A Phillies Team Collecting Guide
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 the City of Brotherly Love to take a look at collecting the Philadelphia Phillies.
Collecting the History of the Phillies
Phillies collector Dylan Brennan is a fan of baseball and its storied history. His lifelong fandom of the Phillies made a team collection a perfect fit. “I was collecting as early as 5 years old,” Brennan says. “The Phillies have always been my team, so it just naturally combined.”
Brennan’s love of the Phillies and baseball’s past helped hone his collection. “Vintage cards and autographs have become the focus of my collection,” he says.
Grails of the Phillies
When it comes to vintage grail cards of the Philadelphia Phillies, for Brennan, two fantastic cards from the iconic 1949 Bowman Baseball set are among the standouts. “Those Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts rookies, in my opinion, have grail status.”
Ashburn was a 6-time All-Star and 2-time batting champion. A PSA 2 1949 Bowman Ashburn is currently listed on Fanatics Collect for $575. The card is incredibly difficult to find at higher grade levels, with only 1 PSA 9 per PSA’s pop report, and no version of the card has yet to receive a grade of 10.
A PSA 8 of Robin Roberts’ 1949 Bowman sold through Fanatics Collect for $1,620 in October 2023. In 2018, a rare PSA 10 version of the card sold for over $38,000. Both Ashburn and Roberts are Hall of Famers, inducted in 1995 and 1976, respectively.
Then there’s Phillies legend and three-time NL MVP Mike Schmidt’s 1973 Topps Baseball rookie card. In November 2024, a PSA 10 version of this much sought-after card sold for $317,200. A PSA 7 is currently available for $625 through Fanatics Collect.
Modern Day Phillies Grails
When asked about contemporary Phillies grail cards, Brennan had an easy answer. “I would say the 2024 Topps Tier 1 Bryce Harper Bat Knob 1/1 card, with Harambe on the knob, is the current modern-day Phillies grail car,” he says.
Of course, each and every team collector has grails all their own. For Brennan, that’s the 2017 Topps Dynasty Doc Halladay Patch Auto /10 and Chase Utley’s 2009 Topps Unique Chase MLB Logo Man Relic 1-of-1.
1980: The Phillies Finally Win it All
Philadelphia is one of the oldest franchises in the history of baseball, with its inaugural season coming in 1883. It took almost a century to finally be crowned champions. The 1980 team, unsurprisingly, has an essential place in the canon of Philadelphia Phillies collecting.
“Schmidt ‘73 for sure,” Brennan notes when asked about standout cards for the championship squad. “I’d also say Steve Carlton’s 1965 Topps RC and Pete Rose’s RC from 1963.” A PSA 8 of Carlton’s is available through Fanatics Collect for $850.
This famous 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie card has sold for as much as $264,000. A PSA 3 is currently listed for $1,712 on Fanatics Collect.
2008: Back to the Mountaintop
The Phillies won a second World Series 28 years later, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in five games. Ace Cole Hamels took home the MVP.
Stars like Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins remain heroes in Philly. “Rollins is a personal grail for me,” says Brennan. “I love his 2003 Topps Chrome Black Refractor, it’s always been an amazing card to me.”
Collecting Bryce Harper
We’ve covered Bryce Harper’s elite place in The Hobby at Topps RIPPED before, but he’s certainly worth mentioning again when it comes to collecting the Phillies today. The 2022 NLCS MVP with Philadelphia, and two-time NL MVP, Harper is the most hotly chased player on the Phillies present-day roster.
“There’s plenty of options when it comes to Harper auto cards,” says Brennan. “Honestly too many to name.”
Harper’s prominent role in The Hobby is great news for Phillies collectors, as they can chase many Harper cards to help their collection pop.
Who’s Got Next in Philadelphia?
The Phillies have a good shot at the postseason this year, but they also have some top prospects for what should be an exciting future. At the top of that list is hard-throwing Andrew Painter. The 22-year old is currently the fifth-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.
Painter dealt with injury in 2023 and 2024, but he’s looked great this year and has recently been promoted to AAA-ball. This 1st Bowman PSA 9 is currently listed for $50 on Fanatics Collect. A Sapphire Edition Purple Refractor version of the card, numbered to 10, sold for $3,900 on June 7, 2025.
Finding the Phillies
While there are many ways to get started or go deeper if you’re looking to collect the Phillies, Brennan suggests going after some of the more affordable team sets to get started. “You can find some 1960’s team sets for pretty cheap. It’s a good starting point, for someone looking to dip their toes into vintage.”
Another help for new collectors is engaging with other Phillies collectors on social media. “I’ve found some fellow collectors and fans on X and Instagram,” Brennan says, “and it’s been nice to talk Phillies.”
More Topps Team Collecting
- How to Collect Baltimore Orioles Baseball Cards: A Guide for Fans
- Team Collecting The New York Mets
- How to Collect | The Houston Astros
