The 10 Most Valuable Cards In The 1949 Bowman Baseball Set

The 1949 Bowman Baseball card set is an important one for the hobby and one of the best sets of the 1940s

The set (along with the 1948-49 Leaf Baseball Card set) marked the start of colorized baseball cards.

Also, the set contains the first cards of some of the first black players in baseball, such as Jackie Robinson, Satchell Paige, and Roy Campanella.

It's a small set by most standards (only 240 cards). But, completing the entire set is an expensive endeavor for collectors.

Herein, we outline the ten most valuable cards in the 1949 Bowman set, providing our thoughts on the investment potential of the set.

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The 10 Most Valuable Cards In The 1949 Bowman Baseball Set

Mickey Mantle Baseball Cards: Top Ten To Invest In Right Now

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Mickey Mantle was one of the most accomplished players in the history of the game, and his baseball cards continue to reflect that status. 

As a recent example, investors in a Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card would have tripled the returns of the stock market over the past eighteen years!

So, it's not unusual to consider some of "The Mick's" baseball cards as an investment right alongside our other savings or stock investments. 

We've analyzed all Mickey Mantle baseball cards and decided on ten cards that should be solid long-term investments.

Remember, this is not investment advice, please do your own research!

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Mickey Mantle Baseball Cards: Top Ten To Invest In Right Now

1938 Goudey Joe DiMaggio Rookie Card (Value, Rarity, Investment)

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Joe DiMaggio was voted baseball's greatest living player in 1969, a testament to his all-around excellence on the baseball field. 

"The Yankee Clipper" had superstar credentials that few players, even today, could match.

Power? At the time of his retirement, he ranked fifth on the all-time home run list. 

Contact? His legendary 56-game hitting streak might be the best living record in any sport.

Winning? His 9 World Series rings in 13 seasons as a major leaguer make him arguably the game's most dominant individual champion.

Not surprisingly, the two 1938 Goudey Heads-Up Joe DiMaggio rookie cards are some of the hobby's most enduring gems.

Let's dig into this iconic rookie issue of one of baseball's greatest icons.

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1938 Goudey Joe DiMaggio Rookie Card (Value, Rarity, Investment)

1957 Topps Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

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The 1957 Topps Baseball card set was the sixth baseball card issue for Topps and one of the all-time classic baseball card sets

In our ranking of the best Topps sets of all time, we listed the 1957 Topps set as the fifth-best Topps set overall.  

The set blends the simplicity of design with excellent star power (Mantle, Mays, Aaron). A solid rookie class, highlighted by the Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson rookie cards make it a desired set for vintage collectors.

Follow along as I explore the 1957 Topps Baseball Card Set. As follows, I dive into scarcity, investment potential, and the most valuable cards in the set. 

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1957 Topps Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

1955 Bowman Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

The 1955 Bowman set is an important one in the history of the hobby.

First, it marked the last full year baseball set produced by Bowman, before being acquired by Topps in 1956.

Second, the card's tv design made for one of the most unique and memorable sets from the 1950's.  

Due to fairly widespread distribution, the set tends to be more affordable than early Bowman issues, yet collectors are quite fond of the set's big stars, including Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

The brown borders make the set a condition sensitive issue, as the cards are quite commonly found with chipped corners and borders. 

Follow along as I explore the 1955 Bowman Baseball issue, providing data on scarcity, investment potential, and the most valuable cards in the set

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1955 Bowman Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

1934 Goudey Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

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The 1934 Goudey Baseball card issue followed one of the most coveted pre-war sets of all time

The set is beautiful and leverages a similar, colorful design as seen with the 1933 Goudey baseball card set. 

Yet, a glaring omission is the lack of any Babe Ruth cards in the set (recall, Babe has four cards in the 1933 Goudey set). 

Yankee slugger Lou Gehrig is the main focus of the set. 

The "Iron Horse" is the only player with multiple cards in the set.  Gehrig's face is also featured on the majority of the card fronts, with a quote from Gehrig on the backs. 

Collectors sometimes refer to this one as the 'Lou Gehrig Goudey' set.  

Follow along as I explore the 1934 Goudey issue, providing data on scarcity, investment potential, and the most valuable cards in the set

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1934 Goudey Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

1984 Topps Football Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

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The 1984 Topps Football set is THE landmark football card set of the 1980s.

Sure, the 1981 Topps set has the Montana rookie card, and the 1982 Topps set has Lawrence Taylor’s rookie card.

But, the 1984 Topps set features one of the best collections of big-name rookies across any sports card set from the 1980s. 

This piece looks closely at the 1984 Topps set, providing PSA population data, card values, and thoughts on overall investment potential.

Be sure to also check our guide on The Most Valuable Football Cards Of All Time.

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1984 Topps Football Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

1934 Diamond Stars Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

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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. 

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1934 Diamond Stars Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

1933 Goudey Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

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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. 

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1933 Goudey Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

1974 Topps Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)

ryan-topps-74The 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 era’s stars, 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, an excellent resource for viewing the 1974 set. 

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

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1974 Topps Baseball Cards: Most Valuable (Top Picks)