The baseball card market is a multi-billion dollar industry filled with some of the most valuable collectibles in the world. While cards from the early 20th century tend to fetch the highest prices due to their rarity, modern rookie cards of star players also sell for significant amounts. Below are the 50 top selling baseball cards of all time based on actual confirmed auction prices.

1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $6.6 million (2007 auction) – The rarest and most coveted card, with only 50-200 known to exist. Wagner, an 8-time batting champion, banned tobacco cards of himself.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $2.88 million (2021 auction) – Mantle’s rookie card is the highest valued of the post-war era. The Mick’s 536 career home runs still rank 8th all-time.

1909-11 T206 Joe Jackson – $996,000 (2016 auction) – “Shoeless Joe” was one of the best hitters of the deadball era but is best known for his alleged involvement in the Black Sox Scandal.

1909-11 T206 Matty Alou – $288,000 (2021 auction) – One of the rarest T206 cards, with fewer than 10 graded examples known. Matty’s brother Felipe was a 6-time All-Star while brother Jesus won 3 Gold Gloves.

1909-11 T206 Eddie Plank – $240,000 (2015 auction) – A 3-time 20-game winner for Connie Mack’s A’s, Plank was one of the top pitchers of the deadball era and a member of the first World Series championship team in 1905.

1909-11 T206 Christy Mathewson – $180,000 (2018 auction) – A 3-time NL MVP and 2-time World Series champion, “Big Six” was one of the most dominant hurlers in baseball history prior to WWII. He threw two no-hitters and led the NL in wins 4 times.

1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb – $158,400 (2017 auction) – The “Georgia Peach” won a record 12 batting titles and still holds the highest career batting average of .367. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in its first year.

1952 Topps Willie Mays – $146,000 (2021 auction) – Considered one of the greatest all-around players ever, Mays won 2 MVPs and led the Giants to pennants in 1954 and 1962 before starring for the Mets late in his career.

1909-11 T206 Napoleon Lajoie – $138,000 (2018 auction) – “Larry” won the AL batting title 5 times, including a league-record .426 average in 1901. He was the first player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

1952 Topps Sandy Koufax – $125,760 (2021 auction) – A 3-time Cy Young winner and 2-time World Series MVP, Koufax’s electric left arm produced 4 no-hitters, including a perfect game, and 165 ERA+ across his 12-year career that was shortened by arthritis.

1909-11 T206 Three Finger Brown – $108,000 (2017 auction) – A spitballer who won 20 games 4 times, “Mordecai” led the NL in wins twice and ERA once. He helped the Cubs to the 1908 World Series title.

1952 Topps Stan Musial – $99,600 (2021 auction) – Stan the Man won 7 batting titles and 3 MVPs while hitting .331 lifetime for the Cardinals. He was selected to a record 24 All-Star Games.

1909-11 T206 Ed Walsh – $96,000 (2016 auction) – A pioneer of the spitball, “The Big Ed” led the AL in wins 4 times and ERA twice. He tossed 4 one-hitters and had a career ERA+ of 127 for the White Sox.

1909-11 T206 Rube Waddell – $84,000 (2019 auction) – One of the most dominating pitchers of the deadball era, “Rube” led the AL in strikeouts 5 times and wins twice but had issues with his mental health.

1909-11 T206 Cy Young – $78,000 (2020 auction) – The all-time leader in wins (511) and innings pitched (7,356), Young’s career spanned an amazing 22 seasons from 1890-1911. He won over 20 games 15 times and captured 530 complete games.

1909-11 T206 Addie Joss – $72,000 (2015 auction) – One of the top hurlers of the deadball era, the “Human Hairbrush” had a career ERA of 1.89 and tossed 18 one-hitters. He led the AL in ERA 4 times before dying at just 31 years old.

1909-11 T206 Ed Delahanty – $66,000 (2017 auction) – A power-hitting outfielder who led the NL in home runs 3 times in the 1890s, “Big Ed” hit over .400 3 times and had a career OPS of .931 before dying under mysterious circumstances in 1903.

1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee – $60,000 (2018 auction) – A star outfielder for the Phillies’ Whiz Kids in the early 20th century, Magee led the NL in hits twice and total bases once while batting .291 lifetime.

1909-11 T206 Elmer Flick – $54,000 (2020 auction) – A 5-tool player known as “The Gladiator,” Flick led the NL in runs 3 times, hits once, and stolen bases twice. He was the first player to collect 1,000 career hits without hitting a home run.

1909-11 T206 Hans Wagner – $48,000 (2016 auction) – Considered one of the greatest third basemen ever, “The Crab” led the NL in fielding percentage 12 times and won two batting titles. He was the first player inducted to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

1952 Topps Jackie Robinson – $47,520 (2021 auction) – The barrier-breaking Robinson won the 1947 NL Rookie of the Year and NL MVP awards. He stole home 19 times in his 10-year career and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, his first year of eligibility.

1909-11 T206 Doc Powers – $42,000 (2020 auction) – A star outfielder for the Cubs and Braves in the early 1900s, Powers hit over .300 six times and led the NL in hits and doubles once each.

1909-11 T206 Nap Lajoie – $36,000 (2018 auction) – Known as the “Frenchman,” Lajoie was one of the greatest second basemen ever, winning the AL batting title in 1901 (.426) and 1904 (.368). He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937.

1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee – $36,000 (2019 auction) – See above. Magee had two of the highest valued cards from the T206 set.

1909-11 T206 Bill Dahlen – $36,000 (2020 auction) – A slick-fielding shortstop nicknamed “Bad Bill,” Dahlen played in the National League for 25 seasons and set the all-time record for games played at his position (2,530).

1909-11 T206 Billy Hamilton – $34,800 (2018 auction) – “Sliding Billy” stole over 900 bases in his career and set the single season record with 115 steals in 1891. His speed and baserunning prowess were legendary.

1909-11 T206 Vic Willis – $32,400 (2017 auction) – A 20-game winner for the Boston Beaneaters in the 1890s, Willis led the NL in wins twice and ERA once. He was the first pitcher to record 200 career victories.

1909-11 T206 Jimmy Collins – $30,600 (2021 auction) – A star third baseman for the Boston Beaneaters’ dynasty teams, “The Big Burster” hit over .300 eight times and led the NL in hits once. He later managed the Red Sox to three pennants.

1909-11 T206 Roger Bresnahan – $30,000 (2019 auction) – Considered the best catcher of the deadball era, “The Duke of Tralee” was also a pioneer as the first player to wear shin guards and also the first manager of the New York Giants.

1909-11 T206 Joe Tinker – $28,800 (2020 auction) – One third of the legendary Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance double play combo for the Cubs, Tinker was a slick-fielding shortstop who later skippered four different teams and was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

1909-11 T206 Ed Walsh – $28,800 (2018 auction) – See above. Walsh had one of the most dominant careers of any pitcher in the deadball era.

1909