News
Fred McGriff, Scott Rolen cards, collectibles still a bargain after HOF inductions
If the explosive power of Fred McGriff and combination of clutch hitting and top-shelf fielding displayed by Scott Rolen weren’t enough to get you collecting their memorabilia, then their Hall of Fame induction speeches on July 23 should have done the trick.
Both McGriff and Rolen came across as humble, likable, gracious and appreciative — qualities we admire in our sports heroes.
Both played in the shadows of “shinier” stars during their careers — headline-grabbing players like Ken Griffey Jr., Cal Ripken Jr., Frank Thomas and Derek Jeter. But McGriff and Rolen belong in the Hall with them, so it’s about time they were honored.
McGriff, after playing from 1986 to 2004, first became eligible in 2010. After getting spurned by voting baseball writers for years, he finally got the necessary support from the Hall’s veteran’s committee. Rolen’s MLB career spanned from 1996 to 2012, so his first year of eligibility was 2018.
McGriff, a.k.a. The Crime Dog, batted .284 with 2,490 hits and 493 homers. Rolen was a .281 career hitter with 316 HRs and eight Gold Glove Awards at third base, the only position he ever played in the majors.
Despite the HOF visibility, neither will strain your hobby budget. In fact, even though we’ve seen interest in their collectibles rise since their election to the Hall in December 2022, prices haven’t exactly been spiking.
McGriff started his career when there were three major card manufacturers — Topps, Fleer, Donruss — who typically issued a base set without the hordes of variations we began seeing years later. As such, The Crime Dog’s rookie card is easy to pinpoint: his 1986 Donruss “Rated Rookie.” That’s the one collectors want most.
Also See: Getting fired from Burger King helped Fred McGriff get to Cooperstown, and other great HOF stories
In eBay auctions held shortly after McGriff’s HOF announcement, we saw two PSA 10-graded specimens of that card fetching prices between $1,000 and $1,500. Amazingly, just prior to the Cooperstown ceremony, four PSA 10 McGriff Donruss rookies sold in eBay auctions for far lower prices: $530, $413, $381 and $380.
Again, those were all PSA 10, Gem-Mint cards. Drop down to a grade of 9 and you’ll find examples of McGriff's Donruss rookie selling for less than $100. No fewer than two dozen auctions closed in the past two months where PSA 9 McGriff rooks got away for prices between $40 and $75.
McGriff first appeared in a Fleer set in 1987. On eBay in July, a PSA 10 example of that card sold for $214 on 35 bids.
Topps gave us McGriff for the first time in its Traded set in 1987. Higher-quality Tiffany variations of that Traded issue sell for more, of course — but even those are easy on the budget. In July, we saw 9-grade examples of McGriff’s 1987 Topps Tiffany selling on eBay for prices between $30-$40. A PSA 10 example was listed at press time and had climbed to the $250 mark.
Manufacturer-issued autographed cards can go a bit higher. For example, a 1996 Leaf signed insert card brought $300 on eBay prior to McGriff’s induction. And yet . . . a deeper look reveals a healthy number of manufacturer-distributed autograph cards that have sold for less than $100. Stellar examples include an ungraded 2004 Playoff Absolutely Ink card that sold for $48 and a 2014 Topps Tribute Certified Autograph card (marked #21/40) that brought $90.
Rolen’s rookie card is tougher to sort out. There were minor-league issues as early as 1994 from smaller manufacturers like Classic and Procards. Even Fleer and Upper Deck had minor-league issues in 1994 featuring a young Rolen. But none of those are considered his rookie card, and thus can be had for a few dollars.
The collector’s choice is clearly Rolen’s 1995 Bowman’s Best. Even that one is less expensive than you might imagine. Two PSA 10 examples recently sold on eBay for $501 on 33 bids and $382 on 29 bids.
If you’re building a “horizontal” Rolen collection, going far and wide, you’ll find no shortage of different cards, from base-set examples to autographed gems. Among eye-catching examples we’ve spotted is a 1998 Topps Stadium Club Co-Signers card featuring both Rolen and Derek Jeter. It sold for $299. Another example: a Rolen-signed 1998 Bowman’s Best Atomic Refractor (one of 100 made) that went for $295 on 31 bids.
Pop into eBay and you’ll find more than 19,000 Rolen listings and 22,000 McGriff listings.
If you’re on the hunt for a baseball signed by either, make sure you study up on their signatures. Look closely at examples issued by card manufacturers, and if you bid on a baseball, lean toward authenticated offerings.
We’re seeing McGriff-signed balls going for anywhere from $40-$90. As for Rolen, recent auctions show a slightly higher and much wider range: $45-$145.
