During the 1860s, sports cards were thought of as nothing more than ink printed on a piece of cardboard. They were used as marketing tools, given away for free in tobacco and bubble gum packs.
Today, the sports card industry is worth approximately $13 billion, expected to rise to more than $100 billion by 2027. Nostalgic value, the 2020 pandemic, and demand outgrowing supply are just a few of the reasons for the huge boom in card values.
Baseball cards continue to shatter records, with a Honus Wagner card selling for $7.25 million in a private sale in 2023. Barry Bonds is another well-known Baseball figure who still holds many MLB hitting records today.
Most Valuable Barry Bond Cards (Round-up list)
Barry Bonds is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time but he still divides opinion amongst some and is yet to be inducted into the baseball hall of fame. Despite this, his memorabilia continues to fetch high prices.
Let’s take a look at the most valuable and interesting Barry Bonds cards, checking out their value and what makes them so collectible. These are 11 of the most valuable cards currently valued or recently sold at auction.
| Number | Barry Bonds Card | Grade | Price |
| 1 | 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds Rookie Card #11T | BGS 10 | $36,900 |
| 2 | 1987 O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds RC Rookie #320 | PSA 10 | $23,350 |
| 3 | 2017 Topps Tier One ‘Dual Autographs’ Ken Griffey Jr./Barry Bonds Signed Card #DA-GB | PSA 9 | $5,535 |
| 4 | 1987 Donruss Opening Day Barry Bonds Rookie RC #163 | PSA 10 | $4,136 |
| 5 | 1987 Fleer Glossy Barry Bonds #604 | PSA 10 | $3,600 |
| 6 | 1993 Topps Finest Refractor Barry Bonds #103 | PSA 10 | $2,760 |
| 7 | 1991 Topps Desert Shield Barry Bonds #570 | PSA 10 | $2,400 |
| 8 | 1999 Upper Deck Century Legends Barry Bonds Autograph #BB | PSA 9 | $960 |
| 9 | 1996 Pinnacle Select Certified Barry Bonds #31 | PSA 9 | $720 |
| 10 | 1999 SP Signature Barry Bonds (Gold) Autograph #BB | PSA NM/MT | $492 |
| 11 | 2001 Fleer Autographics Barry Bonds (Silver) | SGC 9 | $312 |
1) 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds Rookie Card #11T
(Sold by Goldin Auctions in December 2020)
- Price: $36,900
- Grade: BGS 10
- Card Number: #11T
The number one spot for the most valuable Barry Bonds cards is the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds Rookie Card. It features Bonds posing with a baseball bat in his White Pittsburgh Pirates jersey. The top of the card has ‘Pirates’ in yellow whilst the bottom has his name in black. The back of the card has his minor league batting record from his rookie days alongside some interesting facts.
The Tiffany series of the Topps trading card brand contained upgraded versions of Topps sets that were issued between 1984 and 1991. Compared to the standard version, this card has a much glossier coating.
This card is from the 1986 edition and graded by PSA as Gem Mint 10. It was sold at a Goldin Auction in December 2020 for $36,900.
2) 1987 O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds RC Rookie #320
(Sold on eBay in February 2021)
- Price: $23,350
- Grade: PSA 10
- Card Number: #320
In the number two spot is the 1987 O-Pee-Chee Barry Bonds RC Rookie card. The card features Bonds in his Pirates jersey following through after striking a ball. It has the Pirate’s logo in the top right of the card and his name in black across the bottom.
This particular card is from the O-Pee-Chee brand, closely connected with Topps due to their similar baseball card design. O-Pee-Chee cards generally had much smaller print runs and can be harder to find than Topps cards but are still not regarded as authentic by some collectors due to a similar design.
This card was graded as a PSA 10 Gem Mint, making it extremely rare and highly valuable by baseball card collectors. The card was sold on eBay in February 2021 for $23,350.
3) 2017 Topps Tier One ‘Dual Autographs’ Ken Griffey Jr./Barry Bonds Signed Card #DA-GB
(Sold by Goldin Auctions)
- Price: $5,535
- Grade: PSA 9
- Card Number: #DA-GB
In the number three position is the Topps Tier One ‘Dual Autograph’ Signed card, featuring both Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr.
The right side of the card features Griffey Jr. in a blue Seattle Mariners jersey looking up in the outfield with his signature underneath in blue ink. The left side of the card features Bonds in a Giants jersey looking on, also with his signature underneath in blue.
This card example is from the Topps brand, very similar to the O-Pee-Chee brand in the number two position. Topps is very highly regarded by Baseball card collectors, being the only major card brand with a license with the MLB until 2022.
The limited edition card has a gold trim surrounding the middle section which is serial numbered 10/23. The card is graded as a 9 Mint by the PSA.
The card was sold at a Goldin Auction for $5,535.
4) 1987 Donruss Opening Day Barry Bonds Rookie RC Error Card #163
(Sold on eBay in November 2017)
- Price: $4,136
- Grade: PSA 10
- Card Number: #163
In the number 4 spot is a rather unique error card from the Donruss brand. After issuing their regular set, Donruss issued a set of 273 cards featuring every player in the starting lineups for the opening day of the 1987 season.
Despite featuring Bonds in their rookie and regularly issued sets, Donruss mistakenly used a photo of 30 year old Johnny Ray in place of Bonds. They quickly corrected the error cards but not before some were released, making them extremely collectible and valuable.
The card has the error picture centered in the middle with Bond’s name underneath in yellow. It is graded as a PSA 10 Gem Mint and was sold at an eBay auction for $4,136 in November 2017.
5) 1987 Fleer Glossy Barry Bonds #604
(Sold by Goldin Auctions)
- Price: $3,600
- Grade: PSA 10
- Card Number: #604
Founded in 1929, Fleer is a long-standing brand manufacturing trading cards. Whilst Topps has now acquired the Fleer brand, they continue to produce unique card sets and remain a highly-regarded trading card brand.
This 1987 Fleer Glossy Barry Bonds card is a glossy version of Bonds Rookie card. It features Bonds in a black Pirates jersey looking at the camera. The card has Bond’s name and position at the top and the fleer brand name and pirates logo at the bottom.
The card is graded as a PSA 10 Gem Mint and was sold at a Goldin auction for $3,600.
6) 1993 Topps Finest Refractor Barry Bonds
(Sold by Goldin Auctions)
- Price: $2,760
- Grade: PSA 10
- Card Number: #103
Another interesting and valuable card example from the Topps brand is the 1993 Topps Finest Refractor Barry Bonds card. The card features Bonds mid-stride against a colorful background. At the top of the card is ‘Baseball’s Finest All Stars’ with Bonds name at the bottom.
On the back of the cards is Bonds physical characteristics and playing stats from his 1992 season with the Giants.
The Topps finest refractor cards are a series of cards that were made to reflect different colors off the surface as you move the card around. They became very popular cards with collectors due to their visual appeal.
Among 225 card examples recorded by PSA, fewer than 17% have achieved the same grade as this card, a PSA 10 Gem Mint. The card was sold at a Goldin Auction for $2,760
7) 1991 Topps Desert Shield Barry Bonds #570
(Sold by Heritage Auctions in July 2022)
- Price: $2,400
- Grade: PSA 10
- Card Number: #570
At number seven is the 1991 Topps Desert Shield Barry Bonds card. The card features Bonds in a Pirates jersey swinging for the ball alongside his name, team and position underneath,
Back in 1991, Topps issued the Desert Shield card alongside their regular cards. Aside from being virtually identical to their normal counterparts, the Desert Shield cards have a gold foil stamp on the front with a palm tree inside of a shield. At the same time, Topps celebrated their 40th birthday and printed ‘Topps 40 years of baseball’ in the top right corner.
With the card initially intended for soldiers in Saudi Arabia, collectors had to go to great lengths to get their hands on one. This particular card example was graded as 10 Gem Mint by the PSA and sold at a Heritage Auction in July 2022 for $2,400.
8) 1999 Upper Deck Century Legends Barry Bonds Autograph #BB
(Sold by Heritage Auctions in December 2020)
- Price: $960
- Grade: PSA 9
- Card Number: #BB
Coming from the Upper Deck Series is the 1999 UD Century Legends Barry Bonds Autograph Card. It features Bonds with a wide smile looking on against a washed-out baseball field in the background. The middle of the card is autographed by Bonds in thin blue ink with the handwritten serial number 32/100.
Upper Deck released the ‘Century Legends – Century Epic Signatures’ series in 1999, releasing a total of 100 cards. The first 50 cards were regarded as the 50 greatest players of the 20th century with the other 50 being TSN’s picks for the 50 most active players.
The card has the coveted Gold century legends stamp in the bottom right corner and Bonds name followed by ‘Century Epic Signatures’.
This card example was graded as a PSA 9 Mint and was sold at a Heritage auction in December 2020 for $960.
9) 1996 Pinnacle Select Certified Barry Bonds #31
(Sold by Heritage Auctions in January 2022)
- Price: $720
- Grade: PSA 9
- Card Number: #31
In the number 9 spot is another exciting-looking card, this time from the Pinnacle brand. Pinnacle was previously known as one of the five major baseball card companies before becoming bankrupt and selling their brand to Donruss who stopped production of their cards.
This made the cards previously produced by Pinnacle more desirable to collectors and subsequently increased the prices. Featured here is the 1996 Pinnacle Select Certified Barry Bonds Card. It shows Bonds celebrating with his fist in the air after hitting a ball against a mirror-like colored background, making the card very eye-catching.
The Pinnacle Select Certified series was a 144-card hobby set released in 1996 and contained 6 levels of parallels. The parallels were introduced with very low print runs forcing collectors to pay higher prices if they wanted the full set.
This card example is graded as a PSA 9 Mint and was sold at a Heritage auction in January 2022 for $720.
10) 1999 SP Signature Barry Bonds (Gold) Autograph #BB
(Sold by Heritage Auctions in December 2021)
- Price: $492
- Grade: PSA NM/MT
- Card Number: #BB
In the number 10 spot is the 1999 SP Signature Barry Bonds (Gold) Autograph card. The 1999 SP Signature edition is a 180-card set produced by the Upper Deck with each three-card pack containing one autograph.
Out of the 180 base cards, 90 were released with gold autographs. This particular card features Bonds in a black Giants jersey looking on with a bat in his hands. The card is personally autographed and serial numbered 37/50.
The card has been certified in Near mint/ Mint condition by the PSA and was sold at a Heritage auction in December 2021 for $492.
11) 2001 Fleer Autographics Barry Bonds (Silver)
(Sold by Heritage Auctions in May 2022)
- Price: $312
- Grade: SGC 9
- Card Number: N/A
Rounding out the list of the most valuable Barry Bonds cards is the 2011 Fleer Autographics (Silver) card. The card features Bonds hitting the ball in a black Giants jersey against a white background. The card is personally autographed in black ink and stamped with the serial number 089/250.
This particular card example comes from the Fleer Autographics series, designed to allow a large signing space for the athletes. The card was released in 2001, a special year for Bonds as he took the record for the most home runs in a season.
The card has been graded as an SGC 9 Mint with the autograph graded as a 10. The card was sold at a Heritage auction in May 2022 for $312.
Why are Barry Bond Cards so Expensive?
Barry Bonds, born in 1964, was an American former professional baseball left fielder. He is considered as one of the best baseball players of all time but still divides opinion amongst experts and is yet to be inducted into the baseball hall of fame.
Known as ‘the home run king’, Bonds still holds multiple MLB records during an illustrious Baseball career where he won seven MVP titles, eight Gold Gloves, 12 Silver sluggers and earned 14 all-star selections.
Despite this the latter part of his career was overshadowed by steroid scandals, with BALCO and BLB testing records showing multiple substance abuses.
These combined factors have made his memorabilia highly desirable amongst collectors, with the value of his baseball cards continuing to rise and fall around hall of fame induction periods.
Barry Bond Card Buying Guide
What to look for when buying Barry Bonds cards
When it comes to buying Barry Bonds cards, here is a list of factors that can boost the value:
- Hall of fame status (Whilst Bonds isn’t currently inducted into the hall of fame, he can still become a member each time votes are cast. Whilst he wasn’t inducted in 2023, his voting percentage went up quite significantly)
- Error Cards (Sometimes during production a card manufacturer makes an error. Once the error is realized, production is stopped and the cards already produced in limited qualities become rare and therefore potentially valuable)
- Rookie Cards (With Bonds now widely recognized as one of the best hitters of all time, his rookie cards produced in limited quantities are worth much more than his cards overproduced as he become well-known)
- Condition (When it comes to the world of trading cards, the condition is key. Barry bond cards graded in high numbers by any of the three main grading companies are most likely worth a lot more than those ungraded)
Where to Buy and Sell Barry Bonds Cards
There are many online sites and shops that sell Barry Bonds Cards. Here is a selection of the most popular ones:
- Auction (If you’re looking to buy and sell extremely rare and valuable Barry bonds cards, Heritage Auctions and Goldin Auctions are two high-end auction sites that can cater to most collectors.
- eBay (Widely known for buying and selling new and used items, eBay is a great option for those looking to set their own prices to a large customer base)
- Amazon (Known as one of the biggest companies in the world, Amazon marketplace can be a good site to buy and sell lower-end Barry Bond’s cards.
- Etsy (Etsy is an online marketplace collecting sellers with buyers. Its primarily used to sell vintage items, with the company taking a percentage of each sale)
Conclusion – Most Valuable Barry Bond Cards
Baseball cards are some of the most highly sought-after sports cards and will continue to break records if future years follow the same pattern. Barry Bonds is regarded as one of the best baseball players of all time and his hitting records are still proving hard to beat to this day.
The 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds Rookie Card #11T is the most valuable Barry Bonds card sold to date, selling for $36,900 at a Goldin auction in December 2020.
FAQs
What Barry Bond card should I buy on a budget?
If you’re looking to own a Barry Bond card but can’t afford the higher prices, consider a base ungraded copy Barry Bond RC card.
As the cards were produced in massive quantities in the late 1980s, they can be picked up very cheaply.
Which Barry Bond card would be the best investment?
If you have some spare cash and you’re looking to invest, the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds Rookie Card is always popular among collectors.
If you can’t afford a higher grade, the lower grades may also be a worthwhile investment.
The 1987 Donruss Opening Day Barry Bonds Rookie RC Error Card #163 at number 4 on the list is another popular choice and considerably cheaper.
