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Hobby Wizardry by Ozzie Smith: 1979 rookie card continues to soar in value
The Wizard of Oz—shortstop extraordinaire Ozzie Smith—is a baseball anomaly, that rare Hall of Famer who earned his induction with his glove first, bat second.
Most HOF hitters are known for big home run totals, lofty stolen base numbers, or a stratospheric batting average (if not all of the above). In Smith’s case, it was impeccable defense above all else. He won 13 Gold Glove awards and set a still-standing record for most assists as a shortstop: 8,375, surpassing Luis Aparicio’s 8,016 by a healthy margin.
That’s not to say Smith was an automatic out—far from it. He had 2,460 career hits, thanks to consistent contact. How consistent? He struck out only 589 times in his career—an average of only 31 per year, with never more than 49 in season. No, he wasn't there to bash homers (Smith had only 28 in his 19 years), but his lifetime average was a respectable .262, and he stole 580 bases along the way.
Smith’s 2002 Hall of Fame induction fortified his hobby standing. By now, his 1979 Topps rookie card is a treasure, made even more appealing by the fact that it's tough to find in Gem-Mint condition. PSA calls it a “post-1970 condition rarity,” which is why the price for a 10-grade example can skyrocket.
To wit: A PSA 10 specimen of Smith’s rookie sold on eBay for $77,099 in March. PSA’s Population Report shows only four other 10-grade Smith rookies have been registered. (There aren’t many PSA 9s, either: just 416. Even so, 9-grade Smith rookies are far more affordable, selling for $2,000 to $2,500.)
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So if you have a clean-looking 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith in your stash, you’ll no doubt be tempted to get it graded in hopes of seeing it slabbed as a 10. That $77,099 price isn’t even the high-water mark. In the hobby’s post-Covid boom year of 2021, a Smith rookie sold for $222,000. Things have calmed down since then, but PSA’s price guide still lists Smith’s rookie as a $144,000 card if graded 10.
Clearly, Smith’s rookie-card value has been riding a wave. In 2012, a pair of PSA 10 Smith rookies sold for “only” $19,567 and $20,852. Five years later, in 2017, two others sold for $36,000 and $38,976.
If you have a near-complete 1979 Topps set or an Ozzie Smith career-spanning collection that’s missing his rookie card, one avenue to take might be an unopened box of ’79 Topps baseball. Two examples, both certified by BBCE, sold for prices of $3,995 and $3,890 in recent eBay sales.
Or, lower your sights to a lesser-condition example. Here’s a list of recent prices paid in eBay auctions:
• $2,291 on 47 bids for a PSA 9
• $463 on 36 bids for a PSA 8
• $225 in a Buy It Now deal for a PSA 7
• $125 on five bids for a PSA 6.
TOP 10 CHART
1. $153,100 on 140 bids: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle (PSA 6)
2. $77,099 on 3 bids: 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith (PSA 10)
3. $52,900 on 80 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (BGS 9.5)
4. $30,100 on 53 bids: 2024 Topps Chrome Formula One F1 Lewis Hamilton Superfractor, #1/1, auto (ungraded)
5. $28,099 on 84 bids: 2001 Upper Deck SP Tiger Woods, #430/900, auto (PSA 10, auto PSA/DNA 10)
6. $29,000 on 1 bid: 1929 R316 Kashin Publications Lou Gehrig, auto (ungraded, PSA/DNA authenticated, auto 9)
7. $27,600 on 54 bids: 2012-22 Panini Immaculate Collection Zion Williamson, #1/1, auto with Logoman patch (PSA 10)
8. $26,500 on 48 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan (PSA 6)
9. $24,623 on 32 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan (PSA 5)
10. $24,009 on 65 bids: 1954 Topps Ernie Banks (PSA 8)
ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Here’s a look at the highest-selling items outside our Top 10 chart:
• $21,600 on 58 bids: 2007-08 Chronology Kobe Bryant Stitches in Time Veteran, #10/35, auto patch (BGS 9.5)
• $21,250 on 64 bids: 1997-98 Fleer Metal Universe Michael Jordan Platinum Portraits, #1/15 (BGS 9.5)
• $21,204 on 44 bids: 2003-04 Fleer EX LeBron James Essential Credentials Now, #17/102 (PSA 9)
• $19,900 on 36 bids: 2020-21 Panini Prizm Spectra Tyrese Haliburton, #1/1, auto with Logoman patch (PSA 10)
• $19,877 on 50 bids: 2012 Topps Triple Threads Babe Ruth Game-Used Bat Nameplate, #1/1 (ungraded)
• $18,696 on 45 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
• $18,600 on 26 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
• $18,200 on 40 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
• $18,100 on 41 bids: 2021-22 Panini National Treasures Cade Cunningham, #35/99, auto patch (PSA 9)
• $17,600 on 49 bids: 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente (PSA 7)
