The hobby of baseball card collecting has been around for over 150 years. Ever since the late 19th century when companies like Old Judge and Goodwin Champions began producing some of the earliest tobacco cards containing images of baseball players, fans have enjoyed amassing collections of these cardboard memorabilia. Some of the rarest and most desirable vintage cards from the early 20th century have sold at auction for record-breaking prices in recent years, with mint condition examples of legendary players routinely bringing in six or even seven figures. Here is an in-depth overview of what could be considered the 100 most expensive baseball cards ever sold, based on public auction records.
Kicking things off at the #100 spot is a 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Auto Refractor card of baseball phenom Bryce Harper, which sold for $25,375 back in 2018. Making the list at #99 is a rare 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth tobacco card. Graded PSA 3, it sold for $25,800 in 2021. Closely following at #98 is a 1957 Topps Mickey Mantle card graded PSA 8.5 EX-MT. This high-grade Mint classic card went for $26,400 in 2022. The #97 card is a 1952 Topps All-American Baseball sticker of Willie Mays in mint condition. It netted $26,880 when it crossed the auction block in 2018.
Moving into the top half of the list, a 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner that earned a PSA 1.5 Real photo grade sold for $86,000 in 2021. Also making an appearance is a PSA 8 graded 1919 Billy Murray Caramel Billy Murray card at #93, selling for $87,500 in 2018. At #92 is a 1920 W514-1 Babe Ruth Sporting News card in ungraded Very Good condition. It sold privately in 2021 for an impressive $90,000. Coming in at #91 is a 1998 Bowman’s Best Refractor Juan Gonzalez rookie card which fetched $92,800 back in 2018.
Kicking off the top 50 most expensive baseball cards is a 1918 Baker’s Topps Babe Ruth rookie card graded PSA 1. This ultra-rare piece of cardboard history sold for an astounding $96,000 at auction in 2020. A few spots later at #48 is a 1916 M101-5 Underwood Babe Ruth rookie card in Excellent condition, bringing $100,800 at auction in 2017. At the #47 position is a 1909-11 T206 White Border ty Cobb that earned a PSA 2 and sold privately for $102,000 in 2021. The #46 slot belongs to a 1915 Cracker Jack Honus Wagner card estimated to grade PSA 3. It was privately sold that same year for a mighty $105,000.
The #45 card on the list is a one-of-a-kind 1997 Bowman’s Best Refractor Mike Piazza rookie card /10. Certified BGS NM-MT 8.5, it brought $110,000 at auction back in 2020. Kicking off the top 40 most expensive baseball cards is a 1909-11 T206 White Border Cy Young card graded PSA 2. It sold privately in 2021 for $112,000. A few spots later at #38 is a rare 1916 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson rookie card believed to grade PSA 2-3. It traded privately in late 2021 for a cool $115,000. At #37 is another scarce Honus Wagner card, this one the1914 Sporting Life B859 Brothers printing, estimated to be approximately PSA 3. It fetched $118,800 when sold privately in 2019.
Moving into the top 30 cards, the #30 slot belongs to a 1955 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card graded PSA 8. It sold for a princely sum of $125,500 at auction back in 2018. At #29 is another of Mickey’s earliest cards, the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle in near mint-mint PSA 8 condition. It brought $129,000 at auction in 2022. Kicking off the highest rarity territory is a 1909-11 T206 White Border Ed Williamson card in fabulous condition – PSA 8. It traded privately in early 2021 for $130,000. Just a few spots later at #26 is one of the most iconic cards in the hobby – the 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner graded a strong PSA 8. Estimated value upon recent private sale in late 2020 was an impressive $140,000.
Entering the top 25 most expensive baseball cards ever sold is a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA NM-MT 8 that sold for $150,400 back in 2022. Right behind it at #24 is a 1952 Topps #107 Mickey Mantle PSA 8. This high grade classic sold for $151,200 also in 2022. Just edging that Mantle out to take the #23 position is a 1956 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie card certified PSA 8. It brought a huge $155,000 when it last sold privately in 2021. The #22 slot goes to a 1909-11 T206 White Border Christy Mathewson graded a strong PSA 8. Estimated sale value upon recent private transaction capped out at $158,000.
Kicking off the elite top 20 cards is a rare 1909-11 T206 White Border Ty Cobb in fabulous condition – PSA 8. It sold privately in 2021 for an amazing $170,000. Just a few spots down is another PSA 8 graded legend at #17 – a 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner. Its private sale value was projected at $180,000 back in late 2020. At #16 is a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded the pinnacle PSA 9. It last traded privately in 2022 with an estimated price tag of $190,000. The #15 card belongs to a 1909-11 T206 White Border Walter Johnson in top-notch condition – PSA 8. It sold privately in early 2022 for a lofty $200,000.
Breaking into the top echelon of cards comes a trio of amazing rookies. At #14 is a 1909-11 T206 White Border Sherry Magee rookie card graded a perfect PSA 10. It brought in a massive $210,000 at public auction in 2019. Right behind it at #13 is a 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson rookie card estimated at PSA 3.5. Its private sale value was assessed at $215,000 in late 2020. And taking the #12 slot is arguably the most coveted card on the list – the 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner graded the ultra-rare PSA 8. It traded hands privately for a mammoth $220,000 in mid-2019.
Now entering the truly rarefied air of million-dollar cards, the #11 slot belongs to a 1909-11 T206 White Border Mordecai Brown PSA 8. It sold privately for $225,000 back in early 2022. Just ahead at #10 is a 1909-11 T206 White Border Eddie Plank graded the supreme PSA 10. Its private transaction value was estimated to be a stratospheric $230,000 in late 2021. The #9 card is a 1909-1911 T206 Walter Johnson Back graded PSA 7.5. It brought a humongous $250,000 at public auction way back in 2005. Taking the #8 position is a 1909-1911 T206 Christy Mathewson Front graded the ultimate PSA 10. Its private sale value was appraised at $350,000 upon its transaction in 2021.
Now entering the ultra-exclusive seven-figure cards, at #7 is arguably the finest T206 baseball card in existence. The 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner PSA 8 realized a world record $3.12 million when it crossed the auction block in 2016. The #6 slot belongs to a 1909-11 T206 White Border Napoleon Lajoie card deemed PSA 8. It traded privately for $3.75 million way back in 2012. Coming in at #5 is the finest T206 ever certified, a 1909-11 T206 White Border Eddie Plank in pristine PSA 10 condition. It sold for an unbelievable $4 million at public auction in 2016.
Taking the #4 position is a card so rare only one is known to exist. The 1909-11 T206 White Border Joe Jackson Back, graded the sole PSA 5, it realized a staggering $5.2 million in private sale during 2017. Now entering the podium spots, at #3 is a 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner PSA 8 – another example of the most valuable trading card in the world. It sold privately for an incredible $6.6 million back in 2016. The #2 card holds a record that will likely never be broken. A 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner PSA NM-MT 8 – the finest graded example – brought an astronomical $7.25 million at public auction in August 2021.
And coming in at the very pinnacle, ranked as the single most expensive baseball card ever sold, is a one-of-a-kind historical treasure. The 1909-11 T206 Sporting Life Walter Brown Back, graded PSA Authentic, it shattered all existing records when it traded privately for an unprecedented $9.6 million in 2022. Thus concludes our ranking of the 100 most valuable baseball cards based on their publicly recorded auction prices or estimated private sale values. Many of these cards truly represent the Holy Grail finds for dedicated collectors, with condition
