The Antiques Roadshow has featured many rare and valuable baseball cards over the years that have been appraised for over $1 million. Some of the most famous examples include a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner in pristine condition that was valued at $2.8 million, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle that sold for $2.88 million, and a 1909-11 T206 Nap Lajoie valued at $1.56 million.

The T206 Honus Wagner is considered the holy grail of baseball cards due to its rarity and the iconic status of the player featured. Produced between 1909-1911 by the American Tobacco Company as part of its T206 series, it is estimated only 50-200 of the Honus Wagner cards were ever printed. What makes this card so rare is that Wagner had a clause in his contract prohibiting his likeness from being used to promote tobacco. As a result, most of the run of Wagner cards were destroyed. Only a small number have survived to today in varying conditions.

The example that appeared on Antiques Roadshow in 2000 was graded PSA NM-MT 8—near mint to mint condition. Even minor flaws or wear can drastically decrease the value. In this state of preservation, it was valued at an astonishing $2.8 million by expert David Hall, who noted the card had appreciated over 1,000 times the $200-250 price range it sold for in the 1950s when the hobby first took off. At the time of filming, it was the most valuable trading card in existence. Since then, only a handful have surpassed its record-setting price.

Another iconic card featured was the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. Often considered the most desirable sports card of all time next to the T206 Wagner, the Mantle is exceptionally rare in high grades due to the fragility of the early 1950s Topps cardboard. The card that appeared was a PSA NM-MT 8 in pristine condition, making it exceptionally rare. It was valued at $1 million, though several such high-grade examples have since sold at auction for over $2 million, including one that achieved $2.88 million in 2021.

A third major card was the 1909-11 T206 Nap Lajoie. Like the Wagner, the T206 set is the most famous in baseball card history. Featuring 160 total cards, the portraits of early baseball stars like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, and Lajoie have become enormously valuable collectibles. The Lajoie card valued on the show was in excellent VG-EX condition, graded around a 5.5-6. Still, in that state, it was valued at an impressive $1.56 million due to its rarity and significance in card history. Lajoie was one of the first true baseball superstars, making his inclusion in the set highly desirable.

While the T206 Wagner, 1952 Mantle, and T206 Lajoie stand out as the most famous million-dollar cards from Antiques Roadshow, several others have also achieved that level of value. In 2002, an 1886 Old Judge tobacco card of baseball pioneer Buck Ewing was valued at $1.2 million. Depicting one of the games earliest stars nearly a decade before the birth of modern baseball cards, its age, condition and significance to the sports history made it exceptionally valuable.

In 2005, a 1909 Erie Caramel E80 Honus Wagner was valued north of $1 million. While not the ultra-rare T206 issue, the E80 set is also quite collectible and features one of the earliest color images of Wagner. Later appearances have included a 1933 Goudey Jimmie Foxx in gem mint condition appraised at $1.2 million in 2009 and a 1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee valued around $1 million due to its high grade.

As the collecting hobby has grown exponentially and rare vintage cards become increasingly scarce, values have continued rising dramatically. In today’s market, seven-figure valuations are no longer shocking for pristine examples of the most important cards from the games earliest decades. With rarities continuing to disappear into private collections or sell for record sums, finding investment-grade copies in top condition will only become more difficult. For dedicated collectors, an appearance on Antiques Roadshow with a million-dollar valuation remains a pinnacle achievement and reminder of how valuable vintage cardboard can become when preserved in time capsule quality.