Buzz
If baseball is America’s beloved pastime, then collecting baseball cards isn't far behind. From attics to crawl spaces, boxes filled with cards from every era—spanning from Babe Ruth and Ted Williams to Derek Jeter and Albert Pujols—can be found. However, not every card will get you out of debt or buy you a new home.
The worth of baseball cards hinges on various factors such as age, condition, rarity, and the market trends at the time. Keeping this in mind, here’s a glimpse into the 10 most valuable baseball cards in the world.
1. HONUS WAGNER, 1909-1911 ATC T206 // $3.12 MILLION
If you're familiar with baseball cards, the sale of this Honus Wagner card for a jaw-dropping $3.12 million in 2016 won’t surprise you, as it surpassed its previous record of $2.8 million set in 2007. Often hailed as the "Holy Grail" of baseball memorabilia, the card’s value is inextricably linked to its legendary history. Initially issued by the American Tobacco Company and included in cigarette packs, Wagner reportedly had the company withdraw the card for reasons that remain unclear, leading to a release of only 25 to 200 cards. Over a century later, the rarity has cemented its status as a prized piece of sports history.
2. MICKEY MANTLE, 1952 TOPPS // $1.13 MILLION
Mickey Mantle joins the million-dollar club with his 1952 Topps Major League card, which fetched $1.13 million at auction in 2016. The card's Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) rating, which reflects its condition, stands at an impressive 8.5 out of 10, making it one of the most sought-after Mantle cards available. Even cards with lower PSA grades, such as 6 and 7, regularly sell for over $100,000. However, this list may need an update soon—another 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card with a PSA grade of 9 is set to hit the auction block in April, with an estimated value of over $ million.
3. BABE RUTH, 1916 SPORTING NEWS // $717,000
Babe Ruth’s 1916 Sporting News card, dating back to his pre-Yankee years, was sold for $717,000 in a 2016 auction. However, this wasn’t the only auction featuring this card of a youthful Bambino. In 2017, a similar card with the same PSA grade went for around $550,000. It’s a prime example of how timing and finding the right buyer can lead to six-figure differences in value.
4. PETE ROSE/PEDRO GONZALEZ/KEN MCMULLEN/AL WEIS, 1963 TOPPS // $717,000
How did a card like this fetch $717,000 at auction? It might not be as old as a Ruth card, yet it managed to pull in the same hefty sum. One major factor is that it features Pete Rose, and anything with "The Hit King" naturally attracts attention. Another key reason is that this card received a perfect PSA grade of 10, a rare feat for a card of its age. In fact, it’s the only known copy of this card with that grade, making it a highly prized item for collectors. Cards in lesser condition won’t command nearly as much—typically, a grade of 9 might bring in around $70,000 at auction.
5. "SHOELESS" JOE JACKSON, 1909 AMERICAN CARAMEL // $667,149
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson, forever linked to the infamous Black Sox Scandal, hasn’t seen his value suffer on the collectibles market. A PSA grade 8 copy of Jackson’s rookie card sold for $667,149 in 2016. Just eight years earlier, the same card with a lower grade sold for only $86,975, proving that the condition of a card can drastically affect its market price.
6. NOLAN RYAN/JERRY KOOSMAN, 1968 TOPPS // $612,359
Much like the Rose rookie card, this Nolan Ryan/Jerry Koosman dual card earned a perfect PSA grade of 10 and commanded $612,359 at auction, a far higher price than it would have gotten otherwise. In fact, of the 8,000 Ryan/Koosman rookie cards submitted for grading, this is the only one to receive that perfect score. It’s this pristine condition that contributed to the high value—when the same card is rated a 9, its price drops to about $20,000 to $30,000.
7. BABE RUTH, 1914 BALTIMORE NEWS // $575,000
It’s no surprise that Babe Ruth appears on this list twice. In this instance, the Sultan of Swat is pictured as a minor league pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, long before he became the legendary home run hitter. In 2012, Robert Edwards Auctions sold a PSA 2 graded version of this card for a remarkable $575,000. Rarity plays a role here too: there are only about 10 of these cards known to exist.
8. WILLIE MAYS, 1952 TOPPS // $478,000
At a 2016 Heritage Auctions Sports Collectibles Auction, which raked in $11 million in three days, the most valuable item sold was a Willie Mays card, fetching $478,000. While not his rookie card, it was the first Topps card to feature the iconic centerfielder.
9. ROBERTO CLEMENTE, 1955 TOPPS // $478,000
The legendary Roberto Clemente, a Hall of Famer and member of the 3,000-hit club, tragically lost his life in a plane crash while en route to Nicaragua for earthquake relief in 1972. His 1955 rookie card, graded an exceptional 10 by PSA, sold for $432,690 in 2012. But just four years later, a 1955 Clemente card with a PSA grade of 9 fetched $478,000, showing that sometimes timing is just as crucial as condition (a card with a PSA grade of 8, however, is valued around $30,000). Interestingly, the 2012 sale saw the card owned by former MLB player Dmitri Young, who auctioned off a portion of his massive collection in 2012, totaling $2.4 million.
10. JOE DOYLE, N.Y. NAT'L, 1909-1911 ATC T206 // $414,750
While “Slow Joe” Doyle may not be the most famous player, his card is certainly one of the most notorious on the market. This particular card is over a century old, with fewer than a dozen known copies in circulation. The most fascinating part? The card originally had a printing error, listing Doyle as playing for the New York National League team, when in fact, he was part of the American League’s New York Highlanders (the team that would become the Yankees). The error was quickly corrected, and most cards were released with the proper details. The card has appeared at auction only a few times in recent years, with prices ranging from $64,099 to an impressive $414,750. Quite a hefty sum for a pitcher who finished his career with a record of 22-21.
