Aaron Judge, a player for the New York Yankees, has become one of the faces of Major League Baseball and is known for breaking records and amassing a slew of individual honors. As a result, baseball card collectors have shown increasing interest in the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year and 2022 AL MVP. Yet, what are the best cards to start collecting when it comes to this rising star? A range of factors can influence the value of sports cards, including their physical state, print runs, or grades, as well as the player’s performance, market trends, and wider economic health.
When collecting cards, it’s important to keep in mind that “raw” cards, or cards straight from the pack, may carry a range of imperfections that could impact their value. Card grading, a process where an expert evaluates the condition of a card based on a number of factors, can give a more formal sense of the card’s value. Major player in the grading industry, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), assigns a numerical grade to cards (usually from 1-10) based on factors like corner sharpness, image centering, and print imperfections. Cards with a PSA 10 can fetch much higher prices than raw cards or those graded by other companies.
For collectors on a tighter budget, Aaron Judge’s 2017 Topps #287 rookie card is the recommended starting point. High in demand and affordably priced, raw versions of this card currently sell on eBay for around $20. Similarly, Judge’s 2017 Topps Archives #62 card, which incorporates classic Topps baseball card designs while featuring current rookies, sells for approximately $40-$60 on eBay.
Collectors looking to pay a bit more for cards with some degree of scarcity should consider the 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects #BDPP19. As Judge’s first official baseball card as part of the New York Yankees, it has fewer than 3,500 examples authenticated by PSA and less than 1,500 have received a Gem Mint 10 grade. Raw copies generally cost around $150. Another popular card worth considering is Aaron Judge’s 2017 Topps Chrome #169, known for being Judge’s most renowned rookie card.
For those willing to splurge, Judge’s 2017 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #AJ rookie card and the 2017 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition #287 rookie card are the top contenders. The former features an on-card autograph, highly desired since most autographs in modern cards are on stickers affixed to the card. The Sapphire Edition card is highly sought after due to its extreme rarity (only 250 copies were ever produced). Raw versions of this card have been purchased for $750, while a Gem Mint PSA 10 example sold for $2,500, earning it the title of the “holy grail” of Judge base rookie cards.
Collectors can check the prices of a certain trading card on websites like eBay, or use 130point.com, a free website that provides sales data from various online marketplaces. Keep in mind that prices can fluctuate quickly, so it’s important to factor in multiple previous sales and real-world factors that might affect value changes. This comprehensive guide to Aaron Judge cards has been made possible by Tyler Holzhammer, a second-generation collector and sports card market analyst, using marketplace databases providing sports card analysis and sales information, such as eBay’s Terapeak product research tool and CardLadder.
