1998 Topps Baseball

Manufacturer: Topps
Set Size: Base Set: 504 Cards   |  Rookie Class Insert Set: 10 Cards
Card Size: 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”

Set Notes: The 1998 Topps baseball set was designed with a minimalist style while still providing a quality product with creative player photography. The fronts of the cards feature a large player photo, player name on bottom in gold color foil and a gold color boarder. The back side contains another player image with stats and player data. In the late 90’s inserts and chase cards became more popular and 1998 Topps baseball took full advantage of this by offering a number of insert sets and parallels.

Key Rookies From 1998 Topps:  25 – Scott Rolen  |  257– David Ortiz  |  264 – Roy Halladay

Pricing chart includes raw card price & some graded card value estimates.
These values are collated from a variety of resources including recently sold listings, sales averages and a variety of other sports card pricing data sources. Please see full disclaimer on “Terms Page” for more information.
(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)

DISCLAIMER: This data is not intended as financial advice and should not be used as such. Please do your own research before making any investment or selling/buying decisions.

(–) : No Pricing Data Available  |  ($) USD Price Value  |  (¢) USD Price Under $1

1998 Topps Base Rookie Card Prices

(–) : No Pricing Data Available  |  ($) USD Price Value  |  (¢) USD Price Under $1

1998 Topps Rookie Class Prices

Overview of 1998 Topps Baseball Cards

The 1998 Topps baseball card set is a significant entry from the late 90s, an era known for high production numbers in the sports card industry, which generally means base cards and non-key rookies hold modest value.

Base Set Size: The standard base set consists of 504 cards issued in two series.

Subsets: It included several subsets, such as:

• Prospects and Draft Picks
• Interleague Previews
• Highlights and World Series Highlights

Variations and Parallels: Topps continued to offer parallels. One notable parallel is the Topps Chrome set, which features a chromium finish and is generally more valuable than the base paper set, particularly its Refractors parallels.

(Rookiecardprices.com only shows values for regular base set cards. No prices are shown for errors, parallels, subsets, misprints or other cards unless noted.)

Key Rookie Cards (RCs): While the year 1998 is more famous in collecting circles for rookie cards in other products (like Bowman or Topps Chrome), the 1998 Topps base set does contain a few RCs of players who went on to have significant careers:

• Michael Cuddyer #494
• Scott Rolen #25
• Roy Halladay #264

As with most cards from the late 1990s, the value is heavily dependent on the player, the set (base vs. Chrome), and the grade (a high grade like PSA 10 or BGS 9.5 is almost necessary for any substantial value).

Insert Sets: The 1998 Topps set featured a variety of insert sets that are popular with collectors.

• Mystery Finest: These inserts used the technology of the high-end Topps Finest brand and came in different versions, including Bordered and Borderless with corresponding Refractors. Some versions were “mystery” cards where the player was revealed by peeling a protective black coating.
• Hall Bound: A die-cut insert featuring players Topps predicted would reach the Hall of Fame.
• Baby Boomers: A retail-only insert featuring young stars.
• Etch-A-Sketch: Cards featuring art created on an Etch-A-Sketch.
• Clemente Tribute/Roberto Clemente Reprints: A commemorative subset honoring Roberto Clemente.
• Rookie Class: Featuring some of the eras top rookie players.

Collectability and Value: Due to the large production runs of the “Junk Wax Era” and immediate post-era, the vast majority of raw, ungraded base cards are inexpensive. High-grade (Gem Mint) cards of stars and key rookies from the more premium parallels, especially Topps Chrome Refractors, hold the most value.

Popular Rookie Cards From 1998 Topps Baseball