Remember checklists? Before the internet, you had to read checklist cards to know which players to look for in a series of cards. For example, you could tell if you needed a Don Mattingly All-Star card or if you had a double by marking the checklist card.
Most checklist cards came with the sets: a list of card numbers and players. You put a checkmark next to the player to show you had a card. Oh, NO! Writing on sports cards? Yep. That’s how we knew if we needed card #300 or had a double to trade. These checklist cards used to be very helpful to collectors.
Today, it’s easy to keep track of your card collection thanks to websites, apps, and established registries like PSA. Today’s collectors want their sports cards unmarked and virtually untouched. Still, finding checklist cards that have not been defaced that fetch a higher price is difficult.
Valuable Checklist Cards to Consider
Some of the most valuable checklist cards you should consider are listed below.
1986-87 Fleer Basketball
The 1986-87 Fleer Basketball Collection contains the most famous Michael Jordan rookie card ever produced. The checklist appears on the last card of the set. A PSA 10 copy recently sold for $4,850! PSA 9 copies are trading for about $1,000. Even in VG/EX condition, an ungraded copy is worth about $20.
1969 Topps Baseball
1969 Topps BaseballMickey Mantle’s last Topps baseball card is from 1969, the final year of his playing career. He never played a regular season game after retiring shortly before the start of the 1969 spring training season. Nevertheless, Topps decided to include Mantle in their set, and he appears on checklist #412 as well as on a base card (#500).
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee Hockey
1979-80 O-Pee-Chee HockeyThis was the year the Great One made his debut. The value of the 1979-80 OPC collection is boosted by the high demand for Wayne Gretzky rookie cards.
1996 Chrome Basketball Refractor
1996 Chrome Basketball RefractorThe real value of this set is hidden in a rookie card of Kobe Bryant: $30,000 for a box containing 20 packs of four cards each. One in every 12 packs has a refractor, making a high-quality refractor extremely expensive. A PSA 9 checklist sold for a whopping $525.67.
Bottom Line
There are few checklists worth their weight in gold. Unmarked iconic sets, higher series (later in the set), and Hall of Fame players are all examples of checklists to keep an eye on. But of course, the most important card for checklists is an unmarked one. So be sure to go through your collection and see if you can find a gem.
Contact us if you need more information about unchecked checklists; we’ll be happy to answer your questions.
