If you’re a fan of change, then 1999 Topps baseball cards may not have seemed all that exciting when they were first issued.
After all, the new Topps cards had a lot in common with their direct predecessors — 1998 Topps baseball cards.
In particular, Topps carried over the gold-brown borders, set-long single-player tribute, modest design elements, and two-series format from 1998 to 1999.
But, hey, at least they varied the checklist a bit, paring it down from 503 cards in ’98 to a tidy 462 in 1999.
And there were a few goodies in the 1999 set that were missing from the 1998 version (and vice versa), some of which we’ll talk about here in a few minutes.
So, for all of the repeats, and all of the sameness and overproduction that seem to permeate card issues from the 1990s, there are still plenty of reasons to collect 1999 Topps baseball cards … and plenty of collectors who still seek them out … and even plenty of dollars still flowing their direction.
What follows, then, is a list of the most valuable 1999 Topps baseball cards by measure of recent sales for PSA 10 copies. We’ll start at the bottom of the pile and work our way up to the most expensive of them all, while keeping our focus on base cards (as opposed to the many parallels, inserts, and other “specials” the set has to offer).
(Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed.)
1999 Topps Nolan Ryan (#34)
Five years after his last appearance in a base Topps set, Nolan Ryan was back to greet his adoring hobby public here in the 1999 issue.
Picking up on the theme they had established with Roberto Clemente the year before, Topps carted out a full Ryan tribute as The Express rolled toward Hall of Fame induction that summer.
Among the pieces in said tribute were reprints of Ryan’s base Topps cards from his playing career, Finest versions of those reprints, Refractor versions of those Finest cards, and a run of Ryan autographs, all spread between Series One and Series Two.
And then there was this actual base card, which Topps slid right into their regular lineup at #34 – yeah, that had been Ryan’s uniform number with the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
Naturally, collectors ate up all the new Ryan material, and we still love it all today.
Value: $30-35
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1999 Topps Mike Mussina (#180)
By 1999, Mussina had established himself as one of the most consistently excellent pitchers in the game, having paced the Orioles rotation for most of a decade.
In 1998, he had put up a modest season by his standards – 13-10, 3.49 ERA – but at least he still managed to snag his third consecutive Gold Glove award.
Mussina’s 1999 returns were a bit better, as his 18-7, 3.50 ERA showing was good enough for a second-place finish in American League Cy Young voting that fall.
A couple years later, of course, Moose signed as a free agent with the Yankees and went on to be a key contributor for several playoff teams (though no World Series winners).
That Bronx run provided enough of a profile boost to get Mussina’s cards perking with collectors and certainly didn’t hurt his chances at a Cooperstown plaque, which he snagged in 2019.
Value: $35-40
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1999 Topps Jim Thome (#380)
Thome entered the 1999 season as a beloved figure in Cleveland, one of the key contributors in the Tribe’s return to contention during the 1990s.
But, for as good as Thome had been, regularly blasting 30-40 home runs while driving in and scoring around 100 runs each season, his really BIG numbers lay just ahead.
To wit …
After smacking 33 long balls in 1999 and 37 in 2000, Thome would ramp up the power in the new decade with homer totals of 49, 52, 47, and 42 before injury curtailed his playing time in 2005.
The latter two of those totals came for the Phillies after the big first baseman signed a free agent deal with Philly ahead of the 2003 season. That move not only gave Thome a new challenge, it also gave him a chance to endear himself to a whole new fanbase.
Mission accomplished.
The added exposure also helped elevate Thome’s hobby profile and, today, as a Hall of Famer, he is as popular with collectors as ever.
Value: $35-40
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1999 Topps Tony Gwynn (#75)
Gwynn saw his streak of four straight National League batting titles snapped in 1998, when he could muster *only* a .321 average in 127 games for the Padres.
That was a steep dropoff from the gaudy .372 mark he put up in 1997, but it was still miles ahead of what mere mortals could ever hope to accomplish even in their best seasons.
Still, Gwynn’s 148 hits left him within hailing distance of 3000 hits, and he’d continue his quest in 1999 while collectors were pulling this sunny card of Mr. Padre.
By then, of course, his hobby legacy and Hall of Fame track were well established, and collectors still love Gwynn and his pasteboards today.
Value: $35-50
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1999 Topps Derek Jeter (#85)
In 1998, Jeter hit .324, smacked 19 home runs, drove in 84 runs, scored 127 times, and stole 30 bases to help the Yankees put up an incredible 114-48 record and win their second World Series title in three years.
That was all good enough to leave Captain Clutch third in American League Most Valuable Player voting and to ratchet up his standing with collectors even higher than his 1996 Rookie of the Year Award and solid 1997 follow-up had already done.
Here we see Jeter running toward second during what would be his first (of 14) All-Star seasons, a classic shot that strums hobby memories all these years later.
Value: $35-50
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1999 Topps Mariano Rivera (#172)
This is a pretty frightening baseball card.
I mean, by 1999, we all knew that Rivera was probably the best reliever in the game, and he had certainly been a key contributor to the Yankees’ World Series championships in 1996 and 1998.
If you were a batter, you could look at his sub-2.00 ERA and batting-average-against right around .200 and just weep, or at least wring your hands in the darkness where Mo couldn’t see you fret.
But here, Rivera gives us a glimpse of what might happen to you if you DID manage to get out of the batter’s box against him. He’s in full-on linebacker mode, and his eyes are on the prize – an open-field tackle between home plate and first base is in your future.