Jose Canseco Rookie Card Market Guide

As one of the highest-profile baseball players of the 1980s and 1990s, Jose Canseco had a stellar career that included two World Series championships and six All-Star game selections. His record-breaking batting and base-stealing skills made him one of the most popular hitters of his era and a fan favorite for memorabilia collectors. Yet, how does his solid MLB career translate to his rookie cards and their values?

From the Minor Leagues to Rookie of the Year

Originally from Havana, Cuba, Canseco was raised in Miami, where he excelled at baseball from an early age. He was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 1982 and spent several years with minor league teams such as the Madison Muskies, Modesto A's and Tacoma Tigers. After winning the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award in 1985, he made his MLB debut with the Oakland A's late in the season in September. The following year, which was considered his true rookie season, Canseco had a breakout debut and his .330 batting average led to his being named the 1986 American League Rookie of the Year.

In 1988, Canseco became the first MLB player to steal 40 bases and hit 40 home runs in the same season. That same year, he won the first of four Silver Slugger Awards. In 1989, Canseco and the A's won the World Series, winning against the San Francisco Giants.

A Stellar Career with Ups and Downs Along the Way

In 1993, while playing with the Texas Rangers, Canseco became the first player since Ted Williams (in 1947) to achieve 750 RBIs in less than 1,000 games. He went on to play for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, New York Yankees and Anaheim Angels. In 2000, during a stint with the Yankees, he won his second World Series ring. He retired from the MLB in 2002, although he continued to play with various minor league teams.

To date, Canseco is only one of 14 players in the MLB to have a record of 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases. However, Canseco's MLB career also included quite a bit of controversy. The outfielder became the face of the steroid and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) era.

Following his retirement, in 2005, Canseco admitted to using steroids and claimed that 85% of major league players used them as well during his career. Canseco wrote a New York Times bestseller calling out many of his former teammates by name, which rocked the sport. He also took part in Congressional hearings over PED usage in baseball, which led to the infamous Mitchell Report, which released in December 2007. Since 2010, Canseco has spoken out against the usage of PEDs, especially within youth baseball leagues.

Are Jose Canseco Rookie Cards Valuable?

Jose Canseco had three official rookie cards. But, fortunately for collectors, he also had several minor league pre-rookie cards, plus several "oddball" non-official rookie cards issued during his first year in the MLB.

As one of the most celebrated hitters of his era, Canseco should continue to garner strong collector interest. Also, he played with several high-profile teams with massive fan bases, which also adds another collector's market to his memorabilia.

Investment Potential for Jose Canseco Rookie Cards

Jose Canseco played in the MLB during the so-called "junk wax" era, roughly from 1986 to 1993, when sports cards were overproduced in vast quantities. With so many people stashing their cards away for investment potential, this created an abundance of Mint or Gem Mint cards on the market. These vast numbers, coupled with so much card hoarding, impacted rarity and values.

However, the good news is that certain cards have retained their value, especially if they're in top-grade condition. In addition, collector interest drives the market and fuels prices. So, if players remain popular, their memorabilia should continue to have some market value. With someone like Canseco, he's still a popular slugger and has cards that still garner interest with collectors. Yet, because of his past steroid use and eventual admission, your best bet will be tracking a card you're interested in over a longer period of time to make sure you buy it for the best value as you get a feel for its trending price.

Top Jose Canseco Rookie Cards

Here's five of the most popular Canseco rookie cards. This list includes his three official rookie cards, plus two "oddball" rookie cards issued during his first season that are highly collectible.

1986 Topps Traded #20T Jose Canseco ($10,900)

This vibrant card features a portrait shot of Canseco facing the camera with a half-smile and a bat slung over his shoulder. The bold graphics show an oversized green "A's" at the top, with Canseco's name in large print at the bottom.

As part of the 1986 Topps Traded boxed set, this iconic card was extremely popular during the 1980s and 1990s. Since then, values have softened, but trends show that its collectability remains high. Be sure to look for the 1986 Topps Tiffany version, which is rarer and usually garners a lot of collector interest.

SportsCardsPro shows Ungraded trending at just under $3, Grade 7 at $8, Grade 8 at $12 and Grade 9 at $22. Grade 9.5 trends at $70, and Gem Mint at $91. The Tiffany version trends at Ungraded for $48, $55 for Grade 8, $135 for Grade 9, $428 for Grade 9.5 and $487 for Gem Mint.

At Sports Card Investor, the lowest price is $3 (for Raw), while the top tracked price is $1,000. The Tiffany version trends at a low of $88, and a top price of $1,333, with an average price of $575 for Gem Mint.

PriceGuide.Cards shows an average price of $39 for a Graded card, with a top price of $10,900 (grades not specified). For the Tiffany version, trending prices top out at $8,500 (grade unspecified).

1986 Donruss #39 Jose Canseco ($1,000)

Considered one of the most popular baseball cards of its era, this Donruss release shows a great headshot of Canseco smiling at the camera and the logo "Rated Rookie" in bright blue on the left side. The stylish graphics feature an iron-gray background, a blue-and-black striped edge, and a blue-and-red name banner at the bottom.

During the 1980s and 1990s, this card was tremendously popular and remained so during the collector's boom of the era. Since then, the market has softened, but this card still retains lots of interest as a must-have for serious collectors.

PriceGuide.Cards shows prices trending from an average low of $9 for Ungraded to an average of $54 for Graded, with a top price of $1,000 (grades not specified).

At Sports Card Investor, prices are trending from a low of $12 to a top price of $450 for Gem Mint examples.

SportsCardsPro shows prices trending at $15 for Ungraded, $22 for Grade 7 and $28 for Grade 8. Grade 9 trends around $51, while Grade 9.5 jumps to $162 and Gem Mint tops out at $414.

1987 Topps #620 Jose Canseco ($700)

This Topps All-Star Rookie release was another huge fan favorite for card collectors in the 1980s and 1990s and features Canseco sitting on a bench in the dugout, seemingly enjoying the game. The image is framed in a light brown that replicates the wood grain of a baseball bat, and the classic "Topps All-Star Rookie" trophy is shown at the bottom right.

At PriceGuide.Cards, low prices average under $16, with a top price of $700 (grade unspecified). The Tiffany version trends at an average of $51 for Graded, with a top price of $1,150 (grades unspecified).

At SportsCardsPro, prices trend at less than $7 for Grade 8 and below, $15 for Grade 9, $33 for Grade 9.5 and $120 for Gem Mint. The Tiffany versiontrends at $9 for Ungraded, $6 for Grade 7, $8 for Grade 8 and $32 for Grade 9. Grade 9.5 trends at $90, and Gem Mint at $374.

1986 Fleer 'Major League Prospects' #649 Jose Canseco and Eric Plunk ($533)

Canseco shares the spotlight with teammate and pitcher Eric Plunk in this duo card. For that reason, this card isn't quite as popular with fans who prefer seeing Canseco in a solo appearance. Instead, the split image features portrait headshots of Canseco and Plunk side by side.

At PriceGuide.Cards, average prices for graded examples range around $25, with a top price of $533 (grades unspecified).

SportsCardsPro shows this card trending at $2 for Ungraded, $7 for Graded, $17 for Grade 8 and $19 for Grade 9. Grade 9.5 trends at $72 and Gem Mint at $233.

1986 Donruss 'The Rookies' #22 Jose Canseco ($474)

This colorful card features a gameplay action shot of Canseco following through after swinging at a pitch. The graphics include green and black striping, with an orange name banner at the bottom and "The Rookies" logo at the lower left.

Sports Card Investor shows low prices at $2, with top prices reaching $59 (grade unspecified).

At SportsCardsPro, this card trends at $2 for Ungraded, $8 for Grade 7, $11 for Grade 8 and $15 for Grade 9. At the top, Grade 9.5 trends for $39, and Gem Mint for $57.

At PriceGuide.Cards, the average price for Ungraded is $3, with a top Graded price of $474 (grade unspecified).

Other Jose Canseco Cards to Look Out For

Additionally, diehard collectors can look for Canseco's pre-rookie cards from his seasons in the minors. These are more difficult to find, and while they currently don't trend as high as some of his official rookie cards, they nevertheless have a historical and collector interest of their own. Pre-rookie cards to look for include:

• 1983 Fritsch Madison Muskies Midwest League Stars of Tomorrow #43
• 1984 Chong Modesto A's #5
• 1984 Sportsflics Rookie #11
• 1986 Donn Jennings Southern League All-Stars #14

An online search shows Canseco's pre-rookie, minor league cards trending at affordable prices, ranging from less than $5 to $75 and under, depending on the card and its condition.

Where Can I Find Jose Canseco Rookie Cards?

You can find Jose Canseco rookie cards for sale at a variety of online auction sites, including:

• eBay
• EBTH
• Goldin
• Sotheby's
• Christie's
• SCP Auctions
• Invaluable
• PWCC
• Memory Lane
• Pristine Auction
• Lelands
• Robert Edward Auctions
• Heritage Auctions

You can also find Canseco's rookie cards at sports card shows, which are held throughout the country. You can find information about shows coming to your area through a Google search. Social media pages, community forums and collector sites also post updated information about upcoming shows near you.

How Are Jose Canseco Rookie Cards Graded?

Sports cards are graded according to a universally recognized numeric grading system, ranging from Ungraded to a Perfect 10. Here's what these grades mean:

Perfect 10:This card is graded Gem Mint across all four grading criteria: corners, surface, edges and centering. It's the absolute best a card can be and is flawless even under 10x magnification.

Gem Mint: Gem Mint cards are perfect, with sharp corners, vibrant coloring and no damage or stains.

Grade 9.5: Near-Mint condition, typically with just one minor flaw.

Grade 9: Excellent condition, with just a couple of minor flaws.

Grades 8 and below: These have condition damage or flaws and are priced lower.

Raw or Ungraded: Raw cards have just been pulled from their packages and are new to the market. Ungraded cards haven't been through the grading process and may or may not be new to the market.

When valuing sports cards, the three primary components are condition, rarity and collector demand. Collector demand can fluctuate, and this will impact values. For example, a card may be Gem Mint and rare, but its price will stagnate if there's no collector interest. Likewise, a card may be in lesser-grade condition and easier to find; but if collectors are clamoring for it, the card can skyrocket in price.

Should I Get My Sports Card Graded?

If you ever plan on selling, trading, donating or bequeathing your collection, consider getting it graded. Grading will authenticate your cards, while official certification can give them a recognized quality level that's especially useful if you decide to sell.

During the grading process, a certification expert will use advanced technology to assess each card's condition and assign it a grade number. Your card's information is then entered into an international database, so there's an official record of your card and its grading.

Even if you don't plan to sell your cards, grading provides you with a clearer knowledge of their quality and gives you the information you need to track fair market values for your collection. With professional grading, you can enjoy owning a collection that you and your loved ones can be proud of for generations. For further information on CSG's 10-point grading scale and to find out more about our industry-leading services, visit CSGcards.com.

*Any mention of "investment potential" is for entertainment only and should not be construed as investment advice. The Certified Collectibles Group does not provide investment advice and is not liable for any buy, sell or trade decisions made by any parties.