Wade Boggs Rookie Cards Continue To Jump In Value
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Wade Boggs, who was affectionately nicknamed The Chicken Man, made his Major League Baseball debut for the Boston Red Sox in 1982 and has seen a steady increase in the value of rookie cards over the years. These cards, all of which debuted in 1983, were issued by Donruss (Card No. 586), Fleer (Card No. 179) and Topps (Card No. 498) and although many of these are fairly easy to come across, it’s the higher graded versions that often act as cornerstones for baseball card collections that are built om players from the early 1980’s.
The 1983 Donruss card is simple in its design as well as its presentation. A white bordered issue, with the D-logo and “’83” in the top left corner, non-invasive graphics, and a picture of Boggs at the tail end of his swing this card offers collectors a pretty great piece. However, there’s one little fun fact about the card that most collectors miss and that’s the position of DH found in the bottom left of the card. Generally speaking, a misprinted position on a card doesn't constitute an error nor is it much to write home about, except for the fact Wade Boggs only played the role of a DH for just 3 games during the 1982 season.
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From a pricing perspective, we can see the raw version of this card was selling for roughly $5-$7 back in May 2022, whereas a recent sale had the exact same card in raw form selling for $10 via eBay on June 5th of this year. With that said the PSA 10 version of this card was selling for roughly $122 ($149 with the buyer’s premium) back in May 2023, whereas a recent sale had the exact same card in PSA 10 form sold for $203.50 via eBay on May 13th of this year.
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The 1983 Fleer card is also simple in its design as well as its presentation. With its medium grey background, non-aesthetic graphics, and a picture of Boggs holding a bat on his shoulder the card offers collectors a simple yet captivating rookie issue of one of the game’s greatest third basemen. However, the back of the card is loaded with his minor league statistics, a trivia question, and a tiny headshot of Boggs himself, which certainly adds some essence to this otherwise ordinary card.
From a pricing perspective, we can see the raw version of this card was selling for roughly $7 back in August 2022, whereas a recent sale had the exact same card in raw form selling for $9 via eBay on June 5th of this year. With that said the PSA 10 version of this card was selling for roughly $171 back in December 2021, whereas a recent sale had the exact same card in PSA 10 form sold for $247.50 via eBay in April of this year.
Lastly, the 1983 Topps card is certainly the most aesthetic of the three as it pays tribute to 1963 design given its red, white, and blue color scheme coupled with full images of the players themselves as well as a smaller, encircled headshot toward the bottom right. In the case of Wade Boggs, we can see that the card captures him on the presumably on the 3rd base line waiting for the batter to drive him home.
From a pricing perspective, we can see the raw version of this card was selling for roughly $10 back in 2022, whereas a recent sale had the exact same card in raw form selling for $13.50 via eBay on June 5th of this year. With that said the PSA 10 version of this card was selling for roughly $1700 back in 2022, whereas a recent sale had the exact same card in PSA 10 form sold for $2,450 via eBay in May of this year.
When it comes to Wade Boggs’ rookie cards, there’s no doubt that they’re still a favorite among the baseball card collecting community especially if collectors can get their hands on a PSA 10. With that said, there is one that stands out among the rest and that is of course his 1983 Topps cards not only because it’s the most valuable, but also because it’s the most visually appealing.
Passionate sports card collector and writer based in Queens, NY. Lifelong fan of the New York Mets, Jets, and Rangers. Covering sports cards and collectibles with deep industry knowledge and enthusiasm, while bringing a fresh perspective to the ever-evolving hobby world on http://SI.com/collectibles.
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