What is the last base rookie card out of Topps that reached $40 in the last 20 years???

[SouthSideSluggers]

Seeing the rising prices of the Mike Trout Update RC (it rises in prices about every 2 days)....has there ever been another player that had a $40 base rookie card in the last 20 years??? Last one I can think of was the 1985 McGwire during his streak but that is 29 years ago, or the 1986 Donruss Canseco....Did Griffey base rookie ever reach $20?

 

[Ghumbs]

Seeing the rising prices of the Mike Trout Update RC (it rises in prices about every 2 days)....has there ever been another player that had a $40 base rookie card in the last 20 years??? Last one I can think of was the 1985 McGwire during his streak but that is 29 years ago, or the 1986 Donruss Canseco....Did Griffey base rookie ever reach $20?

I feel like possibly Pujols in the mid 00s.

 

[Matsuicollector]

I feel like possibly Pujols in the mid 00s.

I'm pretty sure pujols did. I also want to say Ichiro.

 

[predatorkj]

The 2001 Albert Pujols at one time booked for $50 I believe in the Beckett. Now after you get through with the snide beckett remarks, that's still pretty close. And it's been a decently strong seller for a while. The Bonds(86 tt) and Mac rookies were both very hot for a while as well. And I want to say at one time back in the early 90's the Griffey Jr. UD was a $60 card.

 

[predatorkj]

I'm pretty sure pujols did. I also want to say Ichiro.

I could be wrong but I've never seen an Ichiro base topps sell for anything more than about $15ish.

 

[BigAppleJak]

2006 Alex Gordon RC, but Topps had a lot to do with that.

 

[BBCgalaxee]

Are we counting topps traded sets?

If so, I think Ben Grieve and Konerko might have gotten to $40 at one time.

I know nomar definitely did and probably Helton.

The mantle Jeter Bush card, although not a rc, sold for over $40

Sent from my HTCONE using Freedom Card Board mobile app

 

[AmishDave]

Pujols and/or Ichiro were in that $40 range. Those, along w/the Trout Update, are the only one's I can think of at that price point.

 

[gpenko826]

I remember the 1992 Bowman Carlos Delgado going for CRAZY money when he had a huge first 2 weeks of 1993. I saw people at shows buying up copies at $30-$40 for at least a few weeks

 

[HPC]

Alex Gordon, Todd Helton, Nomar, Pujols are the ones I can think of

 

[goobmcnasty]

Griffey 89 TT peaked at $25.
Nomar 92 TT was at $100 in it's prime
Helton 93 TT was a stable $40 or so for most of the 90s

But for the past 20 years, aside from Pujols, the only ones I can think of are:
Beltran and Juan LeBron 95 TT (Topps accidentally swapped their photos, so Beltran fans also went after the Juan Lebron) hit $30-$40
Sean Casey 96 Topps was super hot when he was flirting with .400 and a batting title. (It was his only true RC). I think that sold for $20-$25 for a summer.

...but this was long before the chrome/autograph/#d/parallel rookie cards, when basic rookie cards were what everyone wanted.

 

[AmishDave]

McGwire Topps peaked in '98. Sosa Leaf peaked in '98. Piazza '92 Bowman was a monster.

 

[JoshHamilton]

Sean Casey's 96 Topps RC reached $25 at one point. It's his only rookie

 

[jcmint]

92 bowman mo

 

[ThoseBackPages]

the last 20 years of time, or released in the last 20 years (1994 - 2014)?

 

[Nate Colbert 17]

1994 was NOT 20 years ago!

 

[SouthSideSluggers]

Taking a look at the suggestions there are a few that I would have to reconsider as they were only available in set form (Topps Traded Sets- Nomar, Helton, Konerko) and not available in packs (also I didn't stipulate this when posing the question but that was my error), while I do remember the Carlos Beltran reaching @$25 when he went on that post-season HR tear, I don't recall Sean Casey getting that hot...also I was thinking of only Topps so that would take some of the Bowman players that spiked out as well.

I was thinking that in the last 10-15 years the base rookie cards have lost all total meaning and value, which is really sad - if it's not shiny, colored, autoed chrome refractor graded 9.5 or 10 then it doesn't seem to matter anymore. This Trout RC card is the last of a dying breed I think, which can only add to it's overall appeal.

 

[mrmopar]

Besides the self created desire within the collecting community to own a "rookie card" more than any other card, not that a rookie card is necessarily any more limited or even more desirable than any other given card otherwise, what makes the older rookies so valuable now are that they were not packed away in new condition in quantity as a future money making collectible. They were beat up by kids who treated them like toys, not valuable keepsakes. Without the condition sensitive premiums for many older rookies, the prices drop significantly, although poor copies that present well will still sell for more than they should because people will justify spending more for an otherwise more valuable card because they can't afford a nicer one and still want one. Remember that Aaron RC with holes punched in it that someone here sold for over $100?

For years, the 1972 Topps Garvey was the card to own because it was in a more desirable and scarcer high series. Eventually the rookie card caught up with RC popularity on the rise and with the grading popularity and extremely tough black borders, the rookie card has since exceeded the 72 Topps.

Simple base cards, even rookies after the initial excitement of that first card wears off, have almost become irrelevant due to what the card makers have done to continue driving sales of their products with SPs, SSPs, autographs, game used material, etc. The hobby aspect is buried beneath the collectibility aspect and in my opinion the only way base cards, even RCs, will ever maintain their long term value is if they are purposely short printed and/or have added value characteristics (signature, GU, etc).

If the Trout card has no special features, it will settle in like the rest of the cards mentioned in this thread. It will have no staying power on its own otherwise.

 

[CubsfanP]

I remember quite a few Bowman Base RCs reaching high levels during their prime:

Jeff Franceour 2002 Bowman Draft
Ryan Howard 2003 Bowman
Robinson Cano 2003 Bowman Draft
Miguel Cabrera 1999 Topps Traded Chrome (not in packs, i know)