Baseball is like a love story people love to follow. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what year you lived in, you have to follow a team, then most importantly, you have to have a favorite player. Baseball is a joy giver. It makes you feel like a kid again. If you were a kid in the 1980s you probably collected baseball cards. Today those cards have become collectibles. Take a nostalgic journey into those yesteryears.
The 1988 Topps set is one of the most popular ever produced. This particular year, several high-quality rookies were featured throughout the set. I’m going to share with you a list of the most valuable Topps baseball cards from 1988. Are you ready for our trip down memory lane?
Table of Contents
25 Most Valuable 1988 Topps Baseball Cards In The World: Price List
No. |
Card |
Grade |
Price |
1 |
1988 Score Traded Glossy Craig Biggio |
PSA 10 |
$650 |
2 |
1988 Topps Cloth Tom Glavine Rookie Card |
BGS 9.5 |
$999.99 |
3 |
1988 Topps Vintage Baseball Card Mark McGwire Error Yellow Line |
Ungraded |
$1,000 |
4 |
Roberto Alomar 1988 Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie Card |
PSA 10 |
$700 |
5 |
1988 Topps Traded Tiffany Greg Maddux Rookie Card |
PSA 10 |
$1,000 |
6 |
1988 Bo Jackson Topps Tiffany Card |
PSA 10 |
$550 |
7 |
1988 Topps Error Alignment Domingo Ramos Mariners Outline Error |
Ungraded |
$700 |
8 |
1988 Topps – Don Mattingly World Of Baseball |
PSA 7 |
$375 |
9 |
1988 Topps Tiffany Dale Murphy Atlanta Braves |
PSA 10 |
$283.50 |
10 |
1988 Topps Tiffany Lee Smith Chicago Cubs |
PSA 10 |
$243 |
11 |
Edgar Martinez 1986 ProCards Rookie Card 1988-Score |
PSA 10 |
$299.99 |
12 |
1988 Topps Jose Uribe |
Ungraded |
$1,000 |
13 |
2000 Ron Guidry Autograph Trading Card 1988-Set |
PSA 8 |
$500 |
14 |
1988 Topps Eddie Murray Baltimore Orioles Card |
PSA 10 |
$125 |
15 |
Charlie Hayes Giants 1989 Rookie Card |
PSA 10 |
$199.99 |
16 |
1988 Topps Don Mattingly Rickey Henderson New York Yankees |
PSA 10 |
$375 |
17 |
1988 Topps Tony Gwynn Benito Santiago San Diego Padres |
PSA 10 |
$125 |
18 |
1988 Dwight Gooden New York Mets All-Star Topps Card |
PSA 8 |
$189.99 |
19 |
1988 Topps Tiffany Keith Hernandez |
PSA 10 |
$399.99 |
20 |
1988 Topps Tiffany Orel Hershiser |
PSA 9 |
$200 |
21 |
1988 Topps Nolan Ryan Record Breakers Error Card |
Ungraded |
$350 |
22 |
1988 Topps Willie Randolph All-Star New York Yankees |
PSA 10 |
$140 |
23 |
1988 Topps Traded Barry Bonds |
PSA 10 |
$449.99 |
24 |
1988 Topps Tiffany Roger Clemens Red Sox Card |
PSA 10 |
$129.99 |
25 |
1988 Topps Traded Jim Abbott Baseball Rookie Card |
Ungraded |
$179.10 |
1. 1988 Score Traded Glossy Craig Biggio
Price: $650
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #103T
Craige Alan Biggio is a former second baseman, outfielder, and catcher who played all his career with the Houston Astros. He began in 1988 when this card was made. Biggio was a very fast runner and was an excellent base stealer. He was called upon midway through the 1988 season to become a catcher.
2. 1988 Topps Cloth Tom Glavine Rookie Card
Price: $999.99
Grade: BGS 9.5
Glavine was a pitcher for the Atlanta Braves and the New York Mets. He compiled a mixed record of 33 to 43 from 1987 to 1990. He had a 17-loss performance in 1988. He was a 5 time 20-game winner. This card was made in 1988 by Topps to memorialize the contribution of Glavine to the game of baseball.
3. 1988 Topps Vintage Baseball Card Mark McGwire Error Yellow Line
Price: $1,000
Grade: Ungraded
Card Number: #580
McGwire played as baseball first baseman first with Oakland Athletics and then with St Louis Cardinals. He made 32 home runs in 1988 and went on to be the first major leaguer to hit 30 plus homeruns in each of his first four full seasons. He hit home runs on 3 and 4 of July 1988 in the 16th inning winning both games.
4. Roberto Alomar 1988 Topps Traded Tiffany Rookie Card
Price: $700
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number #4T
Roberto played for several teams throughout the span of his baseball career. In 1988 when this card was made he was playing for the San Diego Padres which was the same year he made his major league debut. He quickly set a reputation of being a solid hitter and a base runner. With his powerful arms he often made spectacular plays with on-ground balls, hitting deep in the hole between first and second base.
5. 1988 Topps Traded Tiffany Greg Maddux Rookie Card
Price: $1,000
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #70T
Maddux was a baseball pitcher. In 1988 he was playing for the Chicago Cubs. That same year he won an all-star award. Maddux was an ace in 1988. He finished 18—8 with a 3.18 ERA. This was followed by a winning streak of 17 straight seasons in which he recorded more than 15 wins. This card with his image on it is very valuable and is in good condition.
6. 1988 Bo Jackson Topps Tiffany Card
Price: $550
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: no
Vincent Edward Bo Jackson was, among other things in sports, a baseball outfielder and designated hitter. In 1988, July 29, his team, Kansas City Royals played against the Baltimore Orioles. Jackson played a timeout homerun in that game when he batted against Jeff Ballard. One of his many notable achievements include 20 home run seasons from 1987 to 1990.
7. 1988 Topps Error Alignment Domingo Ramos Mariners Outline Error
Price: $700
Grade: Ungraded
Card Number: #206
Ramos was an infielder in major league baseball. In 1988 he was playing with the Cleveland Indians. In this card he is pictured wearing a jersey belonging to the Seattle Mariners which he played for from 1982 to 1987.
8. 1988 Topps – Don Mattingly World Of Baseball
Price: $375
Grade: PSA 7
Card Number: #300
Don Mattingly was nicknamed The Hitman and Donnie Baseball. He was a first baseman who played with the New York Yankees in 1988. He won an all-star award in that year as well. He recorded 18 home runs and 88 RBIs.
9. 1988 Topps Tiffany Dale Murphy Atlanta Braves
Price: $283.50
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #90
Dale Murphy played as an outfielder, catcher and first baseman for the Atlanta Braves in 1988. He won the Roberto Clemente Award that year. In that year also he got his final all-star appearance. His average was .226 in 1988. This Topps card is graded and numbered but isn’t graded.
10. 1988 Topps Tiffany Lee Smith Chicago Cubs
Price: $243
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #240
Lee Smith baseball was a pitcher who played for 18 years for eight teams. In 1988 he was playing with the Boston Red Sox team. This Topps card shows Lee strutting through the pitch and waving at the cheerful crowd. The card is in great condition and graded accordingly.
11. Edgar Martinez 1986 ProCards Rookie Card 1988-Score
Price: $299.99
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #8
Edgar Martinez played with the Seattle Mariners as a designated hitter and third baseman from 1987 to 2004. This card is PSA authenticated, it has Edgar’s photo on it and is in great condition. It is a brand new card, undamaged and unopened.
12. 1988 Topps Jose Uribe
Price: $1,000
Grade: Ungraded
Card Number: #302
Jose Uribe was a league baseball shortstop from 1984 to 1993. In 1988 he was playing with the San Francisco Giants. In that year Uribe won the Millie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership efforts with his team. He was loved by fans at Candlestick Park where they had a peculiar way of chanting his name. Fans on one side of the park would shout OOH, chants on the other side would go REE BAY.
13. 2000 Ron Guidry Autograph Trading Card 1988-Set
Price: $500
Grade: PSA 8
Card Number: #535
Guidry was a baseball pitcher who played for the New York Yankees. He won a Golden Glove Award in 1988. This Topps card bears his picture and his signature on the surface of it. It is authenticated by a professional sports authenticator and graded 8.
14. 1988 Topps Eddie Murray Baltimore Orioles Card
Price: $125
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #4
Eddie Murray was nicknamed Steady Eddie. He was first baseman and designated hitter for the Baltimore Orioles where he played in 1988. He averaged 28 home runs and 99 RBI. He almost won an MVP award this year but came second in the voting.
15. Charlie Hayes Giants 1989 Rookie Card
Price: $199.99
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #628
Charles Dewayne Hayes played third baseman for the San Francisco Giants team from 1988 to 1989 where he made his debut on September 11. He hit .091 over seven games. Although this card is not autographed by the player, it is graded a complete 10 for pristine condition.
16. 1988 Topps Don Mattingly Rickey Henderson New York Yankees
Price: $375
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #2
Here’s a card for the price of two players. This Topps card shows Don Mattingly and Rickey Henderson. There’s a Don Mattingly card on this list already so I’ll dwell on Henderson. He was a professional baseball left fielder who played 24 seasons. He was nicknamed Man of Steel. He played with the New York Yankees in 1988. He won an all-star award that year. This card shows him with fellow teammate Mattingly.
17. 1988 Topps Tony Gwynn Benito Santiago San Diego Padres
Price: $125
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #699
This Topps card carries the picture of two MLB players Tony Gwynn and Benito Santiago. Gwynn was a right fielder while Santiago was a catcher. Both men played for the San Diego Padres in 1988. Santiago won a Golden Glove Award in 1988. Gwynn won the batting title that year with a .313 average.
18. 1988 Dwight Gooden New York Mets All-Star Topps Card
Price: $189.99
Grade: PSA 8
Card Number: #405
Gooden was a baseball pitcher for the New York Mets in 1988. He won the all-star award that year as well. He had an 18—9 record in that year. This is his card from Topps. It is graded 8 and highly valued.
19. 1988 Topps Tiffany Keith Hernandez
Price: $399.99
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #33
Hernandez is a former baseball first baseman. He played most of his career with the St Louis Cardinals and New York Mets. In 1988 he was with the New York Mets. He won his 11th and final Golden Glove Award that year.
20. 1988 Topps Tiffany Orel Hershiser
Price: $200
Grade: PSA 9
Card Number: #40
Orel was a baseball pitcher who played the game from 1983 to 2000. In 1988 he was playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the World Series champion for 1988. In that year Orel finished the season with a record 59 scoreless innings pitched. He thereby broke the mark of 582/3 innings, a record that was held by former team man Don Drysdale.
21. 1988 Topps Nolan Ryan Record Breakers Error Card
Price: $350
Grade: Ungraded
Card Number: #6
Nolan was a baseball pitcher. He played for the Houston Astros in 1988 and was the strikeout leader from 1987 to 1990. This ungraded Topps card bears his image on it. He is seen here in his jersey and is in the motion of pitching.
22. 1988 Topps Willie Randolph All-Star New York Yankees
Price: $140
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #387
Second baseman Willie Randolph was most notably a player for the New York Yankees where he was in 1988. He was a co-captain in the year as well. In December he signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
23. 1988 Topps Traded Barry Bonds
Price: $449.99
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #11T
Barry Bonds was a professional baseball left fielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1988. Bonds hit .283 with 24 homeruns in that year. For all the scandals that later surrounded his career, he is one of the greatest players of baseball.
24. 1988 Topps Tiffany Roger Clemens Red Sox Card
Price: $129.99
Grade: PSA 10
Card Number: #70
Clemens was a baseball pitcher who played in 24 seasons primarily for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. An 11-time all-star, he won it in the year 1988 and beyond.
25. 1988 Topps Traded Jim Abbott Baseball Rookie Card
Price: $179.10
Grade: Ungraded
Card Number: #1T
Jim was a baseball pitcher for the California Angels in 1988. He got a medal for representing the United States in the Olympic games that year too. He also got a Baseball World Cup medal in 1988.
Final Thoughts
In a nutshell, pack-pulling baseball card collectors and dealers pray for the day they can get their hands on 1988 Topps Baseball cards again. These cards have skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years, and even more so now with more recent investments joining the fray. These are just a few of the most valuable 1988 Topps Baseball Cards in the world today.
