10 Best 1986 Topps Baseball Cards

- September 3, 2023

The 1980s delivered some iconic baseball players who would slowly take over Major League Baseball for the years to come. Starting with Cal Ripken Jr in 1982, Roger Clemens in 1985, and Ken Griffey Jr in 1989. However, one name that put together numbers like no other in the history of baseball was Barry Bonds, who made his debut during the 1986 MLB season and was also a vital component in the 1986 Topps Traded Baseball Card set, ranking among the best 1986 Topps baseball cards to hit the market that season.

While Bonds headlined the class of 1986 Topps Baseball cards, other rookies such as Lenny Dykstra and Cecil Fielder found their way into the 1986 Topps Baseball base set. Meanwhile, top-tier rookies like Jose Canseco, Bo Jackson, Will Clark, and Wally Joyner were featured in the 1986 Topps Traded base set. 

Despite possibly being one of the best sets of all time over the years, the steroid era and Barry Bonds’s failure to make it to the Baseball Hall of Fame have dropped the set’s value, despite it still being a great overall baseball set. 

10 Best 1989 Topps Baseball Cards

1. 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #11T Barry Bonds Rookie Card

One of the greatest hitters of his generation Barry Bonds success on the field, has helped drive his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany rookie card through the roof.

Bonds was a 14-time All-Star, seven-time NL MVP, and two-time batting champion while finishing his career with 762 home runs.

A recent 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds rookie card sold for $5,199 in January 2023. Here are recent sale prices for Barry Bonds Tiffany rookie cards.

  • PSA 10 – $5,199
  • PSA 9 – $1544.75
  • PSA 8 – $711
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $499             

2. 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #50T Bo Jackson Rookie Card

One of the most popular athletes of his time and in current times is the dynamic two-sport star, Bo Jackson. Jackson, who was great on the football field and the baseball diamond, built a strong relationship with his fans.

Add in his “BO Knows” campaign, and it is hard not to know who Bo Jackson is. A recent 1989 Topps Traded Tiffany Bo Jackson rookie card sold for $7,501 in December 2022.

Here are recent sale prices for Bo Jackson Traded Tiffany rookie cards.

  • PSA 10 – $7,501
  • PSA 9 – $1,108
  • PSA 8 – $383
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $350

3. 1986 Topps #100 Nolan Ryan

The Ryan Express debuted during the 1966 MLB season, finishing his career in 1993. Over that stretch, Nolan Ryan threw seven no-hitters, won 324 games, and finished as the MLB leader in both no-hitters and career strikeouts with 5,714 over his career.

A recent 1989 Topps Nolan Ryan card sold for $1,100 in December 2022. Here are recent sale prices for Nolan Ryan Topps cards.

  • PSA 10 – $1,100
  • PSA 9 – $78
  • PSA 8 – $20.50
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $59.99

4. 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #11T Will Clark Rookie Card

Will ‘The Thrill’ Clark had a ton of hype coming out of Mississippi State before being drafted by the San Francisco Giants as the second overall pick during the 1985 MLB Draft.

Clark put together a strong career earning six All-Star team selections, won one Gold Glove, and had his #22 jersey retired by the San Francisco Giants.

A recent 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Will Clark rookie card sold for $750 in March 2023. Here are recent sale prices for Will Clark rookie cards. 

  • PSA 10 – $750
  • PSA 9 – $73
  • PSA 8 – $69
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $81

5. 1986 Topps Traded #50T Bo Jackson Rookie Card

Bo Jackson could do it all on both baseball and football fields. Over the years, Jackson has continued to build a ton of fame within the sports community and with baseball card collectors.

While his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany rookie card is the holy grail of Bo Jackson cards, the base Topps Traded rookie card still ranks among the Best 1986 Topps Baseball Cards.

A recent 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson Rookie card sold for $585. in March 2023. Here are recent sale prices for Bo Jackson Traded rookie cards.

  • PSA 10 – $585
  • PSA 9 – $48
  • PSA 8 – $31
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $60

6. 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #20T Jose Canseco Rookie Card

One-half of the Bash brothers was the face of the Oakland A’s organization while also becoming a fan favorite while helping to lead the A’s to the World Series.

While Canseco is tainted with the use of steroids, he was still a big-time power hitter whose baseball cards remain extremely popular with baseball card collectors.

A recent 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Jose Canseco rookie card sold for $510 in November 2022. Here are recent sales prices for Jose Canseco Traded Tiffany rookie cards. 

  • PSA 10 – $510
  • PSA 9 – $72
  • PSA 8 – $59
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $82

7. 1986 Topps Tiffany #661 Roger Clemens

Arguably one of the best pitchers of his generation, if not the best pitcher of the late 1980s through the 1990s, Roger “The Rocket” Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, led the league in strikeouts five times, and won two World Series Championships.

His success on the field helped his 1986 Topps Baseball card land on the 10 best 1986 Topps baseball cards list. A recent 1986 Topps Tiffany Roger Clemens card sold for $408 in March 2023.

Here are recent sale prices for Roger Clemens Tiffany cards. 

  • PSA 10 – $408
  • PSA 9 – $102
  • PSA 8 – $27.20
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $20.50

8. 1986 Topps Traded #11T Barry Bonds Rookie Card

While the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds is the Best 1986 Topps Baseball Card, Bonds also holds a spot among the best baseball cards with his base 1986 Topps Traded rookie card. A recent 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds rookie card sold for $500 in early 2023.

Here are recent sale prices for Barry Bonds Traded Tiffany rookie cards.

  • PSA 10 – $280
  • PSA 9 – $28
  • PSA 8 – $6.50
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $27

9. 1986 Topps Traded #20T Jose Canseco Rookie Card

The long-time Oakland A’s star put together a solid MLB career taking home the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 1986 and the 1988 AL MVP Award before winning the first of his two World Series Championships in 1989.

Over his career, Canseco hit 462 career home runs to go along with six All-Star selections. A recent 1986 Topps Traded Jose Canseco rookie card sold for $169.99 in early 2023.

Here are recent sale prices for Jose Canseco Traded rookie cards.

  • PSA 10 – $83.49
  • PSA 9 – $21.50
  • PSA 8 – $12
  • Raw (Ungraded) –$15

10. 1986 Topps Traded #24T Will Clark Rookie Card

Rounding out the 10 best 1986 Topps baseball cards is the 1986 Topps Traded Will Clark rookie card.

Clark, a long-time member of the San Francisco Giants, put together a strong resume over his career, including hitting 284 home runs and a career .303 batting average while driving in 1,205 runs.

A recent 1989 Topps Traded Will Clark rookie card sold for $63 in February 2023. Here are recent sale prices for Will Clark Traded rookie cards.

  • PSA 10 – $63
  • PSA 9 – $17.95
  • PSA 8 – $7.49
  • Raw (Ungraded) – $9

1986 Topps Baseball Cards Guide

Here is a look at the 1986 Topps Baseball Card products released, including the 1986 Topps Tiffany base set and the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany set, which feature many of the top-selling cards from the 1986 baseball card lineup.

Topps released four products during the 1986 Baseball season. Those four sets were the 1986 Topps Baseball base set cards, the 1986 Topps Traded set, the 1986 Topps Tiffany Baseball set, and the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Baseball set.

1986 Topps Baseball Base Set

The 1986 Topps Baseball base set featured a 792-card checklist and was one of the most popular styled baseball card themes of the 1980s. Topps delivered the 1986 Topps Baseball Card set as a factory set featuring all 792 cards, individual packs, and baseball card boxes. The single 1986 Topps packs and full boxes and cases allowed collectors to collect and build their own 1986 Topps Baseball Card set.

1986 Topps Traded

Topps used their Topps Traded lineup to deliver baseball card collectors the hottest names in the game featuring top-tier rookies who made a move after the initial product release. This opened the door for Topps Traded, which was produced later during the MLB season while allowing MLB players who made their debuts or were traded to be featured in their new MLB jersey. Like a few top-tier Topps Traded sets, this set features some of the best 1986 Topps baseball cards.

1986 Topps Tiffany 

The third set Topps released from 1984 to 1991 to mirror their regular base set was the Topps Tiffany set which was an upgrade to the regular set while featuring a different back and a glossy front. More importantly, the Topps Tiffany sets, including the 1986 Topps Baseball Tiffany Set, were only sold as a box set and featured a limited print run. The 1986 Topps Tiffany Baseball Card set has a rumored print run of approximately 5,125 cards. The lower quantity of produced cards increased the values of these sets and individual player cards.

1986 Topps Baseball Base Set VS 1986 Topps Tiffany Baseball Set Value

Looking at the two sets, the 1986 Topps Baseball set sale price ranges from $50 upwards of $75 for a set build set, while the 1986 Topps factory set sells upwards of $75. In comparison, the 1986 Topps Tiffany Baseball set, which is only produced as a factory set, sells between $600 and $1,200 depending on if the product is factory sealed.

1986 Topps Traded VS 1986 Topps Tiffany Traded Set Value

The 1986 Topps Traded set and the 1986 Topps Tiffany Set ranks among some of the best-traded sets Topps has released while featuring multiple big-time rookie cards. The 1986 Topps Traded set sale prices ranging between $35 and $80 based on the condition of the box. In comparison, the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany set sells between $1,800 and $3,000, depending on if the product is factory sealed.

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