Peak card values for steroid guys

gosteelers

You may have heard that a few guys have recently been busted for steroids. That got me thinking about their former peak card values. Can anyone remember what these cards were at their respective peaks (in PSA 10)?

1984 Fleer Update Clemens
1985 Topps McGwire
1986 Donruss Canseco
1986 Topps/Fleer/Donruss Bonds
1990 Leaf Sosa
1994 SP Rodriguez

Dpeck100

<< <i>You may have heard that a few guys have recently been busted for steroids. That got me thinking about their former peak card values. Can anyone remember what these cards were at their respective peaks (in PSA 10)?

1984 Fleer Update Clemens $1,500 PSA 10 $450 PSA 9
1985 Topps McGwire $750 PSA 10 $7500 PSA 10 Tiffany
1986 Donruss Canseco $300 PSA 10
1986 Topps/Fleer/Donruss Bonds
1990 Leaf Sosa $550 PSA
1994 SP Rodriguez >>





They may have gone some higher but these numbers are close on the ones I listed. I believe the Bonds 86 Fleer got has high as $750 in a PSA 10. Maybe higher.

Dakillo

I know the '86 Topps Traded Tiffany Bonds in a PSA 10 seemed to stall in the very low $3k range. '86 Donruss Rookies in PSA 10 would sell for $2000-$2500. Its these prices that made me open my card cabinets for the first time in 10 years and shuck out the few I had to attempt a 10. Only received 8's and 9's though.

hyperchipper09

Really seems like I sold a psa 9 Canseco 86 Donruss in late 2000 for $125. Which I likely thought was low at the time. Like everyone didn't know from 1986-on that Canseco wasn't exactly au natural anyway. But by god he's a pariah now, sullied the game. Same for A Rod now. Somebody would have had to have been blind or under a giant rock from the time he hit it big in 1996 to not see that something wasn't right...

jfkheat

What were the McGwire and Sosa rookie cards selling for the year they broke Maris' home run record. If I remember correctly, they were getting close to $1000 raw.
James

digicat

<< <i>What were the McGwire and Sosa rookie cards selling for the year they broke Maris' home run record. If I remember correctly, they were getting close to $1000 raw. James >>



I don't recall ever seeing a raw Sosa card being worth 4 digits. I don't think they even got to 3.

Dpeck100

<< <i>i seem to recall the 1985 topps mark mcgwire psa 10 top out near $6000; yes, six thousand dollars. >>




The Tiffany version.


The peak for the McGwire was in the $250 range raw. My economics professor at the time listed an add in the Orlando Sentinel and sold all of his for $100 at the time regardless of condition. They sold out in just a few hours. I thought he was crazy and left money on the table. Turned out to be a smart move as none were in great shape and the low price brought in the buyers quickly and of course years later that card can be had for less then $10.

The Sosa raw I believe was closer to $100.

The 1986 Tiffany Bonds was the card that peaked in the $3,000 range not the standard version.

Nathaniel1960

1985 Topps McGwire - these were selling for about $125 - $150 raw in the D.C. area around 2000. I bought a PSA 7 at the Chantilly, VA show a few weeks back for $3.

1986 Donruss Canseco - Raw 86 Donruss Canseco RC's were selling for $125 in Florida around 1991. I bought a PSA 8 for $3 at Chantilly a few weeks ago. I can usually find them raw in $1 bargain bins at shows. I see a lot less of the 86 Fleer version for some reason. I suspect these will all creep up a bit over the next decade as Canseco is seen more favorably - at least he was a somewhat honest PED user, and a loveable loser. Gotta love his tweets.

1986 Topps/Fleer/Donruss Bonds - Raw was approx. $15, $20, $20 back during the Home Run Chase. Now its more like $1-2, $2-3, $1-2, although if you buy en masse its about a $1 each. I picked up PSA 7 and 8's of all of this 87's, including Opening Day, for $3 each at Chantilly.

1990 Leaf Sosa - I recall these getting about $100 each in Chicago around 2002. Now its a $3 card. His other RC's are common in bargain bins for 25 cents or less.

1994 SP Rodriguez - I don't know.

As an aside, I think the true sleeper card of the 80's is the 1987 Donruss Maddux RC PSA 10.

MinorLeaguer

Not the card you inquired but 1987 ProCards Gastonia Sammy Sosa, his first card, was listed as $5050 in the 2000 standard catalog of Minor League baseball cards in graded gem mt 10. Now around $50-70. Ironically, the 1990 Tampa Bay Yanks Mariano Rivera gem mt 10 was a huge bargain at $16 in 2000. Now around $400!

ThoseBackPages

will be curious to see how the 94 SP Arod PSA 10 ends up. still a POP 39, whereas the PSA 9 has a pop of more then 1,400 i believe it is

itzagoner

<< <i>As an aside, I think the true sleeper card of the 80's is the 1987 Donruss Maddux RC PSA 10. >>



not so sure it's sleeping anymore as the graded gems keep pouring out by the dozens.

that semi-worthless '87D wax case i buried is calling my name.

markmac

I remember selling a PSA McGwire for $150 and a PSA 6 for $85. That was maybe a year after he broke the record.

ldferg

I sold my 85 McGwires at $125 pop before I knew grading existed. Local area collector, Art Woods, purchased them. He was a very nice elderly collector back in the day.

Bosox1976

During the Sosa/McGwire chase, I was offered a sealed '85 Topps Tiffany set in trade for my NM 1962 Topps set and had to think about it before saying no...