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Team Guide · NL West

San Francisco Giants

New York Giants from 1883 to 1957, San Francisco Giants since 1958. Home to Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Barry Bonds, and the three-in-five 2010/2012/2014 World Series dynasty. One of the deepest vintage catalogs in baseball.

City
San Francisco
League
NL West
Founded
1883

New York to San Francisco: Two Coasts, One Legacy

The Giants were founded in New York in 1883, played there for 75 years, and then moved to San Francisco in 1958 as part of the same west-coast shift that took the Dodgers to Los Angeles. The New York Giants era produced Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, and a young Willie Mays (his 1951 rookie season was in the Polo Grounds). The San Francisco era produced Mays’ prime years, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Barry Bonds’ entire Giants run, and the 2010-2012-2014 three-in-five-years World Series dynasty.

For card collectors, the Giants catalog is genuinely deep. The T206 Christy Mathewson is a pre-war anchor. The 1951 Bowman Mays rookie is one of the most-valuable post-war rookies ever produced. Barry Bonds’ Giants-era cards span 1993-2007 and include his record-setting 73-HR 2001 season.

The 2010s championship run (led by Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Buster Posey) has produced affordable team-set collectibles and key modern rookies.

Giants Vintage Era (pre-1970)

  • T206 Christy Mathewson — Hall of Fame pitcher’s tobacco-era card.
  • T206 Mike Donlin / Fred Merkle — other Giants tobacco-era pieces.
  • 1933 Goudey Carl Hubbell (#234) — Hall of Fame screwballer.
  • 1933 Goudey Mel Ott (#127) — Hall of Fame outfielder.
  • 1934 Goudey Mel Ott (#94) — companion pre-war card.
  • 1941 Play Ball Mel Ott — late pre-war.
  • 1951 Bowman Willie Mays Rookie (#305) — the franchise flagship. PSA 9 $400-700K, PSA 8 $100-200K, PSA 7 $25-50K.
  • 1952 Topps Willie Mays (#261) — iconic design, second-year card.
  • 1954 Topps Willie Mays (#90) — his MVP season.
  • 1958 Topps Giants Team Card — first SF season.
  • 1959 Topps Willie McCovey Rookie (#316) — Hall of Fame first baseman’s rookie. PSA 9 $30-60K.
  • 1961 Topps Juan Marichal Rookie (#417) — Hall of Fame pitcher’s rookie. PSA 9 $8-15K.
  • 1963 Topps Willie Mays — classic design.
  • 1968 Topps Bobby Bonds Rookie (#294) — Barry’s father, outfielder.
  • 1969 Topps Gaylord Perry — Hall of Fame pitcher.

Giants Modern Era (1970-2000)

  • 1973 Topps Willie Mays — his final-season card (as a Met).
  • 1975 Topps Bobby Murcer — outfielder era.
  • 1977 Topps John Montefusco — pitcher.
  • 1981 Topps Jack Clark — slugger.
  • 1985 Topps Will Clark Rookie — wait, Clark’s rookie is 1986.
  • 1986 Topps Traded Will Clark (#24T) — the Thrill’s rookie. PSA 10 $200-400.
  • 1986 Fleer Will Clark (#538) — companion rookie.
  • 1988 Score Rookies Robby Thompson — filler.
  • 1989 Upper Deck Matt Williams — third baseman.
  • 1993 SP Barry Bonds Foil — his first Giants-era premium card.
  • 1993 Upper Deck SP Barry Bonds — MVP season.
  • 1997 Bowman Chrome Barry Bonds — refractor parallels.
  • 2000 Upper Deck Barry Bonds 73 HR season — 2001 chase cards.

Giants Contemporary Era (2001-2026)

  • 2001 Bowman Chrome José Reyes is a Mets card; Giants 2001 key is 2001 Bowman Chrome Pedro Feliz.
  • 2004 Bowman Chrome Matt Cain Draft Auto — pitcher prospect.
  • 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft Tim Lincecum Prospect — not yet; Timmy was drafted 2006.
  • 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft Tim Lincecum 1st Bowman Auto — Cy Young winner’s prospect card.
  • 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Buster Posey 1st Bowman Auto — franchise flagship modern. Refractor parallels in four-five figures.
  • 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Madison Bumgarner 1st Bowman Auto — companion pitching prospect.
  • 2010 Topps Update Buster Posey Rookie (#US283) — his ROY-season rookie. PSA 10 $300-600.
  • 2010 Topps World Series Champions — first modern-era title team set.
  • 2012 Topps World Series Champions — second title team set.
  • 2014 Topps World Series Champions — third title team set, Bumgarner’s signature series.
  • 2013 Bowman Chrome Brandon Belt / Brandon Crawford — dynasty-era.
  • 2019 Bowman Chrome Marco Luciano 1st Bowman Auto — shortstop prospect.
  • 2021 Bowman Chrome Joey Bart Rookie — catcher.
  • 2022 Bowman Chrome Heliot Ramos 1st Bowman — outfielder prospect.
  • 2023 Bowman Chrome Kyle Harrison 1st Bowman Auto — pitching prospect.
  • 2024 Topps Chrome Update Heliot Ramos / Patrick Bailey — current-era rookies.
  • 2025 Bowman Chrome Bryce Eldridge 1st Bowman — top current prospect refractor target.

The players below have their own deep-dive guides on Baseball Cards. Each player page covers the full card catalog, key rookies, parallels to chase, and buying tips.

How to Build a Giants PC

Budget collector ($50-$500 total): Raw 1986 Topps Traded Will Clark under $10, 2010 Topps Update Posey rookie raw ($30-60), 2014 Topps Bumgarner MVP cards, and current-year Topps/Bowman for roster depth. Under $250 for a multi-era foundation.

Mid-budget collector ($500-$5,000): PSA 10 1986 Topps Traded Clark ($200-400), PSA 10 2010 Topps Update Posey ($300-600), PSA 9 1961 Topps Marichal rookie ($3-5K), PSA 9 1959 Topps McCovey (upper-end of mid-budget). Add sealed Bowman Chrome hobby boxes annually.

High-end collector ($5,000+): A PSA 7+ 1951 Bowman Mays rookie is the ultimate Giants anchor ($25-50K). Pair with a PSA 9 1959 Topps McCovey, a PSA 9 1961 Topps Marichal, a PSA 10 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft Posey auto, and the 2010/2012/2014 World Series team sets completed in PSA 10. Giants high-end is as deep as any franchise.

Best Products for Giants Fans

The cards below are the easiest starting points for any Giants fan building a collection — sealed boxes where Giants players will feature in proportion to their roster presence, plus graded singles when available on Amazon.

Giants Team Sets and Factory Products

Topps issues Giants team sets every year. The 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series champion team sets are the modern-era centerpieces. Vintage New York Giants team sets and Willie Mays-era SF team sets are available through Baseball Card Exchange and eBay. Amazon stocks current-year Giants factory sets and Bowman products for prospect collecting.

Featured San Francisco Giants Players

Player Guide

Willie Mays

Center Field

The Say Hey Kid and the most complete five-tool player in baseball history. His 1951 Bowman rookie and 1952 Topps second-year card are cornerstone pieces of any serious vintage collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the most valuable Giants baseball card?
The 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie (#305) is the franchise's flagship vintage card. PSA 9 copies sell in the $400-700K range; PSA 8 in the $100-200K range. The 1952 Topps Mays (#261) is similarly important and cosmetically more iconic. Christy Mathewson T206 and pre-war cards are other Giants vintage anchors.
Which modern Giants cards should collectors chase?
Barry Bonds' later Giants-era cards (1993-2007) are widely collected but not scarce. Buster Posey's 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft 1st Bowman Auto is the modern franchise flagship. Tim Lincecum 2006 Bowman Chrome Draft auto. Madison Bumgarner 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft auto. Heliot Ramos 2024 Topps Chrome Update rookie.
Are vintage Giants cards a good investment?
New York Giants cards (1883-1957) are some of the scarcest in the hobby. Christy Mathewson, Carl Hubbell, Mel Ott, and early-career Willie Mays in PSA 7+ have appreciated strongly for decades. Juan Marichal 1961 Topps and Willie McCovey 1960 Topps rookies are key post-move Giants.
Where can I find Giants team sets?
Topps issues Giants team sets every year. The 2010, 2012, and 2014 World Series champion team sets are modern must-haves. Vintage Giants team sets from the Willie Mays era and earlier New York Giants years are available through eBay and specialist dealers. Amazon stocks current-year Giants factory team sets.