Raw commons in the set typically start in the $2-$4 range and many minor stars can be purchased for under $10. Most of the prized rookies from 1991, including Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez, were not issued until the Topps Traded set was released later in the year. Like the 1991 Donruss, Fleer, Topps, Ultra, and Upper Deck sets, large print runs saturated the market with these cards, driving down their values. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Traded listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. I have about 30 box or 1991 tops baseball cards. Like Griffey, Bo Jackson has seen his status in this hobby continue to rise in recent years as collectors who were kids during this era are now adults full of nostalgia scooping up cards of their former heroes. This 91 Topps sold for $47 around Thanksgiving 2021 and moved again for roughly $60 near Valentines Day 2022. Or Hunt for Errors? Day Barry Bonds Err. I have a Chipper Jones rookie card mint not graded. And he never suited up for the Kansas City Royals again, either, as the team soon decided to release him before the 1991 MLB season. His 368 total bases were actually tops in MLB that year. Calling them scarce would a bit much, even if many of the roughly 6,500-7,000 of each player estimated to have been printed were discarded. 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. 1994 Collector's Choice Baseball Michael Jordan RC #661 One of the biggest stories in sports in 1994 was Michael Jordan switching to play baseball. Aside from batting .325, well above his career average of .276, Ripken also set career highs in home runs (34), RBI (114), OBP (.374), slugging percentage (.566), OPS (.940), OPS+ (162), and total bases (368). But those kids are adults 30 years later and many now appreciate a clean design that may have been too subtle for younger collectors. 1989 Topps Randy Johnson Rookie Card 4. 2. Check out that one here. He'd appear in just 23 games for the White Sox in 1991 before missing the entire 1992 season due to hip replacement surgery. So why is the set so expensive? Amazingly, during his twenty years in Major League Baseball with the San Diego Padres, Gwynn hit below .300 just once. I have an actual 91 Topps unopened box set. I read it a while ago and because of it, finally picked up a factory sealed set for ~$20 tonight. I was so pumped up and dreamed of pulling a vintage Mickey Mantle or any vintage star for that matter. Let's be clear:most of the cards from this set do not have any value these days. PSA 10 Chipper Jones rookie cards that sold on eBay for north of $21,000 in March of 2021. Exact print runs of Desert Shield baseball cards arent known, but standard estimates put the total number of sets at between 6500 and 7000. Copies of the Whiten variation are currently going for $50-$80 ungraded. 1969 Topps All-Star Rookie Johnny Bench Rookie Card #95 SHOP EBAY You can go back and forth on which is the actual Johnny Bench rookie card. Card Back Q&A: Scott Elarton Talks J.R. Richard and Being Smartest Pitching Prospect, Popular Michael Jordan Baseball Cards Remain Mostly Cheap, 25th Anniversary of Some Great 1991 Rarities, The Ten 1990s Baseball Issues that Killed the Player Collector Completist, Cardboard in the Desert: A Soldier Remembers, Collects 1991 Topps Desert Shield, mentions cards being thrown away and even burned as part of fires, graded examples usually running close to $1,000 or more, sold for nearly $3,000 in September on eBay, In 2018, the No. Grade: Ungraded. If you are looking for information on Beckett Grading, their website it beckett.com/grading. #10 1962 Topps Joe Torre (RC) #218 PSA 10 sold for $15,344 1962 Topps Joe Torre rookie card on eBay Of those submitted, eleven graded gem mint 10, 797 mint 9, and 1,460 near-mint to mint 8. Shortcuts: For young fans of that time, Topps couldnt compare to the vibrant and youthful Upper Deck, Leaf or even Topps brand-new offshoot, Stadium Club. 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. Read our methodology . Sources vary on the exact distribution but that is the figure most commonly cited. Ungraded & graded values for all '91 Topps Micro Baseball Cards. Much of it isnt particularly expensive to acquire, which helps to retain the fun element of chasing something so encompassing.. With that sweet swing of his, he seemed to effortlessly crush home runs left and right. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . KEY: RB=Record Breakers, MGR=Manager, AS=All-Star. There is plenty of room for all the game's top stars. While some of the sets most memorable moments were of the traditional vertical variety (Chipper Jones), a few of the most famous were horizontal images (Roger Clemens). 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. Within the set were also several different subsets, including: They may not have much value today but this was easily one of my favorite sets growing up during that time period. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Back then, we were always clamoring for limited print runs, premium (white) card stock, and clear photography. The O-Pee-Chee set is identical to the 1991 Topps offering - right down to the Topps 40th Anniversary logo. Regular cards also cost $1000 if it's in mint condition. At the time, the slugger was dealing with issues off the field that McGwire would later say affected his performance on the field. 1991 Donruss Jose Uribe Brand New Card 4. Additionally, unopened product is sometimes found. Loved Beckett back then and Im gonna check it out again. The Trading Card Database website lists 81 different variations or errors for the set, from the more famous such as Keith Comstocks card (#337) appearing with either a Cubs or Mariners word mark on the front, or the Dodgers Jose Gonzalez (#279) appearing with team-mate Billy Beans image to the more obscure sheet print code variations found in tiny letters on the back bottom right corner of each card. Nolan Ryan's "1990 Record Breaker" card is also high up on the list of cards from this set. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 850 items While some collectors continued to dismiss Topps amid its latest release Leptich also accused the company of putting out inferior products in prior years others noticed what many collectors wouldnt realize until years after the fact: 1991 Topps is a classic. Mets shortstop Kevin Elster had the previous record at 88 consecutive games. Its too bad that Topps unrelenting printer press prevents the majority of the 792-card collection from ever having much value. A few of the biggest stars can easily sell for $100 or more. Ungraded & graded values for all '91 Topps Archives 1953 Reprint Baseball Cards. Love that Benny Santiago card you guys posted in the checklist page. As part of the 40th Anniversary celebrations, Topps included buybacks and buyback redemptions for Topps Baseball cards released between 1952 and 1990. Heres a closer look at this impressive set that continues to generate collector interest three decades after it was first issued. 2022 Topps Chrome Baseball, Sonic Base Cards Are Different. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! #1. That may seem like a lot until you consider that collectors arent too likely to submit new cards unless they think theyre in top shape. Anyways, we all know that Barry Bonds was anythingbutboring, and the 1991 season saw him add a second Silver Slugger and Gold Glove to his resume while finishing just short of a second MVP to Atlanta's Terry Pendleton. 2. Contact him at [emailprotected]. All cards feature a "Topps 40 Years of Baseball" logo to commemorate Topps' 40th year of baseball releases. With that likely came mistakes, he said. 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. The card featured above is a 1987 Topps Future Stars baseball card featuring Bo Jackson. A pair of thin frames are also around the photo. Cal Ripken Jr. also has a "Record Breaker" card in this set which acknowledges his achievement of setting the record for most consecutive games by a shortstop without an error at 95 games in a row. Tucked into the upper left-hand corner was a Topps 40 Years of Baseball logo. No matter what form of packaging a collector purchased, the promotion appeared, exclaiming the chance to pull any card from Topps vast inventory from the previous 40 years. The top card in the set is easily the rookie card of Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. Prices are updated daily based upon 1991 Topps Micro listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. How much are YOUR cards worth? Baseball; Sets; 1991; Overview; 1991 Topps. The combination of the low-profile design, the open presentation of the photos and traditional card stock has caused many collectors to come back to 1991 Topps Baseball with a new respect. Plus Bonus Listings! The 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady will probably go down as the most iconic football card of all time. This has a produced a legion of 91 variation collectors who have been unearthing differences in the set for the past decade, years after it was issued. 1991 Topps Traded Baseball has a straightforward checklist of 132 cards. Track your collection and maximize your profit with Market Movers, the hobbys most powerful sports card pricing platform! The power with the bat was gone but he still had his glove, though, and in 1991 he would earn his sixth of nine career Gold Gloves. Yeah, 1991 Topps Baseball contained those old familiars the record breaker cards, league leader cards and ugh checklists, each issued on gray cardboard for one last time. Long red box 40th anniversary. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Other subsets include All-Stars and Record Breakers. Thank you for highlighting such a beauty! Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. KEY: RB=Record Breakers, MGR=Manager, AS=All-Star. I have hundreds of cards from this 91 set in plastic holders in my basement. The cards are virtually identical to Topps regular cards from that year. 1985 Topps Tiffany Nolan Ryan baseball card #760 PSA 10 Value: $1,079 1985 Topps Tiffany Nolan Ryan baseball card #760 graded PSA 10 Check prices on eBay Wax Pack Gods, 100 Most Expensive Magic The Gathering Cards Sold on eBay in the Last 30 Days, 1989 Upper Deck Baseball Cards 28 Most Valuable Wax Pack Gods. All Rights Reserved. Its commonplace to find PSA 9 Chippers RCs selling for around $2000 on eBay, and PSA 10s of most of the eras superstars north of $1000, as well. This is just another case of where the value of a card can be boosted by a simple variation. This set is especially interesting to me because a master set contains more variations than any other Topps set, before or since (excluding intentional parallels and variations), Charles said. Whether its the wide-angle photo of Dwight Evans following through at the plate or Sandy Alomar Jr. chasing down a pop-up in full catchers gear, arms outstretched, 1991 Topps offers photographs that had never been seen before and in some cases never been seen since. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. By the time the 91 season began, Smith had already earned 11 Gold Gloves. The key to the brand's success lies in the fact that Bowman and Bowman Chrome rookie cards are typically the most valuable and sought after of all rookie cards. I remember he seemed to hit and run with a distinct style and grace and you can see that coming to life in this great image of him heading towards first base. READ OUR DISCLAIMER. 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. buy stuff after clicking links on our site The 1991 O-Pee-Chee Baseball set consists of 792 cards, each measuring 2-1/2" by 3-1/2". https://www.cardboardconnection.com/1991-topps-traded-baseball-cards. Fronts included full color images of players with white borders while backs had the typical statistic-laden layout found on Topps other sets. And to date Ive only pulled a single vintage card, a 1968 common!. But compared to other cards in the junk wax era, the somewhat rare moniker probably fits. He also hit a personal best 33 doubles, tied a personal best with 28 home runs, turned in his second-highest batting average (.325), and led the American League in stolen bases (65). You might also enjoy our Ultimate Guide treatment of 1990 Topps baseball cards, right here. ) - http://bit.ly/W. 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. Im not collecting again till Topps bring back inexpensive cards like they did in the 1980s. Download Price List, SportsCardsPro 2019-2023 Most are statistical errors, but some players have the wrong photo or wrong team. Click on any card to see more graded card prices, historic prices, and past sales. 1991 Frank Thomas Rare Error Back Donruss White Sox Baseball Card 5. Through 1989, when they produced 25,000 Tiffany sets, Topps actually released print run numbers publicly. 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. So what are these cards? Im familiar with all the cards shown. Collectors had to go to great lengths to find the cards back then. Total Cards: 792. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? However his iconic 1983 Topps rookie card only goes for $475. That would change in 1992 as the company would follow the trend of other modern issues and move to a light-gloss style of card. I'd like to imagine him having just blasted one of his towering home runs by the looks of him in this image Don Mattingly was another one of those players who was on top of every collector's want list back in the late 1980's and early 1990's. Rating: 7.1 (153 votes) Click here to Rate. The wide variety of variations and the obscurity of many of them is the reason why Charles created his blog, to counter much of the incorrect information he has seen. Card Number: #302. You mention that you plate is small so I wonder if it could be related to the Topps Micro issue that year. Couple that with the wartime conditions under which most of these cards first saw the light of day and that they had to make a long trip home to find their way into American collections, and its little wonder these cards are hard to come by in top condition. @Sam You would need to look at the cards to determine that. But there were still all those randomly inserted cards. Pretty neat find. Investing in cards involves substantial risk of loss and is not suitable for everyone. Sensing they had a good thing, TCG issued a few extras and parallels that have stood up to time and hobby fluctuations better than the original. I got my dads card collection going back to the mid 1940s. Mark McGwire was one of the game's hottest players in the early '90s because of his constant display of amazing power. It was recently sold on eBay for $150.50, thus making it worthy of being on our list of most valuable Bo Jackson baseball cards. Thanks for this article I have something to share with my 2 boys now. Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. Among them are Hall of Fame-caliber All-Stars like Chipper Jones, Jim Thome and Jeff Bagwell. However, the Atlanta Braves were willing to try and make things work and signed him ahead of the 1991 MLB season. Slab Strong (Protective Slab Bumper Sleeves), 5 Things To Know About Victor Wembanyamas First Investable Card, Netflixs Full Swing: Top Golf Cards From the Shows Stars, Durants Deadline Move Shakes Up Multiple NBA Markets, Elly De La Cruz Rookie Cards: Best Sets and Parallels, Top 10 Most Valuable: 1981 Topps Basketball, Super Bowl Delivers Boost to Mahomes, Hurts and Kelce, Simons Surges; Fultz Returns: Top 5 Hottest Sports Cards, Pop Report: TCG, Ja Morant Rise in Latest PSA Returns. For cards worth more than that amount or issued prior to 1957, Topps inserted redemptions, according to the spokesman for Topps at the time. 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. The 1991 Topps baseball cards issue was a product of its time and of much earlier times. Whiten played 11 years in the Big Leagues but was never a star. 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? And because they corrected it, the limited number of Whiten cards where his hand is over the border instantly became a rarity and have shot up in value as a result.