When 1981 Topps baseball cards hit store shelves that spring, they were playing in a brave and scary new world.
To wit, for the first time since 1955, Topps was not the only game in town — both Fleer and Donruss issued baseball cards in 1981 after Fleer’s landmark antitrust victory over Topps in 1980.
While none of the three sets was spectacular, Topps cards were arguably the most solid and consistent of the bunch. And, even after all these years and even though there are still plenty to go around, they continue to draw interest on the secondary market.
So, which of the 1981 Topps baseball cards are most valuable?
To find out, I consulted PSA’s Auction Prices Realized tool, which compiles auction results for PSA-graded cards.
Here, then, are the top 15 “little hat” cards, based on sales of PSA 9 copies (the most common grade PSA has handed out for this set).
(Note: The following sections contains affiliate links to listings for the cards being discussed.)
15) 1981 Topps Tom Seaver (#220)
If it weren’t for a certain young phenom wearing Dodger blue, Seaver almost certainly would have won the 1981 National League Cy Young Award.
As things turned out, Seaver had to settle for leading the majors — for the last time — in wins, with 14, while sporting a stingy 2.54 ERA.
And, though the Reds put up the best record in the majors, Cincy missed out on the playoffs thanks to the funky split-season format, leaving this classic card as perhaps our best reminder of a glorious — if truncated — summer.
Value: $35-40
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14) 1981 Topps Willie Stargell (#380)
By the time 1981 rolled around, Stargell had just three home runs left in his powerful bat, but his status as Pirates legend had long been established.
And the (yes!) powerful image on his 1981 Topps card is enough to remind us — if we’ve somehow let it fade — of just how great he was.
It’s also enough to fit right in with the Hall of Famer’s other classic baseball cards.
Value: $40-45
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13) 1981 Topps Steve Carlton (#630)
Carlton copped his third NL Cy Young award in 1980 at the “advanced” age of 35 … and he’d add a fourth two years later.
And even a year after THAT, Carlton won a strikeout title as the Phillies returned to the World Series in 1983.
Though he’s been out of the limelight for a long time now, Lefty remains one of the greatest to ever trod the mound, and his cards sort of simmer along in the upper reaches of each set without making a lot of noise.
This 1981 Topps card even features a smile – sort of a rarity with Carlton.
Value: $35-50
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12) 1981 Topps Mike Schmidt (#206)
Was Mike Schmidt the greatest third baseman of all time?
All signs point to yes, and this card points to Schmitty right in the midst of his absolute prime.
He had just won the 1980 NL MVP award, after all, and led the Phillies to a championship, and he’d win another MVP in 1981.
And yet another in 1986.
Schmidt’s cards don’t set off alarm bells very often, but like the man himself, they maintain a huge and dedicated fan base today.
Value: $40-50
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11) 1981 Topps Dale Murphy (#504)
This card may have raised a few eyebrows outside of Atlanta in 1981, but the arch was probably fairly low.
After all, though Murphy was emerging as a real power threat, crashing 23, 21, and 33 home runs from 1978 through 1980, the Braves were bad … improving to merely mediocre as a new decade dawned.
And besides, it was third baseman Bob Horner who was going to be the REAL star in Atlanta.
Then, of course, Murphy won MVP awards in both 1982 and 1983 as he emerged as one of the top handful of players in the game.
Though Murphy’s Coopertown star dimmed during a rapid decline phase, his cards still scorch today, and there is plenty of groundswell for him to eventually make the HOF cut.
This 1981 Topps issue is a microcosm of all that, capturing the young Murph just on the precipice of his breakout.
Value: $45-55
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10) 1981 Topps Pete Rose (#180)
