Few franchises in professional sports have as rich a history as the Chicago Cubs. Founded in 1870, the Cubs are one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball and have captured national championships, developed homegrown stars, and seen some of the game’s greatest talents don the Cubs uniform over their 150-year history. As one of the cornerstone franchises of 20th century American sports, the Cubs have amassed a collection of rare and valuable baseball cards that offer a window into the team’s past.
Some of the rarest and most valuable Cubs cards were produced during the early 20th century, when baseball cards were included as incentives in cigarettes and candy. Among the most coveted from this period is the 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner card, which depicts the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop. Only 50-200 of the Wagner cards are believed to have been printed, making them the rare and valuable collectibles in the sports world. What makes the Cubs connection so intriguing is that Wagner began his career in Chicago in 1897 and played for the Cubs’ franchise for one season before being traded to Pittsburgh. As one of the game’s first true superstars, seeing him in a Cubs uniform, even if only for a single card, makes any Wagner T206 that much more significant.
In the 1930s, Goudey Gum Company produced some of the earliest baseball card sets specifically designed for collecting. Highlights from the 1933 Goudey set include stars Gabby Hartnett and Charlie Grimm in Cubs uniforms. Only around 500,000 of the original 1933 Goudey cards were printed, and high-grade specimens of Hartnett or Grimm in their Cubs duds can fetch thousands of dollars. Another iconic Cubs star of the 1930s with an incredibly scarce card is Hack Wilson. His 1930 DeLong card, which was inserted in packs of DeLong’s Football, is considered one of the true “holy grails” for Cubs collectors. Only a handful are known to exist in collectible condition.
During the post-World War 2 era, the Cubs roster was stacked with future Hall of Famers like Billy Jurges, Hank Sauer, Randy Jackson, and, of course, Ernie Banks. The 1952 Bowman set featured the first color photographs on baseball cards and included Banks in one of his early Cubs uniforms. High-grade versions have sold at auction for over $10,000. Topps debuted as a licensed MLB card maker in 1956 and their early offerings gave collectors their first glossy, full-color snapshots of Banks and teammates like Banks, Sam Jones, and Randy Hundley. In particularly nice condition with the distinctive yellow backing, 1956 and 1957 Topps Cubs cards can fetch over $1000 each.
The 1960s brought more stars to Wrigley Field as players like Ron Santo, Fergie Jenkins, and Billy Williams emerged. Their rookie and early career cards from Topps, Fleer, and other manufacturers have grown in demand. Especially for Williams, his 1965 Topps and 1966 Topps cards, showing him in his prime as a perennial All-Star, have reached values of $500-1000 each for high-quality specimens. Aside from the star players, several common Cubs from the 1960s have also increases significantly in value. For example, a well-centered 1968 Topps Don Young in a Cubs uniform just sold for over $150.
It was the 1969 Cubs that came agonizingly close to winning the franchises’ first World Series in over 50 years. As such, cards from that magical “North Side Hit Men” squad led by Ferguson Jenkins and featuring Santo, Beckert, and the rest have taken on an almost mythical quality for collectors. Keys cards include the rookie issues of Jenkins (1964 Topps) and Bill Hands (1966 Topps) which have reached up six figures when graded gem mint. Even commons from the infamous ‘69 Topps and Fleer sets command substantial prices today. Simply putting together a complete team set from that year requires a serious investment.
While they struggled on the field throughout the 1970s and 80s, the Cubs still produced plenty of fun and affordable cardboard for collectors. Fan favorites like Bruce Sutter, Jody Davis, and Ryne Sandberg emerged with affordable early issues, many of which have grown sharply in value in recent years. Sandberg’s 1984 Donruss and Topps rookies can each fetch over $100 now. The late 1980s also saw rookie issues for rising stars Shawon Dunston and Greg Maddux. One of the true oddball rarities from this era is the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Mexican Jorge Orta card, with only a small number confirmed to exist.
By the late 1980s, the Cubs had built a new championship-caliber club around Maddux, Sandberg, and Dunston. This era is represented by some genuinely valuable modern Cubs cards, starting with rookie gems like the Pitchers Maddux (1985 Donruss) and Les Lancaster (1984 Fleer). High-grade specimens regularly sell for thousands. Sandberg’s towering accomplishments of the late 1980s are also well-documented. His 1986 Fleer Update and 1988 Donruss Diamond Kings parallel efforts have reached over $500 each for pristine copies. Other chase cards include Mark Grace’s rookie (1988 Score) and the coveted 1989 Upper Deck Sammy Sosa rookie, which has changed hands for over $1000 in top condition.
The early 21st century saw the Cubs on the verge of a breakthrough. Players like Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez had big cardboard in the late 1990s/early 2000s. Of particular interest are Wood’s explosive 1998 Bowman Chrome and Gallery rookie refractors, both of which have achieved strong four-figure prices. Prior also had coveted rookie products in 2000 Topps Chrome and Bowman’s Best. More recently, cards like Javier Baez’s 2014 Topps Update Breakout Variation parallel to /99 and Kris Bryant’s 2015 Panini Golden Age Spectra have taken on new significance as those young stars led the Cubs to historic success.
In 2016, the Cubs at long last captured their first World Series championship in over a century, breaking one of the most infamous curses in sports. Memorable cards from that championship core include Javier Baez’s 2017 Topps Update Green Shimmer Parallel /50 and the elusive Kris Bryant 2015 Topps Update Blue Refractor /150. Even today, cards that depict players from those 2016 Cubs like Jason Heyward, Jon Lester, and David Ross remain very popular with collectors seeking pieces of franchise history.
While Wrigley Field and the Cubs iconic logo have been featured on cards dating back over a century, some modern standouts include 2013 Topps Steve Bartman, chronicling one of the franchises darkest chapters, and 2015 Panini Golden Age Cooperstown Collection Ryne Sandberg, highlighting one of its brightest stars. For the ultra-premium collector, high-end autograph and memorabilia cards of Sandberg, Santo, Banks and others consistently deliver strong returns.
In over 150 years of franchise history, the Chicago Cubs have built up one of the most storied collections of baseball cards in the sport. From early T206 classics to modern parallels and autographs, rare Cubs cards allow collectors to physically hold pieces of the team’s past, present and future in their hands. With the club’s first World Series title now in the books but more glory potentially ahead, demand for cards chronicling the Cubs rich tradition shows no signs of slowing.
