Most Valuable Cards

The 1933 Goudey set gets all the fanfare for being the first card set to issue packs of cards with gum.

But the underappreciated 1934-36 Diamond Stars Baseball card set deserves more attention. 

The 108 card set covered a three year period from 1934 to 1936, offering up real competition for Goudey. 

The lack of serious collector interest likely stems from the omission of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, contracted by Goudey at the time.

In this piece we take a closer look at the 1934-36 Diamond Stars set, showcasing the most valuable cards in the issue. 

The 1933 Goudey Baseball card set is one of the hobby’s most coveted treasures.

The card design is one of the most beautiful of all pre war card sets.

Colorful renderings of some of the hobby’s most popular players, the set is anchored by not one, but four Babe Ruth cards!

Plus, oh yeah, there’s the added bonus of two Lou Gehrig cards in the set, two of the hobby’s most valuable cards. 

The 1933 Goudey cards are not rare (aside from the Nap Lajoie), but are tough to find in great condition.

Sports card collectors have continued to bid up the big names in the set. 

For investment purposes, Goudey baseball cards should remain an excellent long-term investment. 

Here we explore the most valuable cards in the 1933 Goudey Baseball card set. 

The 1974 Topps Baseball card set certainly has that early seventy’s vibe. 

The set’s white borders are accentuated with colorful flags on each card’s top and bottom.

However, from a design perspective, the set is one of my least favorite designs of all the 1970’s Topps baseball card sets.

The set is chock full of the stars of the era, including Nolan Ryan, Johnny Bench, and Hank Aaron. 

The set features Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield’s rookie card; however, the remaining rookie card class is weak.

Subsets throughout the set include a dedication to Hank Aaron (cards 1-6), team card issues, manager card, statistical leaders, all-star cards, and the ever-popular four-panel rookie cards. 

PSA has a card by card gallery, which is an excellent resource for viewing the 1974 set in its entirety. 

Here we explore the most valuable cards in the 1974 Topps Baseball card set. 

The 1976 Topps Baseball card set is a significant change from the prior year’s colorful, trippy-looking cards.

The set has clear white borders with a two-tone color scheme, matching the colors of the player’s uniform.

Not exactly one of my favorite designs among the Topps sets, but I’ve seen a lot worse. 

The set contains all the stars of the day, guys like George Brett, Pete Rose, Robin Yount, Thurman Munson, and even the last card of Hank Aaron. 

However, the rookie class here leaves a lot to be desired, headed up by HOF reliever Dennis Eckersley.

Subsets in the issue include Record Breakers (#1 to #6), All-Time All-Stars (#341 to #350), and the classic four-player Rookie Prospects (#588 to #599).

Here we explore the most valuable cards in the 1976 Topps Baseball set. 

The 1965 Topps Baseball card set is one of the classic baseball card sets from the latter half of the decade. 

Its clean design with white borders and baseball pennant also make it one of the better-designed sets from Topps in the 1960s. 

The 1965 set is chock full of star player cards including Mickey Mantle, Pete Rose, Hank Aaron, and Willie Mays, while also including several key rookie cards of Joe Morgan, Catfish Hunter, Tony Perez, and Steve Carlton. 

In this piece we take a closer look at the most valuable cards in the 1965 Topps Baseball card set, examining values, population reports, and overall investment potential.

The 1948 Leaf Baseball issue is probably one of my favorite vintage sets.  

The bright color images and the bold backgrounds make for one of the most attractive post-war designs, in my opinion. 

Some speculate that the Leaf set was issued in 1949, but many cards have a 1948 copyright on the back.

Also, note that the grading companies consider this a 1948 issue, so we will stay consistent and reference it as the ‘1948 Leaf Set’. 

The set’s importance lies in the fact that it was one of the major baseball issues released following World War II and the first full-color issue.

The beautiful colors provided collectors with a glimpse of what soon would become the norm with baseball cards.

In addition, the set is loaded with star power, including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and even a rookie card for one Satchel Paige. 

Many collectors believe that the 1948 Bowman Baseball set preceded the Leaf issue; however, some of the key rookies from both sets share accolades as being a player’s first card.