Could you ask for a better action shot of the "Splendid Splinter" than the one Topps chose for his 1995 card? 1954 Topps Baseball was distributed in three different series, including Series 1 (#1-50), Series 2 (#51-75), and Series 3 (#76-250). of variations, first series cards were issued in Canada with gray backs. One of the most unique and frustrating quirks for collectors regarding the set is the orientation of the card backs. In fact, not everyone on the list is a Hall of Fame player as the 1952 card of Andy Pafko made the cut. Because he was arguably the game's greatest hitter of all-time, his cards will always rank among the most valuable in any set in which he appeared. . 0% Either way, the demand for this card remains sky high. #4 1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays RC (figured value of $61,092) However, you must remember that baseball card values can depend on several quirks and factors. Headlined by rookie cards forseveral of the greatest baseball players of all-time, 1954 Topps Baseball is further enhanced by a strong veteran roster. By 1954, Ford was already the ace of the Yanks staff, and the battery of Whitey-to-Yogi is one of the most legendary of all-time. #13 1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks RC (figured value of $25,146) He already had a National League Rookie of the Year award (1951), an NL MVP award (1954), and a 50-homer season (1955) under his belt, and Topps rewarded him with the coveted #10 slot in their 1957 set. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA are divisions of Collectors Universe, Inc. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) & PSA/DNA Authentication Services. Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Jackie Robinson and tons more !!! And they seemingly had the American League MVP award on lockdown during the 1950s, with Berra nabbing three (1951, 1954, 1955) and Mantle taking the 1956 and 1957 hardware. Except for Mickey Mantle, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Whitey Ford, and Bob Feller for various reasons, mainly contract issues Other than that, this set has all of the legends of the day and three key vintage rookie cards in Clemente, Koufax and Killebrew. The 30 Most Valuable & Rare Baseball Cards in 2023 - Gold Card Auctions buy stuff after clicking links on our site This includes the card number, a write-up about the player's career, and a cartoon frame featuring animated photos. The dual imagery and bright coloration make it one of the best-looking of the entire vintage era. Landing Williams was no easy task and Topps paid handsomely to sign him to a five-year deal. a PSA 9 is around $500,000 and a PSA 8 is $50,000. Whether it was to help justify that steep cost or just to celebrate landing the huge star, Topps placed him at both ends of their set with cards #1 and #250. Of course, The Say Hey Kid was on a collision course with all-time greatness, and this card reflects that status. He also loves to write about the hobby and has written for Beckett, Topps, SABR and of course, this website. What do you get when you combine one of the greatest players ever at his position, an all-time classic card design, and a rookie card in a scarce high-number series? One such factor is the availability of the cards used to provide an answer. HOBIE LANDRITH 1954 BOWMAN BASEBALL #220 VG-EX PSA 4. Doby hit 24 home runs with 102 RBI in 1956, his first season with the White Sox after making history for the Indians as the first African American player in the American League. The 1952 Topps set is arguably the most coveted set of cards in baseball card collecting history, with commons going for as much as $100 dollars in decent condition. This has always been one of my favorite Yogi Berra cards because of the up-close shot of him in the catching position. Ungraded & graded values for all '54 Topps Baseball Cards. Card fronts come with a variety of colorful backgrounds, including white, yellow, light blue, green, red, orange and dark orange. Setting career marks in home runs (32) and RBI (126), Doby finished second in MVP voting to Yogi Berra for his performance during the 1954 season. The Best Baseball Cards to Buy in 2023 - MoneyMade This card may be even better looking than the B. Robby above or that could just be my Cincinnati Reds bias showing. 1954 Topps # 10 Jackie Robinson (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1954 Topps # 10 Jackie Robinson [#r] (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1954 Topps # 17 Phil Rizzuto [#] (Yankees), 1954 Topps # 32 Duke Snider (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1954 Topps # 32 Duke Snider [#r] (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1954 Topps # 36 Hoyt Wilhelm [#] (NY Giants), 1954 Topps # 45 Richie Ashburn (Phillies), 1954 Topps # 70 Larry Doby ROOKIE SCARCE MID SERIES (Indians), 1954 Topps # 90 Willie Mays [#] (NY Giants), 1954 Topps # 94 Ernie Banks ROOKIE (Cubs), 1954 Topps #102 Gil Hodges (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron ROOKIE (Braves), 1954 Topps #132 Tom Lasorda ROOKIE [#] (Brooklyn Dodgers), 1954 Topps #139 The O'Brien Brothers (Pirates), 1954 Topps #239 Bill Skowron ROOKIE (Yankees), 1954 Topps #239 Bill Skowron ROOKIE [#r] (Yankees). Prices are updated daily based upon 1954 Topps listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. Need help buying or selling cards or have a general question about the hobby? Banks was a legend, to say the least, but because he didn't quite have the star power as Aaron, Mays or Wiliams you can expect to pay relatively much less for this card compared to those. From then on he bounced around from team to team and from the Minors to the Majors until he became a coach for the Indians in 1946. It seems like every one of Jackies baseball cards is a stone-cold classic, and this one is no exception. Note: When you click on links to various merchants in this post and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. (This baby is also the most important among all Hank Aaron baseball cards.). Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Senator (Kentucky), and you have the perfect recipe for keeping this card in the limelight. along with cards of SuperStars Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Note: When you click on links to various merchants in this post and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Select all the cards you wish to purchase by clicking inside Check Boxes to the left of cards. The career leader in RBI with an incredible 2,297, Aaron is perhaps most notable for snapping Babe Ruth's career home run mark when he sent his 715th ball over the fence in 1974. (1951), an NL MVP award (1954), and a 50-homer season (1955) under his belt . Such regional issues like Stahl Meyer, Wilson Franks, and Felins Franks have some great price guide listings, but we are keeping them outside our definition of value because so few collectors were ever able to obtain them. Maybe more important were player migrations Topps landed Ted Williams for the first time and made the most of the opportunity by giving us two cards of the Splendid Splinter. Like the Aaron card from this set, Topps used the same head shot on Mays' 1955 Topps issue as they did the year before. Without the idea of perceived value, this hobby would not have exploded in the 1980s, busted in the late 90s, and slowly built its way back up over the last decade or so. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth: $4.212 million. Read our methodology . And that shortstops could be major offensive weapons. Though he eventually switched to first base, Mr. Cub and his Lets play two! enthusiasm made him a fan favorite wherever he lined up. 1999 - 2023 Collectors Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Track your collection for free. Despite the strong 1954 Topps Baseball checklist, there are several glaring omissions. Jackie Robinson | Card Sold For: $392,400. By entering your email address you agree to receive email versions of the Baseball Card Market Report. In many ways, 1954 was the year for Willie Mays. Entering 1954, then, he was on the cusp of his 23rd birthday and, though he had all the talent in the world, he was still largely unproven. Ernie's cardshows a nice, large head shot of him along the right with a nice action shot of him crouched and ready at the shortstop position. The value of his card skyrockets in high grade since relatively so few of them exist. Ungraded & graded values for all '54 Topps Roberto Clemente's importance to the sport of baseball cannot be understated. Mickey Mantle topped this list with his own single card. 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. Loaded with Hall of Fame talent,Hank Aaron, Al Kaline, and Ernie Banks are the key rookie cards in 1954 Topps Baseball. Shortcuts: ). When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Top 10 1954 Bowman Baseball Cards To Buy Now - Gold Card Auctions When Ernie Banks took the field for ten games at shortstop for the Chicago Cubs in 1953, there were probably plenty of folks who rubbed their eyes hard. 1954 Topps card list & price guide. It might be a surprise that Duke Snider would be this high on the list. Before he became a Hall of Fame manager, Tom Lasorda a.k.a., Tommy was a journeyman minor league pitcher. List by Card #, You own: 0 / 301 items If so, then please fill out the form below and I'll be in touch right away. Though he was "just" an All-Star in 1954, Ford would soon enough become a 20-game winner, Cy Young nabber, postseason legend. After missing most of the 1952 and all of the 1953 seasons due to his service in the Korean War, you'd think Mays would have been a bit rusty upon returning in 1954. Mint condition examples of Clemente's rookie card will easily set you back into the six figure range. Highlights include cards for Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks. Of note for fans #12 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax RC (figured value of $26,671) As a result, comparable players aren't as valuable as their Topps counterparts. Why, you get the 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson rookie card, of course! In fact, it's one of the most beloved sets of all-time no matter what era or sport you're looking at. So, today, old checklists are tough to come by in decent shape, and thats certainly true for 1957 Topps checklists. Because, even though, 26-year-old Lasorda didnt make his Major League debut until August 5 of 1954, he somehow landed a rookie card in that years Topps issue. But the Brookfield Bomber was a perfect complement to Aaron, and he jumped out of the gate even faster than Hank seasons of 25, 47, 40, and 41 home runs left him poised to put up big career totals. In two starts versus the powerhouse that was the New York Yankees, Podres absolutely dominated them. Whats undeniable, though, is that Yogi was an indispensable piece of the mid-century Yankees dynasty, and that he won his second American League MVP award in 1954. Premium: 1975 Topps. We may earn an affiliate commission if you Top 50 Most Valuable Hank Aaron Baseball Cards Although there are not any known short prints, gray backs were issued in Canada for the first series, in addition to the standard white background cards that were available in the United States. No More Secrets Puzzle Game. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 10 Most Valuable 1954 Topps Baseball Cards - Wax Pack Gods Other cards that also carry high book values are actually kept on the fringes of a collecting definition of most valuable because they also were not made widely available. 1. It makes some of the more expensive cards a little easier to handle. Anyway, Aaron may have been the best of the lot when all was said and done, and this card reflects that status. Doeasnt hurt, either, that this one was issued just a year before Banks began his two-year reign as National League MVP and set his course firmly toward Cooperstown. One of many great cards in the 250-card checklist, this one stands alone at the top. So if you go to a card show today and thumb through a box of 1954 Topps, you'll likely find that one-half of the cards have the card number at the top, and the remainder have it at the bottom. Sy Berger or someone else in the Topps braintrust must have either been genius or had some insider trading knowledge of the local (to Topps) Brooklyn Dodgers. With a willingness to outspend its competitor, Topps laid the foundation for what would become an almost thirty-year monopoly in the baseball card market. Here, then are the 12 most valuable 1955 Topps baseball cards, ranked by values for PSA 7 copies as listed in the PSA Sports Market Report (SMR). Well, maybe it would have, but they offset the loss of the Mick by adding Ted Williams to their fold for the first time ever.