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Especially, given that this was supposed to be their first premium product, it is just odd that they featured Bonds in such a boring image. Shortcuts: Nope, the Old Gray Mare aint what she used to be. And the fact that Griffey Jr. appears on this list twice goes back to what I was saying earlier: he was one of the most popular athletes in the world at the time and collectors wanted any card on which he appeared. Well, it depends on where youre standing and what youre holding. Few cards shine a light on Jose Canseco's athletic splendor like the 1991 Topps Desert Shield #390. . Anyone have any idea how much a unopened box of 4 decades of baseball cards worth. To honor our troops and maybe give them a tiny taste of home, Topps produced a parallel of their base set, designated as Topps Desert Shield. PSA graded 3,178 of the '86 Topps Nolan Ryan cards. By 1993, Jackson was back on the baseball field and made a decent comeback to appear in 85 games for Chicago while helping them to the playoffs. Then, theres the Chipper Jones card, with graded examples usually running close to $1,000 or more. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Exact print runs of Desert Shield baseball cards arent known, but standard estimates put the total number of sets at between 6500 and 7000. Fred McGriffs extended bat stays within the frame while Evans bat breaks all the way through. Anniversary Sweepstakes. KEY: RB=Record Breakers, MGR=Manager, AS=All-Star. Copyright 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window, Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay, Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards, David Cyclebacks Identification and Authentication Advice, 1991 Michael Jordan Upper Deck Baseball Card Surges at 30-Year Anniversary. The rise of the Bowman brand dates back to 1927 when Jacob Bowman founded Gum Inc. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Charles, the West Coast collector, created the blog Junk Wax Gems in 2009. Topps, in a furious battle with rivals Upper Deck and others in a card market that had been booming over the previous five years, added to its promotion by advertising its instant-win game in television commercials. From Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner to Los Angeles Angels standout Mike Trout, here are nine iconic cards of star players that were sold or auctioned for significant sums: 1. Despite losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1992 World Series, Sanders played lights out and nearly helped them to a title before rejoining the Falcons to finish off the NFL season. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be the last time he was snubbed, either, as his five All-Star appearances are far lower than they should have been. The 1991 Topps set debuted just as America was engaging in the first Gulf War. Topps Tiffany gave us all those things we wanted, as listed above, in complete set form that we could by at a premium. The 91 look in comparison appeared staid and heres a word companies never want to hear when marketing to kids boring. And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable. Premium: We use cookies to improve your experience. As the fortieth anniversary of their first sets 1951 Topps Red Backs and Blue Backs dawned, Topps unveiled a classy, understated base set in the spring of 1991. Like so many kids of my generation, I was pretty hooked on cards by late 1990, said Dylan Charles, a collector on the West Coast. Once blinded by the bells and whistles of the new early 90s premium sets, collectors returned to 1991 Topps to find some of the most dynamic and interesting photos in a flagship set. In terms of singles, the Chipper Jones #1 Draft Pick rookie card (#333) leads the way, with the PSA Sports Market Report (SMR) citing prices of $10, $25, and $90 in PSA 8-10, respectively. So there you have it, the ten most valuable 1991 Topps cards in both their base and Desert Shield forms. They must have found their way into the hands of collectors quickly because I remember seeing them for sale at shows at the time. 2. Tune in as Mrs. Wax Pack Gods reads 1988 Topps Baseball Cards - 25 Most Valuable . Read our methodology . 1991 Topps Emmitt SmithRookie Card (#360) Is Smith the greatest running back of all time? The 1991 Topps Desert Shield baseball card is a thing of beauty and is a must-have for all Nolan Ryan fanboys. Sources vary on the exact distribution but that is the figure most commonly cited. However his iconic 1983 Topps rookie card only goes for $475. Although, I never pulled a single one of any of those randomly inserted cards, I always loved this set. On the other hand, Bagwell began his career with the Astros the following season in 1991 by capturing the NL Rookie of the Year Award. Unfortunately, like a switch zapping the lights in a room, back injuries zapped Mattingly's power in 1990 and forced him to miss a large chunk of the season. Its no surprise that this beauty of Bo blazing around the base paths made the list. Please enter the verification code that you received on your email. In 1990, those numbers fell to .335 and .643, respectively. PriceIt Game | Additionally, unopened product is sometimes found. Vertical images have long been one of Topps calling cards and this Ryan exemplifies why. Read our methodology . 1952 to 1990. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Long red box 40th anniversary. However, a case can be made for the '68 Topps card; we'll cover that in the next item. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1989 Topps Randy Johnson Rookie Card 4. #1. However, while some of them made their way overseas, there are reports of others remaining here in the states. Topps relied on a sales gimmick, tied to its anniversary, to entice collectors to the old standby, while still dressed in the familiar, old, gray cardboard. I have this box set too. The cards, if youre unfamiliar with them, are moderately rare. The big draw is the first-year players. As regal as 1991 Topps Baseball is in retrospect, why would kids collect something that looked like their fathers set when so many younger products were calling to them? So far, just 2 examples have been found and graded to be in PSA 10, gem mint condition. Super rare and up to $5k graded mint. Mark McGwire was one of the game's hottest players in the early '90s because of his constant display of amazing power. To some veteran. A few of the biggest stars can easily sell for $100 or more. Though the Kid would finish third in voting for the 1989 AL Rookie of the Year Award behind Baltimore's Gregg Olson and Kansas City's Tom Gordon, he clearly showed the most long-term upside of any player in that season's rookie class. 1991 Topps Jason Giambi Team USA Rookie Baseball Card. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle: $12.6 million. Though most of Henderson's production fell off in 1991, as expected, he still led the AL in stolen bases with 58 and earned his tenth and final trip to the All-Star Game. 1989 Steve Avery Signed Topps Rookie Card Nolan Ryan broke out the tuxedo to pose for this card and that fashion statement helped it quickly become one of the most popular cards in the hobby that year. We'll respect your privacy and you can unsubscribe at any time.. Posted by Adam Hughes | Baseball Card Values, Baseball Cards, Topps Baseball Cards | 2 |. Heck, even many minor league sets avoided gray cardboard. The O-Pee-Chee set is identical to the 1991 Topps offering - right down to the Topps 40th Anniversary logo. Im not collecting again till Topps bring back inexpensive cards like they did in the 1980s. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 22. By partnering with Kodak, Topps delivered beautiful full-color, borderless cards that featured high-quality images. His batting average also nosedived to .201 and Tony La Russa, the Oakland A's manager at the time, even decided to bench McGwire for the final game of the season just to avoid his average potentially slipping below .200. Forty collectors who found an X on their Instant Win Game card won a complete set from a random year from 1952-90. Card #311 Mickey Mantle is one of the Topps baseball cards with the highest value on the market. How many exist today, really, is anybodys guess. I was the winner of the 1959 complete set from mailing in the insert cards. A short bio is added for those players with enough space. Read our methodology . One of the many hats that 1991 Topps Baseball wears is its reputation as one of the most variation-heavy sets ever created. This is just another case of where the value of a card can be boosted by a simple variation. But there were still all those randomly inserted cards. Of those submitted, eleven graded gem mint 10, 797 mint 9, and 1,460 near-mint to mint 8. Among those collecting avenues referenced by Charles are the 40th Anniversary logos found underneath the players statistics on the back of the card. Above the bar is a ribbon with the team's name. For cards worth more than that amount or issued prior to 1957, Topps inserted redemptions, according to the spokesman for Topps at the time. Well past his prime but still pitching at a high level in 1991, it was anyone's guess at how long his career would eventually last. (Updated for 2022) SUBSCRIBE NOW! But Charles, and others, have opened that much 91 Topps for another reason, one that continues to make the set as collectible as anything issued by Topps today. Investing in cards involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. I have hundreds of these cards in good to perfect condition. The "All Star" callout at the top with the starry sky in the background adds a very nice design touch to this card. Track your collection for free. Capitalizing on improvement in photography, Topps unveiled powerful images, such as the action-packed Carlton Fisk (with big Cecil Fielder barreling toward home), Walt Weiss and Rickey Henderson cards, all with horizontal displays. 397 Eddie Murray - Los Angeles Dodgers AS. However, we also know that many were discarded . 1991 Topps Desert Shield Chipper Jones Rarest Rookie Card. Most of the cards show the logo faded with the stats easy to read, while variations off er a bright, bold, red logo that dominates the stats. 21 Surprisingly Cheap: Tony Gwynn 1983 Topps Tony Gwynn was arguably the best pure hitter of his era or perhaps any other. If theres a cooler card capturing MLBs stolen base king in his dust-filled, head-first glory, we probably havent seen it. On the back of the card, Topps paid tribute to Nolan Ryan becoming the oldest pitcher to throw a no-hitter, a feat previously held by none other than the legendary Cy Young. The card featured above is a 1987 Topps Future Stars baseball card featuring Bo Jackson. Instead, he attributes it to the volume of cards that Topps was producing that year, possible multiple print runs and creating them at more than one printing facility. 2021 Sports Card Investor, LLC. It may not be quite as valuable as the Mark Whiten variation or Griffey's base card but the Chipper Jones rookie card is easily the face of the entire set. The photography and premium look and feel of the cards have held up quite well to this day. And since complete sets of the Desert Shield cards were never issued, finding those today is very difficult because they were required to be hand-collated. You can, after all, routinely find thousands of them on eBay. By season's end, he added his ninth-straight All-Star appearance, second MVP Award, his sixth Silver Slugger, and his first Gold Glove. Topps issued many spinoffs of its 1991 set, from the glossy Tiffany sets, to the Micro set, to the box-bottoms, rookie debut cards and the tough Desert Shield versions. Despite the "down" year, Gwynn still performed well enough to make his seventh All-Star Game and kept things going on the defensive end to earn his fifth Gold Glove. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Theres a link to the price guide at the top of this page. Giants Signed Topps Baseball Card 2. All rights reserved. So in 1991, Topps experimented with that by creating its Stadium Club brand a glossy, upscale Topps branded product. The 1991 Topps baseball cards issue was a product of its time and of much earlier times. What wasnt known at the time was that only vintage cards valued at $50 or less were randomly inserted into packs. As far as athletes go, only Michael Jordan seemed to be more popular than Griffey Jr. back then and everybody wanted his cards. Prices are updated daily based upon 1992 Leaf listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. 1. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. Whiten played 11 years in the Big Leagues but was never a star. Like the 1991 Donruss, Fleer, Topps, Ultra, and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. And as the article points out, even the ones that did legitimately enjoy the cards may have found it challenging to bring them home or even keep them in decent condition. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 1991 Rare Vintage Error Nolan Ryan Donruss "Highlights" Baseball; Sets; 1991; Overview; 1991 Topps. 1989 Deion Sanders Yankees Signed Card 6. But compared to other cards in the junk wax era, the somewhat rare moniker probably fits. 3. Although it's not one of the card maker's most valuable releases, it's one of their most attractive. The main cards in the set essentially parallel those found in the main 1991 Topps baseball card set. As far as rookie cards go, Jeff Bagwell is still the only key rookie in the checklist. But upon 30 years of reflection, that gray-cardboard set marks the dividing line between the traditional baseball card sets issued the 40 years prior to 1991 and the bright, white and slick sets that have dominated the industry in the last three decades. Ungraded & graded values for all '91 Topps Micro Baseball Cards. So why is the set so expensive? Heres a closer look at this impressive set that continues to generate collector interest three decades after it was first issued. Key rookie cards include Jeff Bagwell, Luis Gonzalez and Ivan Rodriguez. By entering your email address you agree to receive email versions of the Baseball Card Market Report. So what are these cards? Who needed classic lines and clear, crisp photos when you had freaking design, man? While Topps didnt do anything to move away from their traditional mushy brown cardboard in base sets until 1992, we could always count on Tiffany. And at the same time, Fleer threw its had into the premium card market, too. Each wax and cello pack contained an Instant Win Game card that provided the opportunity for the collector to win a complete set from Topps past 40 years. That slugging percentage is what actually gives this card much of its value. Other subsets include All-Stars and Record Breakers. Its a perfect card that still sells a handful of times every month. For whatever reason, 1991 Topps Baseball has an abnormal amount of errors. 1989 Matt Williams S.F. 1991 Stadium Club George Brett (#159) Brett was more than a decade removed from his 1980 peak, and just a couple years out from retirement when this card was issued. Still, there were and are plenty of these dudes available, which dampens their value often less than $50 for PSA 10 copies, and south from there. By navigating the site, you agree to the use of cookies to collect information. The card of Jones, an eight-time All-Sar and former Most Valuable Player, has become of one of the more sought after cards in the junk wax era particularly in high-grade condition. 1991 Topps #333 Chipper Jones Rookie Card Estimated PSA 10 Value: $85 It may not be quite as valuable as the Mark Whiten variation or Griffey's base card but the Chipper Jones rookie card is easily the face of the entire set. We dont know how big a role nostalgia plays with this one, but it still regularly sells north of $40. I have lots of cards from baseball, hockey, basketball, and football. I Took No Shortcuts: Jerry Rice Talks Georges St-Pierre Sales Highlights Beckett Pricing Cheap Wax Wednesday Box Breaks: 1991 Topps Baseball, Junk Wax Journeys: 1991 Donruss Baseball Cards, Upper Deck Hologram Baseball Card Box Sets of the 1990s Box Set Boom. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 850 items Counting down the most valuable baseball card sets from the late 1990s using the highest recent sale in any grade 9 or below from any grading company (PSA, B. That means the card needs to be flawless. Add in the RCs of Bagwell and Pudge again, too, in Traded form. With that sweet swing of his, he seemed to effortlessly crush home runs left and right.