball cards for decades and among their releases are some of the most valuable cards in the hobby. These cards fetch big money at auction when they are high graded and preserved in pristine condition. While it may seem like only the vintage cards from the 1950s could be truly valuable, even modern issues have entered the realm of six figure prices. Let’s take a look at some of the costliest and most desired cards ever printed by Topps.
We’ll start with arguably the most famous and valuable baseball card of all time – the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. Mantle was already a top prospect in the Yankees farm system when this iconic photograph of him was taken for his rookie card. Back in the early 1950s, kids tore packs of cards apart with little care for condition. As a result, high grade 1952 Mantle rookies are exceedingly rare to come across today. In January 2021, a PSA Gem Mint 9 example sold for a record $5.2 million, making it not only the most valuable baseball card but the highest price ever paid for any trading card. Other Mantle rookies in Gem Mint to near-Mint condition have also sold for well over $1 million.
Another iconic rookie from the 1950s is the Hank Aaron issued by Topps in 1954. Aaron would go on to smash Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record and establish himself as one of the greatest right handed hitters in MLB history. Like Mantle’s, Aaron’s rookie cards were not widely saved in pristine condition either. An Aaron PSA Gem Mint 9.5 sold in August 2016 for $538,000. Other Aaron rookies in the high Mint range can also sell in the mid-six figures. The card becomes exponentially more valuable the closer the grading gets to pristine “black label” condition.
Outside of the 1950s, one of the rarest and costliest modern baseball cards is the 1997 Bowman’s Best Refractor 1st Edition Michael Jordan card. Topps secured the rights to use Jordan’s likeness for baseball cards after his brief minor league stint with the White Sox. The “refractor” parallel version was one of the short printed chase cards that year. In industry shattering news, one of these ultra-rare Jordan rookies landed a massive $417,000 sales price in August 2021. Another highlight from the 1990s would be the ultra-coveted Kobe Bryant rookie from 1996 Topps Finest which has traded hands for $321,000 in a PSA Gem Mint 10 grade.
The early years of the 21st century saw card values balloon immensely too. The 2001 Topps Tony Gwynn autograph parallel card regularly sells for over $100,000 in its highest grades. In 2011, a PSA Gem Mint 10 Albert Pujols 2001 Bowman Chrome Draft Superfractor sold for $107,000. Acquiring these hyper-rare parallel cards in pristine condition from such a storied brand as Topps puts collectors into blue chip territory quickly. The 2013 Topps Mickey Mantle photo variation has also achieved $70,000+ prices.
While vintage heroes and contemporary stars have the fame and rarity, occasionally more obscure issues reach surprising heights too. A 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson that features one of the first image icons of the pioneering star was sold for $240,000 by Collectible.com in 2015. Another unexpected find was a 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie that surfaced in a PSA Gem Mint 10 and sold for $110,000 in Fall 2021. Topps innovation can also create value – their own 1984 Traded Tiffany set parallel sells for $50,000-plus in top grades due to the groundbreaking Tiffany-embossed design.
To round off some modern masters, the 1998 Bowman’s Best Mike Piazza autograph parallel owned by actor Nicolas Cage sold for $56,000 in 2016. A 2010 Topps Five Star Cal Ripken Jr. autograph parallel achieved $50,000 that same year. Ripken, of course, still holds the record for most consecutive games played that cemented his status as an iron man star. The 1984 Fleer Update Roger Clemens rookie is a modern sleeper that now reaches the $25,000 range due to his Hall of Fame resume.
Collecting expensive and valuable baseball cards requires a dedication to acquiring pristine specimens from the foremost brands like Topps. Their decades of dominance in the business have allowed them to photograph and distribute likenesses of nearly every legend who has stepped onto a Major League diamond. By securing their finest vintage and modern issues in top condition and investing wisely in the industry’s highest achievers, collectors can gain access to true blue chip assets with staying power in the cards marketplace for years to come. While exorbitant prices often bring astonishment, the record-breaking sums paid for the all-time greats are emblematic of their place in sports culture and continue to drive interest in the storied sports card collecting hobby.
