“Top Baltimore Orioles Cards to Add to Your Collection”
At Topps RIPPED, we’re taking a look at how to collect your favorite teams. If you’re new to the chase, take a look at our Team Collecting Primer. Not meant to be a definitive guide, these profiles aim to give team collectors, and those looking to get started, an idea of some of the charms of collecting each franchise.
This week, we’re heading to Baltimore to take a look at collecting the Orioles.
A Lifelong Fan, A Lifelong Hobby
For Collecting on SI managing editor and lifelong Baltimore Orioles collector Danny Black, collecting the O’s started when he was a kid. “I really got into the history of baseball in the ’80s, ’90s,” he says. “The Orioles moved back to Baltimore in 1954, and I thought, what could be cooler than to put together the 1954 team set?”
Black has been collecting the Orioles ever since, though the focus of his collection has evolved through the years. “I’m a minor league nerd,” he says. “I’ll go after 1st Bowmans.” Since Black lives close to some minor league teams, he can go watch some of the players. “It’s a great way to connect to the cards, and my kids love it.”
Baltimore Orioles Grails
The Orioles have their share of legends and champions. One such legend, born in Baltimore, is none other than Babe Ruth. In fact, Ruth’s first-ever trading card, when the then-19-year-old Ruth played for the Baltimore Orioles of the International League, is one of the most expensive cards in the history of The Hobby. In 2023, one example sold for $7.2 million.
When it comes to grails, Black highlights the “statue guys” — Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken Jr., and of course, Jim Palmer. Palmer’s coveted rookie card from 1966 Topps Baseball is a brilliant addition to an Orioles collection. This PSA 8 sold on Fanatics for $850 on May 15, 2025.
Brooks Robinson’s 1957 Topps Baseball rookie card remains one of the most sought-after Orioles cards of all-time. As Black puts it, “Brooks is beloved, he came up with the Orioles. And, 1957, it’s such an important year. Maybe my favorite Topps set. First year of color photography, stats on the back, standardized card size.”
A PSA 3 is available at Fanatics Collect for $479.
Frank Robinson’s rookie card in the same set belongs on the list too, with his 1957 Topps Baseball card featuring the Orioles’ 1966 World Series MVP during his time with Cincinnati. A 3.5 graded version of the card sold for $174 in mid-May.
Collecting The Ironman, Cal Ripken Jr.
No player defines the Baltimore Orioles like Cal Ripken Jr.
The Ironman played in 2,632 consecutive games and is a must-have in any Orioles collection. “There’s the two ‘82 rookies, Topps and Topps Traded,” Black says. While those cards remain very valuable, Black suggests the 1983 Topps Baseball Ripken Jr. card for a more affordable option. “It’s his second-year, but it’s also the first year where you could pull a Ripken single-player card straight from a pack, which is cool.”
As with so many legends of The Hobby, early cards can retain great importance. “Cal’s 1980 police issue, put out for the AA Charlotte O’s, when he was in the minors, is a special one,” Black says. “It was distributed in the city by the local police as community outreach and in classrooms. It is incredibly hard to find.”
The most recent sale through Fanatics Collect came for a PSA 6 way back in 2021, fetching over $24,000.
The 1983 World Series Champions
The Baltimore Orioles have won three World Series titles, with the most recent coming in 1983. For Black, collecting the cards of the champion teams is a great place to get started. “The 1983 group still has a special place in the heart of the city,” he says. The cards are a great way to tell the story of a special summer.
“The ‘83 team, we have to talk about Eddie Murray,” Black says. Murray finished top-5 in AL MVP voting for five straight seasons. In 1983, he was MVP runner-up and helped lead the Orioles to the championship.
Murray’s most valuable card is his 1978 Topps Baseball rookie card. A PSA 10 sold for over $50,000 on March 29, 2025.
While stars like Murray have their obvious appeal, there’s always players who capture a city and become part of the fabric. For Black, one of those players was pitcher Mike Flanagan, who passed in 2011.
“He was a friend of mine, a great guy,” Black says. “On the mound he could be dominant. The city loved Mike, he became a pitching coach, a general manager, he was a lifer in the Baltimore community.”
A New Era in Baltimore
For fans of prospect cards like Danny Black, the rise of Baltimore trio Adley Rutschman, Gunnar Henderson, and Jackson Holliday was a perfect storm. Suddenly, this group emerged as some of the hottest prospects in the sport, and all heading to Baltimore.
“I don’t know that we’re ever going to have a better time,” Black says, referring to the prospect cards specifically. “It wasn’t long ago, and prices went through the roof, but it was an amazing time for Orioles collecting.”
Rutschman’s 1st Bowman came in 2019. His 2019 Bowman Draft Baseball Chrome Red Refractor Auto numbered to five sold for over $19,000 in 2022. Henderson’s came out the same year, and his Chrome Red Refractor Auto sold for almost $50,000 in March. This Gold Wave Refractor Auto /50 is currently listed for $1,600 through Fanatics Collect.
When it comes to the trio, Jackson Holliday leads the way when it comes to the biggest card sale. The first overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, his MLB Rookie Debut Patch Auto 1-of-1 card sold for $198,000.
Who’s Next for the Baltimore Orioles?
For collectors like Danny Black, watching players develop for their favorite team is a huge part of the appeal of collecting prospect cards. Black suggests two youngsters down on the farm to keep an eye on. “Basallo’s the top prospect in the organization,” he says, “16th on MLB Pipeline, it’s great to get his 1st Bowman from 2023.”
Another notable prospect named by Black is Enrique Bradfield Jr. “Anytime you get a prospect that grades 70 or above on two tools, like speed and defense, it gets my attention,” he says. “I think there’s a path for him to get time with the Orioles.”
Bradfield has a speed grade of 80/80 and a Field grade of 70. Black thinks he will break into the MLB Top 100 prospects sometime soon. A color match Orange Refractor Auto /25 is listed on Fanatics Collect for $1,250.
The Hobby Keeps Growing in Baltimore
Despite a rough start to the season for the Orioles, the future’s still bright. The Hobby, Black reports, is growing in the city.
“We’ve seen new shops this year, which is always exciting,” he says. “It’s a great way to get involved, meet people in The Hobby.”
Sometimes you just want to grab some packs at the shop with your kids, rip, and hope you get some of your hometown guys.
