Growing up in the 1980s, there were a few commercials that got cemented in your brain. Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef” is chief among them, but for sports fans, Nike’s “Bo Knows” is just a high up there. Revisit Bo Jackson’s impressive baseball and football tenure through the trading cards that captured his career. And if you’re lucky, you might have a rare card that beats out the most valuable Bo Jackson trading cards on our list.
6 Most Valuable Bo Jackson Trading Cards
It’s hard enough to make it big in one professional sport, let alone two. Bo Jackson was just built differently and made a name for himself as a kick-ass baseball and football player. With a career that spanned multiple decades and several iconic brand deals, it’s no wonder his trading cards still draw a crowd.
| Most Valuable Bo Jackson Cards | Recent Sales Prices |
|---|---|
| 1990 Donruss #650 Error | $11,000 |
| 1989 Topps #540 Misprint | $11,000 |
| 1986 Donruss #43 Royals Rookie | $5,900 |
| 1989 Topps Heads Up #8 | $4,950 |
| 1986 Topps #50T | $3,800 |
| 1988 Topps #327 Raiders Rookie | $1,400 |
1990 Donruss #650 Error: $11,000
The Bo Jackson trading card that tops our list isn’t one you’d necessarily expect. Neither a rookie nor a rare 1:1, this 1990 Donruss #650 All-Star card won big at auction for the small printing error. In the upper right-hand corner on the back of the card is a copyright. But this specific card’s copyright is missing a period at the end of the company’s “INC”.
Because of this uncommon misprint, this vintage card in great condition recently sold on eBay for $11,000. You could say it was a home run.
If you love hunting down old trading cards in the wild, you’ve got a higher chance of coming across valuable misprints like these over extremely rare cards (looking at you Mickey Mantle).
1989 Topps #540 Misprint: $11,000
Competing for the top spot is another misprinted card. A 1989 Topps #540 Bo Jackson card isn’t worth much even in great condition. But a misprinted one can sell for thousands, depending on buyers’ interest and the specific type of misprint.
One rare example has two small misprints on the front image — discoloring a portion of the background. Unique cards like these always draw serious collectors at auction, and one scored big by dropping $11,000 on it.
Related: 10 Most Valuable Topps Baseball Cards That Sell for Top Dollar
1986 Donruss #43 Royals Rookie Misprint: $5,900
Bo Jackson’s Kanas City Royal’s Donruss Rookie card with a misprint comes in at number three on our list. This card isn’t as flashy or expensive as some rookie cards are with Jackson showing off his dimples in a sweet portrait. But in great condition, this vintage rookie misprint with the word "Highlights" appearing in white instead of mustard yellow can sell for a few thousand dollars.
One gem mint 10 (aka perfect condition) Bo Jackon rookie recently sold on eBay for an impressive $5,900. With PSA — the preeminent professional trading card grading service — only having six recorded cards in their catalog, it’s a rare rookie indeed.
1989 Topps Heads Up #8: $4,950
You can’t get more whacky 1980s weirdness than the 1989 Topps Heads Up trading card series. These trading cards weren’t only shaped like the players’ heads but also featured a photograph of their faces on the front. But these disembodied head baseball cards are hard to come by, making Bo Jackson’s a worthwhile find.
These usually go for a few thousand at auction, with one recently selling for $4,950 on eBay.
Related: 10 Most Valuable Michael Jordan Cards That Put the Bank in Bank Shot
1986 Topps #50T: $3,800
If you’ve got some serious frequent flyer miles in the trading card world, then you know how much signatures can raise a card’s base price. Such is the case for Bo Jackson's 1986 Topps #50T card. Without an autograph, this card can sell for a few thousand.
But an autograph can help eke out a few extra hundred or thousand at auction. For instance, one perfect gem mint autographed card came to auction in 2024 and sold for $3,800.
1988 Topps #327 Raiders Rookie: $1,400
Baseball might be fighting football for the top spot for modern America’s favorite pastime, but Bo Jackson never chose between the two. A rare pro player who hopped between sports, Jackson debuted in the MLB & the NFL in the same decade.
But for all of football’s superior ticket sales, they can’t beat out baseball in the trading card market. The majority of Bo Jackson’s most valuable trading cards are from his Kansas City Royals career, but one is from his Raiders tenure. His Topps Raiders rookie card from 1988 does relatively well at auction. Recently, one in stellar gem mint condition sold for $1,400 online.
Bo Knows & So Do You
There are fewer and fewer major baseball icons, but in the 1980s, there was still a handful. Bo Jackson followed in the sportsmen's footsteps before him and created a lasting legacy with his pop culture career that’s helped make his trading cards endure. So, now not only does Bo know about these trading cards, but you do too!
