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There aren’t too many images in baseball more famous than Barry Bonds smashing the life out a ball.
Good god.
Bonds is one of the most divisive (to put it lightly) players in MLB history, and a lot of his accolades have been somewhat tainted depending on who you ask.
Some will say Bonds was a all-time level player before his steroid use and he was hardly the only one doing it at the time.
While others will say…. well….
No matter what your thoughts on Bonds are, he’s certainly one of the bigger players in recent decades. In this article, we’ll look at the best Barry Bonds rookie cards you can get your hands on.
1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds Rookie Card
The most popular of the Bonds rookie cards is probably his Topps Traded Tiffany – and what most collectors would call his ‘true rookie’.
The card shows the big man in his Pirates uniform with a pretty traditional card pose.
I’d also argue that this is the best looking Bonds card from his rookie year.
Find the Card on eBay
1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #11T Barry Bonds Pirates RC Rookie PSA 9 CENTERED
$1,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $1,000.00 Buy it Now |
1986 Topps Traded Barry Bonds Tiffany 7 #11T PSA 7
$599.99 Buy It Now for only: $599.99 Buy it Now |
1986 Barry Bonds Topps-Traded Tiffany #11T Rookie Card (RC) PSA 7 NM
$499.00 End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2023 15:22:26 EST Buy It Now for only: $499.00 Buy it Now |
1986 Barry Bonds Topps Traded Tiffany #11T Rookie Card RC PSA 9 Mint
$1,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $1,000.00 Buy it Now |
1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #11T Barry Bonds RC PSA 8
$689.00 Buy It Now for only: $689.00 Buy it Now |
1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #11T Barry Bonds Rookie RC PSA 8 NM-MT FRESH SLAB
$674.99 Buy It Now for only: $674.99 Buy it Now |
1986 Donruss ‘The Rookies’
Another great Barry Bonds rookie card is this Donruss “The Rookies” set. Being a part of the “Rookies” set, it has a distinctive green border that makes it stand out from other cards.
Personally, I don’t like the look of this card compared to others, but that’s only my opinion.
And you know what people say about opinions….
On the plus side, you can buy PSA graded cards at a good price too, which is a huge win for collectors that are priced out of the Tiffany card mentioned above.
Find the Card on eBay
1986 86 Donruss The Rookies Box Set Barry Bonds Rookie RC #11, Pirates, Giants
$16.80 Buy It Now for only: $16.80 Buy it Now |
1986 Barry Bonds Donruss The Rookies #11 Gem Mint 10 RC Rookie Giants Pirates
$29.99 Buy It Now for only: $29.99 Buy it Now |
1986 Donruss The Rookies Barry Bonds Rookie Baseball Card #11 PSA 8 NM-MT
$22.75 Buy It Now for only: $22.75 Buy it Now |
1986 Donruss Barry Bonds The Rookies Rookie RC #11 PSA 9 Pittsburgh Pirates MINT
$16.50 (7 bids) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2023 21:09:56 EST Bid |
1986 donruss the rookies barry bonds #11
$0.99 (1 bid) End Date: Wednesday Feb-08-2023 20:36:55 EST Bid |
1986 Donruss The Rookies Barry Bonds Rookie Baseball Card #11 PSA 9 Mint
$34.95 Buy It Now for only: $34.95 Buy it Now |
1987 Topps Tiffany Rookie Card #320
Don’t confuse this card with the Trader Tiffany we mentioned at the top of the article, the regular Tiffany is still a great rookie card for Barry Bonds.
Note: I don’t get all the different card variations either….
Anyway, this card does have a different photo on it, with Bonds doing as Bonds does and getting a walk….. I mean connecting bat on ball.
To me, this is another great looking card too. The wood-style finish may not be perfect, but the rest of the look – including the retro Pirates logo – means this card is a winner. Again, you can get this card at a much lower price, which makes it great for collectors on a strict budget.
Find the Card on eBay
Barry Bonds 1987 Topps Rookie Card #320 error Multiple Errors topps tiffany
$25,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $25,000.00 Buy it Now |
1987 Topps TIFFANY Barry Bonds Rookie Baseball Card #320 PSA 9 Mint
$174.95 Buy It Now for only: $174.95 Buy it Now |
1987 Topps TIFFANY Barry Bonds Rookie Baseball Card #320 PSA 8 NM-MT
$89.95 Buy It Now for only: $89.95 Buy it Now |
Barry Bonds 1987 Topps Tiffany Rookie #320 Graded 9 MT by SGC grading
$250.00 Buy It Now for only: $250.00 Buy it Now |
1987 Topps Tiffany Set-Break #320 Barry Bonds Rookie RC Card! HR King!
$6.50 (11 bids) End Date: Tuesday Feb-07-2023 14:29:33 EST Bid |
1987 Topps Set Tiffany #320 Barry Bonds Rookie PRO 10 GEM MINT💎 Pirates
$165.50 (31 bids) End Date: Friday Feb-10-2023 20:31:23 EST Bid |
Other Barry Bonds Rookie Cards
So, they’re our top three Barry Bonds rookie cards, but there are plenty of other cards out there showing the Sultan of Shot in his early career.
When it comes to chasing other Bonds rookie cards, here are some other options.
Find the Cards on eBay
1991 FLEER #710 KEN GRIFFEY JR. & BARRY BONDS DOUBLE EXPOSURE PRINT DEFECT (OF)
$240,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $240,000.00 Buy it Now |
1986 Topps Traded #11T Barry Bonds BGS 10
$90,998.00 Buy It Now for only: $90,998.00 Buy it Now |
2017 TOPPS FINEST FINISHES AUTO SUPERFRACTOR 1/1 10/10 BARRY BONDS UMMMM??? IM C
$68,110.00 Buy It Now for only: $68,110.00 Buy it Now |
(Rare 1 of 1) Barry Bonds Error Card 1994 Stadium Club Gold Dugout dirt #6
$58,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $58,000.00 Buy it Now |
1998 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future Barry Bonds /99 PSA 10 GEM MT
$40,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $40,000.00 Buy it Now |
1987 OPC O-PEE-CHEE Barry Bonds #320 PSA 10 GEM MINT POP 38 *PERFECT CENTERING*
$36,999.00 Buy It Now for only: $36,999.00 Buy it Now |
1999 UD Century Legends Epic Signatures Barry Bonds AUTO PSA 10 POP 1 GRAIL!
$33,073.73 Buy It Now for only: $33,073.73 Buy it Now |
1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems PMG #81 Barry Bonds /50 PSA 7 NM
$29,999.00 Buy It Now for only: $29,999.00 Buy it Now |
1986 (9 Count Lot) Topps Traded Tiffany Barry Bonds (RC) (#11T) PSA9 (No Offers)
$29,999.97 Buy It Now for only: $29,999.97 Buy it Now |
1999 Fleer Brilliants 24kt GOLD Barry Bonds Jersey# 24/24 PSA 7 NRMT
$25,000.00 Buy It Now for only: $25,000.00 Buy it Now |
Are Barry Bonds Rookie Cards a Good Investment?
Looking at Barry Bonds rookie cards is a unique prospect, as is looking at Bonds’ career as a whole.
Like… just check this out.
Yikes….
As you can probably imagine, the market for a Barry Bonds rookie card isn’t that of other great players throughout history. So, you won’t be buying a card and earning thousands of dollars profit anytime soon.
However, there is a benefit of Bonds’ cards not being incredibly expensive. There are some pretty consistent smaller gains that should come up in the future.
If you’re desperate to make a splash with a bigger money move (or a smaller investment) and you’re looking at stars from the 90s, then maybe Derek Jeter cards will be a better fit?