There’s no doubt that Bo Jackson is a sporting legend. When you think of the best multi-sport athletes of all time, he probably tops the list, with the likes of Deion Sanders.
For sports card collectors, the most expensive Bo Jackson card to buy is his 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany card; I’ve covered that, and his other best, and most valuable, sports cards of all-time below.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary - Top Picks
Bo Jackson Football Rookie Cards
1988 Topps Bo Jackson Rookie Card #327
This 1988 Topps Bo Jackson card is the one and only rookie card from his football career.
The card features a non-action image of Jackson, in his Raiders uniform.
Due to it being released in the Junk Wax Era of sports cards, it was mass-produced and therefore doesn’t hold big value, but it sells for a solid amount in the highest grade.
Average price of a PSA 10: $1.3k-$1.5k
Bo Jackson Baseball Rookie Cards
1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson Rookie Card #50T
The 1986 Topps Traded Bo Jackson rookie card is a popular option amongst collectors, and a nice-looking card – It’s the most desired and sought-after Bo Jackson rookie card.
It features a non-action image of Jackson, with the big Royals name at the top, which matches the blue color from his uniform.
Production was high, so the price to buy this one isn’t big, but more value can be found in the limited Tiffany parallels.
The Tiffany version isn’t just Jackson’s most expensive rookie card, it’s one of his top and most valuable cards ever.
Average price of a PSA 10 (Base version): $400-$500
Average price of a PSA 10 (Tiffany version): $7k-$7.5k
1986 Donruss The Rookies Bo Jackson Rookie Card #38
The 1986 Donruss The Rookies Bo Jackson card is one that’s design matches the era it’s from, with the striped border and diagonal cutout image.
The image on Bo Jackson itself is very similar to the one featured on the Topps Traded rookie card.
Again, values are low on this one because of the high production.
There’s also another Jackson card, from 1986 Donruss, which came in the Donruss Highlights; It features a different image and yellow on the border, instead of the green, but it worth a lot less than the Rookies card.
Average price of a PSA 10: $130-$150
1986 Sportflics Rookies Bo Jackson #40
Coming from a set that isn’t considered a true baseball card product by many, the 1986 Sportflics Rookies Bo Jackson card is sometimes overlooked, and not as popular as many of his other cards.
The card does offer something slightly different, though, with lenticular printing which aims to give a 3D look – By rotating and viewing the face of the card from different angles, three different images of Jackson can be seen.
Average price of a PSA 10: $70-$80
Other Bo Jackson Rookie Cards
While Bo Jackson’s first Major League cards were released in 1986, following his debut, many collectors also view cards released during 1987 as his rookie cards – That’s because the Donruss and Topps cards from 1986 came in factory sets, with limited availability, as well as Sportflics not being considered a true baseball card product.
Here’s some of Jackson’s rookie cards released in 1987:
1987 Topps Future Stars Bo Jackson RC #170
While this one isn’t Bo Jackson’s most valuable rookie card, or the hardest to find, it has the aura and appeal of being from the popular 1987 Topps set.
The card design, with the wooden style border, is easily recognizable, and nostalgic to many collectors, who started collecting baseball cards around this time.
It’s a nice option for collectors which can be found easily and brought for a low price.
The Tiffany parallel is rarer, and much more valuable.
Average price of a PSA 10 (Base version): $120-$140
Average price of a PSA 10 (Tiffany version): $450-$500
1987 Donruss Rated Rookie Bo Jackson RC #35
It’s not the greatest looking card, in my opinion, but the 1987 Donruss Rated Rookie Bo Jackson card offers collectors an option from the popular brand, featuring an action shot of Jackson in his blue Royals jersey.
It’s a card which doesn’t hold big value now, but it wasn’t as easily found in 1987 as many of his other cards, although it by no means can be considered rare. It’s a hobby icon from its era.
Average price of a PSA 10: $110-$130
1987 Fleer Bo Jackson RC #369
Another base rookie cards that perhaps underrated and often overlooked – The 1987 Fleer Bo Jackson card is far from flashy, but the colors work well and make for a decent looking design.
Average price of a PSA 10: $130-$150
1987 Classic MLB Game Bo Jackson RC #15
Released as part of a board game, the 1987 Classic Bo Jackson features an unusual image of Bo, with him swinging a baseball bat while wearing his football jersey, showcasing the theme of him being a multi-sport star.
The green border is tough to keep in good condition, especially when owners had the decision to make, whether to play the game with the card, as intended, or keep unused and in good condition.
The rarity of the card in top grade adds a big premium on the price of those copies, and makes it one of Jackson’s most valuable rookies.
Average price of a PSA 10: $750-$800
The Best Bo Jackson Cards From Later Years
1993 Topps Finest All-Stars Refractor Bo Jackson #91
A rare and visually appealing card, the 1993 Topps Bo Jackson Finest Refractor is a highly sought-after gem, and one of Bo Jackson’s most valuable cards of all time.
At the time of release, this Topps brand was considered a highly-premium product, as they competed with the likes of Upper Deck and Donruss – It holds significance, and good value.
Average price of a PSA 10: $750-$800
2012 Fleer Retro Precious Metal Gems Green Bo Jackson #M28
The Precious Metal Gems insert was made very popular in the sports card hobby with its basketball releases in the 90s, it’s a favorite of many and has spread over multiple sports.
While Bo Jackson didn’t have a PMG card released during his playing days, he did appear in the 2012 Fleer Retro set – The card was produced in three different colors, red, blue and green, with different print-runs.
The rarest, and most valuable, is the green version – It’s one of Jackson’s most expensive sports cards ever; It’s my favorite card of his.
A copy of the Green version sold for $6.3k in 2022, graded PSA 8.
Average price of a PSA 10 (Green Version): N/A (PSA 8: $4,400-$4,500)
2014 Topps Tribute Timeless Autographs Bo Jackson/Mike Trout #JT
Featuring arguably the two most collected baseball stars of their generation, the 2014 Topps Tribute Timeless card features Bo Jackson alongside Mike Trout.
The dual autograph is limited to just 24 copies, and is a super-premium and desirable card, which holds big value, relative to other Jackson cards.
This rare card is another one of Bo Jackson’s best and most expensive cards ever.
Average price of a PSA 10: $1,300-$1,500
2022 Topps Definitive Dual Autograph Bo Jackson/Deion Sanders #DACJSA
Another premium dual autograph card featuring Bo Jackson alongside another star – This time it’s another multi-sport athlete, Deion Sanders.
It’s an appealing concept to have the two most well-known two-sport professional athletes on the same card, with their signatures, so this one also holds good value.
Average price of a PSA 10: $1,000-$1,100
When Was Bo Jackson’s Rookie Baseball Season?
Bo Jackson’s rookie baseball season was the 1986 MLB season, for the Kansas City Royals.
When Was Bo Jackson’s Rookie Football Season?
Bo Jackson’s rookie football season was the 1987 NFL season, for the Los Angeles Raiders.
What's The Most Expensive Bo Jackson Rookie Card?
The most valuable Bo Jackson rookie card is the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany XRC card, which is highly desired and more limited than his other rookies, making it more valuable.
With a total of around 5,000 released by Topps, it’s a lot more scarce than his other rookie cards, which were more mass-produced.
What's The Rarest Bo Jackson Rookie Card?
The rarest Bo Jackson rookie card is the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany XRC card.
It was a limited set release, with an estimated 5000 sets – While that’s not a low number, it is in comparison to his other rookie cards that suffered from overproduction, which was a theme of the era they were from.
Bo Jackson: A Background
Bo Jackson is one of the greatest ever names in sport, having played in the NFL and MLB.
Many of us dream, when we’re young, of becoming a professional player in our favorite sport, and most of us don’t make it – It highlights the achievement of Jackson playing both Baseball and Football professionally.
The Heisman Trophy winner paused his football career to pursue baseball, and after a year in the Majors, returned to also play in the NFL.
Despite his playing days being cut short due to injury, Bo Jackson remains a highly collectable name in the sports card hobby, and a pop culture icon.
His rookie cards were popular straight away, and they’ve only grown in popularity since.
