Whether it was a sensational defensive play, a milestone hit or another World Series championship, there were plenty of moments when collectors went in search of Derek Jeter baseball cards. His career started just a few years after his last high school game and ended with the retirement of his jersey and a plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium, alongside Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio. Along the way, Jeter became a favorite–not just with Yankee fans but with those who appreciated the way he went about playing the game.
Jeter’s popularity combined with the exploding sports card market of the early 1990s ensured there were cards of the phenom from Kalamazoo, MI before he reached the majors. Today, some of those cards sell for big bucks in high grade. A PSA 10 example of his 1993 Upper Deck SP card made national headlines when it sold for $99,100. That was an exception, of course. Most Derek Jeter cards aren’t worth nearly that much. His rookie cards, created a year after his high school career, are generally within reach of most budgets, although cards professionally graded at the highest end, will go for more.
His rookie card checklist is relatively small. Jeter appears in 1993 Topps, Bowman, Upper Deck, Score, Score Select, the aforementioned Upper Deck SP and Topps Stadium Club “Murphy”. The very low population of PSA 10 SP Jeter rookies is why bidding has gotten crazy on the few occasions when they’ve been offered. However, like a lot of players of his era, the beauty of collecting Jeter rookie cards is that they’re generally inexpensive because of the quantity produced.
These days, autographed Derek Jeter cards created and signed in recent years have really far surpassed most of his rookie cards in terms of collector interest. With serial numbering and some pretty remarkable designs combined with his autograph, most of them sell for $150 and up.
Which Derek Jeter baseball cards being auctioned on eBay are getting the most ‘watchers’ right now? Check out the live list below.
