Toughest Baseball Star Card From 1980-1989 To Get in PSA 10

redbull

I'm guessing it Would be from 1981 topps, i think maybe Nolan Ryan, or could it be Mark Mcgwire's 1985 topps olympic card?

Boopotts

I think it's the '81 Topps Bench, but I'm not completely sure.

redbull

<< <i>I think it's the '81 Topps Bench, but I'm not completely sure. >>

I think its Kurt Gibson's 1981 topps rookie card, one psa 10 out of 250 submissions

LodiBrewFan

The 88 Topps Dwight Gooden All Star is zero out of 28

mlbfan2

<< <i>

<< <i>I think it's the '81 Topps Bench, but I'm not completely sure. >>

I think its Kurt Gibson's 1981 topps rookie card, one psa 10 out of 250 submissions >>



From the same set, Fernando Valenzuela - 653 subs, zero 10s.

redbull

<< <i>

<< <i>

<< <i>I think it's the '81 Topps Bench, but I'm not completely sure. >>

I think its Kurt Gibson's 1981 topps rookie card, one psa 10 out of 250 submissions >>



From the same set, Fernando Valenzuela - 653 subs, zero 10s. >>

I think we have a winner!!

ThoseBackPages

Rickey Henderson 1980 Topps

estang

In my All-Star PSA 1981 to 1989 searches in recent years, I've found very few PSA 9/10 examples of these cards:

1981 Topps Johnny Bench (print marks/smudges on his name)
1981 Topps Reggie Jackson (off center T/B)
1981 Topps Fred Lynn
1982 Topps Dave Lopes All-Star (off center L/R)
1982 Topps Reggie Jackson All-Star (off center T/B)
1982 Topps Ken Singleton All-Star
1985 Topps Ozzie Smith All-Star (off center T/B & L/R)
1985 Topps Rick Sutcliffe All-Star (off center T/B)
1985 Topps Bob Knepper All-Star
1985 Topps Damaso Garcia All-Star

Interesting, I didn't realize the 1988 Gooden All-Star was a tough grade (didn't realize any 1988 cards could possibly be tough), but alas I don't have the 88 Gooden AS either...

Beck6

I would throw in the 1986 Ryne Sandberg. 56 submissions and only 1 psa 10

firedawg45

1981 topps pete rose. only 3 psa 10's!!!!!

miconelegacy

1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken PSA 10.... Oh wait nevermind that's like a Pop 500 now....

redbull

I have another question, what card (any player, any year, any sport) has the most submissions without a psa 10? it might be the Fernando card.

wallst32

Hard to judge because some of these low POPs are simply due to low submission rates (and not necessarily because the card is near impossible to find in high grade). When you're talking about 250 Kirk Gibsons or 650 Fernandos submitted all time that's a miniscule representation of the number of cards that exist. If these guys went on to have HOF careers and the submission rates where more like a 85T McGwire, 86F Jordan, 93SP Jeter, 82T Ripken, etc then it would be guaranteed the 10 POP would increase.

redbull

<< <i>Hard to judge because some of these low POPs are simply due to low submission rates (and not necessarily because the card is near impossible to find in high grade). When you're talking about 250 Kirk Gibsons or 650 Fernandos submitted all time that's a miniscule representation of the number of cards that exist. If these guys went on to have HOF careers and the submission rates where more like a 85T McGwire, 86F Jordan, 93SP Jeter, 82T Ripken, etc then it would be guaranteed the 10 POP would increase. >>

Good point

RookieWax

<< <i>Hard to judge because some of these low POPs are simply due to low submission rates (and not necessarily because the card is near impossible to find in high grade). When you're talking about 250 Kirk Gibsons or 650 Fernandos submitted all time that's a miniscule representation of the number of cards that exist. If these guys went on to have HOF careers and the submission rates where more like a 85T McGwire, 86F Jordan, 93SP Jeter, 82T Ripken, etc then it would be guaranteed the 10 POP would increase. >>



The number of 10s might go up by 1 or 2 on these two 1981 Topps cards, but that will be by pure luck. This would not change the fact that these two cards ARE likely the most difficult cards from that era to get in a PSA 10. The pop 1 PSA 10 Gibson that sold recently did not have perfect centering. The cards that have been submitted are not a random sampling of whats out there. A lot of guys who know what they are doing have been submitting the best of the best of these cards for many years trying to get the PSA 10. If you collected in 1981, then you know that 99% of these cards had major centering issues along with other factory defects right out of the pack. The other cards you listed like the Jordan, Ripken, etc. do not have such prevalent issues.

K

Pretty basic list just shooting from the hip:

80 Henderson No matter what you won't get higher than a 9, end of story
Other 80 HOFers are brutal (Ryan, Brett, Ozzie, Rose)
81 Rose, Valenzuela RC
Any and all Ripken RC's will pull an 8 unless you know people
The Big 3 in 83 (Boggs, Sandberg, Gwynn)
84 Donruss Mattingly
84 Fleer Update Clemens
85 McGwire USA
All the Griffey RCs

And a personal shout out to the notorious 85 Topps Ripken with or without the orange stripe. I've personally submitted a dozen or so that look better then a some of my 10's with no luck. Still looking for one BTW

bbuckner22

The 1983 Henderson All Star card is very tough too, pop 2 I believe.

lifeshouldbefun

1981 Topps Kirk Gibson Pop 1 and it just sold for $2000+

mikeschmidt

<< <i>1981 topps pete rose. only 3 psa 10's!!!!! >>



All owned by the same guy

mikeschmidt

<< <i>I have another question, what card (any player, any year, any sport) has the most submissions without a psa 10? it might be the Fernando card. >>



Not even close, Redbull. One of the best examples that comes to mind is the 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle All-Star. Over 4,900 submissions, without a PSA 10.

There are a number of other Mantle examples, including 1954 Bowman, his two other 1958 Topps cards [regular, and WS Batting Foes], 1960 Topps, 1965 Topps, 1966 Topps.



There's other Key rookie card w/o a PSA 10 card, including 1957 Frank Robinson, Jim Bunning and Orlando Cepeda. 1960 McCovey, 1962 Gaylor Perry, 1966 Jim Palmer, and the winner.....


1968 Topps NOLAN RYAN. With over 5,900 submissions and never a PSA 10. That's the coup de grace of modern PSA 10 cards.

wallst32

<< <i>The number of 10s might go up by 1 or 2 on these two 1981 Topps cards, but that will be by pure luck. This would not change the fact that these two cards ARE likely the most difficult cards from that era to get in a PSA 10. The pop 1 PSA 10 Gibson that sold recently did not have perfect centering. The cards that have been submitted are not a random sampling of whats out there. A lot of guys who know what they are doing have been submitting the best of the best of these cards for many years trying to get the PSA 10. If you collected in 1981, then you know that 99% of these cards had major centering issues along with other factory defects right out of the pack. The other cards you listed like the Jordan, Ripken, etc. do not have such prevalent issues. >>



There are more 85T McGwires submitted than all 1981 Topps cards combined. Of the 37K 81 Topps cards submitted there are 6K 10's; hardly what you'd call difficult. There are very few 81T 10's because from a value proposition most cards are not worth the price of submission; no many are digging through their 81T lots looking for gradeable cards. I agree the condition sensitvity is higher than your average set, but no higher than 76-80T.

lahmejoon

Is it the common perception that PSA sort-of has a strangle hold on allowing (or not allowing, for that matter) 10 grades on some of these cards?

redbull

<< <i>Is it the common perception that PSA sort-of has a strangle hold on allowing (or not allowing, for that matter) 10 grades on some of these cards? >>

Yep....Joe Strangler

RookieWax

<< <i>There are more 85T McGwires submitted than all 1981 Topps cards combined. Of the 37K 81 Topps cards submitted there are 6K 10's; hardly what you'd call difficult. There are very few 81T 10's because from a value proposition most cards are not worth the price of submission; no many are digging through their 81T lots looking for gradeable cards. I agree the condition sensitvity is higher than your average set, but no higher than 76-80T. >>



Ummm, I thought we are talking about 1980 to 1989 cards....not 1970s. And, yes, the 1981 set is at least as condition sensitive as those 1970s sets and probably more so - especially for certain cards like the Gibson and Valenzuela. Go ahead and buy yourself a pack of 1981 Topps cards and a pack of 1985 Topps cards and see what you get. The 1985 cards will mostly come out pretty nice overall. The 1981 cards will be junk due to all of the following: Ink smears, edge/corner chipping, miscut, off-center, diamond cut, ink "snow"...and have I left anything out? Point is that most 1981 Topps cards are extremely tough to find in Mint or better condition, even right out of the pack. And what I was referring to was the fact that the Valenzuela and Gibson are even tougher than your average 1981 Topps card to find in Gem Mint grade - in fact, I'll say IMPOSSIBLE.

Here is a link to the Pop 1 Gibson card. On most days with most graders this card is an 8. It has the typical edge chipping, snow on the front, the top-left corner has a dog ear(which you can see on the front and back scan), and at best it has 60-40 centering.

"Psa 10" 1981 Topps Gibson


And the reason that so many fewer 1981 Topps cards have been submitted than 1985 is that there just aren't enough in high grade to submit. A few years ago, the SMR had an interview with some of the top guys on the 1981 Topps set registry and most of them had given up long ago since there are so many cards that are impossible in high grade.

RookieWax

Here is an article written within the last year by Dmitri Young himself on the topic of the 1981 Topps Fernanado.


article


I still couldn't believe it when I read he is selling his collection.

NHLfightguy

<< <i>Here is an article written within the last year by Dmitri Young himself on the topic of the 1981 Topps Fernanado.


article


I still couldn't believe it when I read he is selling his collection. >>



Wonder why he sold it off. Didn't he have some super low pop rookie cards.

NHLfightguy

<< <i>

<< <i>1981 topps pete rose. only 3 psa 10's!!!!! >>



All owned by the same guy >>



wonder if the guy plans to just buy them all if given the chance. Wonder what one would get on the open market.

RookieWax

yep....he had a PSA 10 of just about every rookie card imaginable, including a Hank Aaron rookie and a 1990 Topps NNOF Frank Thomas.

Probstein123

fernando rookie would get my vote...or the 81 bench