Bryce Harper Rookie Cards: Best Sets and Parallels
In sports card investing, it’s not super easy to always flip for profit. You have to know the right cards, and when to buy them. Digging deep on research is one part, and timing is another. Currently on track for Cooperstown, it’s an interesting time to dig into Bryce Harper’s rookie cards. A mix of 2011 prospect cards and 2012 rookie cards, there are a plethora of options if you’re looking to invest in or collect the Phillies right fielder.
VALUE ROOKIES:
The Value Tier includes cards with high print runs or lower-quality cardstock. A good fit for new collectors or those on a limited budget.
2012 Prizm Base #152: If you’re looking to add a Harper rookie to your collection, his 2012 Prizm Base is a low-level entry point even for a PSA 10. Those of you familiar with licensing know why. Panini hasn’t had a pro baseball license, and even though Prizm is an iconic brand, and 2012 happens to be the inaugural year, unless a player appears in his pro uniform with team branding, the card typically doesn’t have much of a chance to be seen as an investable asset.
2012 Topps Base (Screaming) #661: There are a couple different versions of Harper’s 2012 Topps Base #661. This one, where he’s shown getting hype after making a big play is called “Screaming,” and is the lower entry point of the two, currently trading at around $70 per PSA 10.
2012 Topps Base (Front Leg Up) #661: The other version of Harper’s 2012 Topps Base RC #661 shows him batting and is called “Front Leg Up.” It trades at around $120 in PSA 10 and hasn’t sold often in the last 30 days, likely in anticipation of Harper’s return to the field.
2012 Topps Update Rookie Debut #US183: Topps Update Series typically releases a photo of a rookie in his debut game. Harper’s was on April 28, 2012. He’s shown on the basepath in his red Nationals uniform. This card normally trades above $100 in PSA 10 but recent sales are less than $90, making it an interesting potential purchase.
2012 Bowman Draft Chrome #10: Since Topps rebooted the Bowman brand in the early 2010s, it has been known for first prospect cards, but also has produced rookie cards of the same player in subsequent sets. His 2012 Bowman Chrome PSA 10 currently has an entry price point below $80, and features a clean design with a white border and centered Nationals logo above Harper’s nameplate along the bottom – with an RC shield and Bowman Chrome mark in the top corners.
2012 Topps Finest Base #73: Finest isn’t necessarily considered a major release from Topps from an investing standpoint, but for collectors, it’s worth noting that Harper’s 2012 Topps Finest Rookie Card is a beautiful card, and has dipped quite a bit over the last 30 days to $80 in PSA 10, making it a potential solid addition (or starting point) to a Harper PC.
POPULAR ROOKIES:
This tier includes cards from the most popular sets across both retail and hobby formats. Typically easy to buy or sell when needed.
2012 Topps Chrome Base #196: If you’re new to the hobby, it’s important to note that Topps Chrome is much more desirable than the aforementioned “paper releases.” Harper’s first flagship Topps Chrome RC is one of the more simple and clean designs of all of his cards and only has a population of 439.
2012 Bowman Draft Chrome – Refractor #10: From 2012 Bowman Draft, some consider it a prospect card even though it has an RC logo on it. The Refractor short print is extremely popular and desirable. It doesn’t trade often, but last sold on eBay for $401 on February 17.
2012 Topps Chrome Rookie Auto: Featuring a phenomenal action shot of the speedy Harper burning the basepaths, the slick rookie auto should have some serious long-term value, as it checks all the boxes. Top-tier chrome release; pack-pulled rookie auto == and in BGS 9.5 it last sold for $600 in January 2023.
2012 Topps Finest Refractor #73: Popular doesn’t always mean most expensive. That’s for the rest of this list. The short print (SP) Topps Finest Refractor rookie is a popular, achievable – yet desirable addition to any collection, and notably trades at around $100 in SGC 9.5 and more than $200 in PSA 10.
MORE UNIQUE ROOKIES:
This tier includes cards with lower print runs, unique designs, or cards from hobby-only products. Usually higher-quality cards than the Value or Popular tiers, though not necessarily more popular or easier to buy or sell.
2012 Topps Update Rookie Debut – Gold #US183: There is a series of short prints, including Gold, that trade for around $1,000 or more. In addition to the rare Gold SP, there’s Target Red, Wood, Black, Gold Sparkle, Orange and Platinum.
2011 Bowman Sterling Prospect Auto Refractor #BSP-GS: Carrying the Bowman brand, but not the same desirability as Bowman Chrome, Sterling still offers some solid cards. Harper’s 2011 Bowman Sterling Auto is a prospect card, and considered equality as valuable as the Topps Chrome Auto, with this SP refractor version having a level of rarity that causes it to trade at more than $600 in PSA 10.
RAREST AND MOST EXCLUSIVE:
This category may be out of reach for most collectors due to price. Don’t worry if this tier is too pricey as there’s a host of options in other categories that could be perfect for your collection.
2012 Prizm #152 Gold /10: While Prizm is an unlicensed baseball card brand, there are some exceptions to the rule that unlicensed cards don’t hold value. Such is the case with the Gold Prizm /10 Harper rookie, which last sold on November 2, 2022 for $10,000.
2011 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto – Refractor #BCP111 /500: This one is considered Harper’s first prospect auto and is limited to /500 and doesn’t trade often. Last sale of an SGC 10 was for almost $1,900 in February 2019, and the last sale of a PSA 10 was for $2,200 on December 22, 2022.
2011 Bowman Chrome Prospect Auto – Blue Refractor #BCP111 /150: The Blue /150 version of the same card above last sold for $12,500 in PSA 10 in October 2022 coming off the World Series. It notably also sold in January 2023 for less than $6,800.
2011 Bowman Prospect Auto – Orange #BP1 /25: A different photo variation from the above Bowman first prospect autos is also limited to a print run of /25, making it one of Harper’s most valuable cards, having sold for just under $47,000 on June 16, 2022.
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Paul Hickey is a regular contributor to Sports Card Investor, the creator of the Sports Card Investment Report at NoOffseason.com, and the host of the Sports Card Strategy Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. He can be found on Instagram at @sportscardstrategy and on Twitter @nooffseasoncard.
