1981 Topps Rickey Henderson #261

How I Arrived at the Hobby Score

This card received an 82.5 overall Hobby Score.

The 1981 Topps Rickey Henderson #261 isn’t a rookie card, but it’s his first full-season base card, issued just months after his electric rookie year. It captures Henderson as he was becoming a household name — a speedster who would soon change the stolen base record books forever. The image shows a young, confident Rickey ready to take the league by storm, and collectors often view it as the first true in-action Henderson card.

While the 1981 Topps set was produced during the early years of the junk wax era, Rickey’s cards still held weight because he was rewriting how the leadoff position was played. That season, he stole a staggering 56 bases in just 108 games due to a strike-shortened season. It was merely a preview of what was to come.

One overlooked fact: Rickey claimed he could "hear the sound of the dirt" when he stole bases — a testament to how in tune he was with his speed and instincts. This 1981 Topps card earns an 82.5 for being a significant second-year issue of a legendary player, though its high population and lack of rookie status cap its ceiling among collectors.