The Most Expensive Barry Bonds Cards of All-Time

To get this list of the most expensive Barry Bonds cards started off right, we have his undeniable grail. Topps Tiffany cards were limited edition collectors’ sets from 1984-1991, and they were printed on a premium card stock. 1986 Tiffany has a print run of around 5,000; if you’ve seen one of these in person, you know just how much they pop out in a showcase.

This particular copy is graded a BGS 10 (Pristine), which is typically more coveted and harder to achieve than a PSA 10. On a card with black borders and lettering, getting this grade is nearly impossible. So it’s no surprise that this one went as high as $40,800 during a September 2021 auction.

While the junk wax era may not have produced the most aesthetically pleasing trading cards, they did inadvertently create several crown jewels for collectors. Error cards have always existed in the hobby, but some during the 1980s/1990s have reached an unrivaled level of infamy.

Case in point: this 1987 Donruss Opening Day rookie mistakenly features a picture of veteran Johnny Ray instead of a young Bonds. The error was quickly patched in the other Donruss sets from that year, but many Johnny Ray errors were still in circulation. The one shown above also achieved a BGS 10 grade, selling for $33,000 in May 2021.

In the late 50s, Canadian-based company O-Pee-Chee launched a joint campaign with Topps to produce hockey and baseball sets in Canada. While the name is still used for hockey products, O-Pee-Chee last released an MLB product in 1994. 

This ‘87 O-Pee-Chee is valued similarly to Bonds’s 1986 and 1987 Topps Tiffany, for both sets were hard to come by. This particular copy received both a PSA 10 grade and an MBA certification, and it last sold for $31,200 in May 2022.

We’ve talked extensively about how influential Precious Metal Gems (PMGs) are in the hobby. This 1998 Barry Bonds PMG is more proof of that notion. The card features a glimpse of the picturesque Golden Gate Bridge in the background, and its wild patterning gives the card even more flair. Limited to just 50 copies, this stunner is a Pop 3 as a PSA 6; only seven copies have been graded higher.

You can never go wrong adding a 1/1 to your collection, especially when the 1/1 is a Fleer Ultra Masterpiece. This 1999 Bonds features a great action shot of the lefty at the plate. The foiled cursive lettering pops out on this one as well, so it makes sense that this PSA 7 copy sold for nearly $10,000 last year.

Our one and only autograph on this list is from a 2002 Fleer buyback set. The auto commemorates Bonds’s 73 home run season from 2001, with each card being hand-numbered out of 73. This particular copy has a sweet signature, which earned it a perfect 10 on the autograph grade. It last sold for $9,600, making it the most expensive Barry Bonds autographed card ever.

1993 was the first year of Topps Finest, a revolutionary optichrome trading card. Early Finest designs have held up very well throughout the hobby’s history, and many modern sets draw inspiration from them. This ‘93 Bonds refractor is visually striking and a must-have for any high-end 90s baseball collector.

At #8, we have another fabled set from the late 90s, the EX-2001 Credentials. The acetate finish and bright neon colors were unheard of for cards when this set came out. It was fresh and innovative, becoming an immediate hit for sports card collectors. 

These cards are notoriously hard to grade, so a BGS 8.5 shouldn’t be taken lightly. A raw copy recently sold on eBay for the same price, so we will be on the lookout for this card to surface at auction again.

This is another incredible acetate card from Skybox E-X, and this one is actually rare in its printing (24 copies). This set is known for yellowing and losing its original tint, so seeing this one in a BGS 9 holder is very impressive. It last sold for around $7,100 in 2021.

Lastly, we have another Bonds PMG. This one comes from the subsequent 1999 set; although it doesn’t have a lovely view of the Bay Area in the background like the ‘98 copy, it is still a standout in any collection. This BGS 8.5 copy last sold for $7,000.