Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 as the first African American to play in the modern era when he started at second base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day. His debut was a momentous occasion that helped push forward the civil rights movement in America. Not only was Robinson an exceptional player on the field, but he also endured racial hatred and abuse with dignity during his pioneering MLB career that lasted from 1947 to 1956.

Given his immense historical significance as the player who integrated professional baseball, Jackie Robinson’s rookie cards from his debut 1947 season hold tremendous value for collectors. They are among the most historically important and valuable baseball cards in the entire hobby. Let’s take a deeper look at some of Robinson’s most prized rookie cards and explore what they can be worth depending on their condition and scarcity.

1947 Robinson Debut Cards

1947 Leaf (#79) – Robinson’s first official baseball card depicts him in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform. High grade specimens in mint condition can fetch over $100,000 at auction due to their immense rarity. Only around 50 are known to exist in collectors’ hands today in any condition after over 70 years.

1947 Bowman Gum (#12) – This is considered the true rookie card that launched Robinson’s MLB career. Just a few gem mint PSA 10 examples have ever come to market, selling for record prices around $500,000 each. Even well-centered near mint copies in PSA 8-9 condition can sell for $50,000-$150,000.

1947 Bazooka Bubble Gum – Extremely rare, with only a small handful believed still in existence. No authentic high grade examples have ever been authenticated and graded by PSA or SGC. Speculated to reach $1 million for a gem mint specimen if one were discovered.

1947 Red Man Tobacco – Like the Bazooka issue, phenomenally rare and elusive. Considered the holy grail for any serious baseball card collection given its historical significance as one of Robinson’s premier debut cards. Could shatter records by fetching seven figures for the first PSA 10 to surface.

1948-1956 Robinson Dodgers Cards

For the remainder of Robinson’s major league playing career spent entirely as a Brooklyn Dodger, he received regular issues in the main baseball sets of that era including:

1948 Bowman Gum
1948 Leaf
1949 Bowman
1950 Bowman
1951 Topps
1952 Topps
1953 Topps
1954 Topps
1955 Topps
1956 Topps

While not as rare as his debut 1947s, high grade examples of Robinson’s cards from 1948 onwards can still fetch impressive prices due to his iconic status:

PSA Gem Mint 10s of any vintage Robinson typically sell in the $3,000-$10,000 range depending on supply and demand factors.

Top conditioned 9s and 8.5s reach the $1,000-$3,000 level.

Near mint 8 copies fall in the $300-$1,000 bracket.

Well-centered exmps in the 7-7.5 range can sell for $100-$300.

Lower grades of 6 and below are more attainable, selling for $50-100+.

Also, some individual issues within certain years carry premiums. The rare 1951 Bowman color card for example can reach $50,000 in PSA 10 glory. And the desirable 1952 Topps with vibrant photographic printing sells strong as well.

Autograph Cards

Any card signed by Jackie Robinson himself exponentially increases in worth depending on the pedigree and quality of the signature. The best rookie or vintage signed cards will often fetch well over six figures from the most serious collectors:

1947 Leaf, 1948 Bowman, 1951 Topps PSA/JSA authenticated examples have topped $250,000 before.

Later Topps issues signed during his playing days reach $50,000-$150,000 in top condition.

Non-Bowman/Topps issue signings can still reach $20,000-$50,000 with authentication.

In Conclusion

All told, as the pioneer who broke MLB’s color barrier and faced racism with courage, Jackie Robinson holds a singular place in the history of the game of baseball. His rookie cards from 1947 and vintage Dodgers issues afterward carry immense significance that drives incredible prices from collectors seeking to own important pieces of sports history. With his legend only growing larger over the decades, the best Jackie Robinson baseball cards will surely remain among the most valuable in the hobby for years to come.