With baseball card collecting being such a popular and huge hobby, it can often be difficult to narrow down which specific cards or players make for the best investments and collections. There are certainly some cards and players that are almost always seen as prime targets for avid collectors due to their historical significance, rarity, or associated player accomplishments and fame. Keeping in mind the current financial landscape and collectibles market, here are some of the best baseball cards to focus your collection on if you want historically important and valuable items.

One of the obvious choices at the top of any list would have to be any card featuring legendary Yankee Mickey Mantle. Widely considered one of the greatest players of all time and still one of the most iconic and marketable athletes globally, Mantle’s rookie card from 1952 Bowman is the undisputed king of post-WWII baseball cards in terms of market value. Graded mint PSA 10 examples of the iconic Mantle rookie have sold for well over $2 million, showing no signs of slowing in appreciation either. But you don’t necessarily need a perfect grade or an ultra-rare example to benefit, as even lower graded Mantle rookie cards from the 1950s still command five-figure prices at minimum. The popularity of “The Mick” ensures any of his early Topps, Bowman, or Photography cards from the 1950s will remain blue-chip investments.

Staying within the realm of all-time Yankee greats, you can’t go wrong collecting cards featuring “The Babe” himself – Babe Ruth. Although his true rookie card is exceedingly rare (only about 50 are known to exist), focused collectors target any of his early 1910s and 1920s tobacco cards as superb trophies for their collections. Examples from sets like T206,1911 Imperial Cheese, and 1924 Baseball Gum are all hugely significant pieces of baseball collectibles history due to Ruth’s status as arguably the sport’s first true superstar. Even in low grades, a vintage Ruth card can pull in thousands of dollars – so they are always collectibles worth pursuing either as keepsakes or potential high-value investments down the road.

Another perennial superstar whose rookie cards hold tremendous value is Los Angeles Dodger great Sandy Koufax. The lefty’s marvelous peak in the 1960s cemented his place in the Hall of Fame, but it all started with his highly coveted 1955 Topps rookie card. In pristine condition with strong centering and no flaws, a PSA 10 Koufax rookie has reached into the six-figure auction prices recently. This helps to show why any graded example, even lower grades, demands premium cost even today. Koufax mania shows no signs of fading, so his rookie is an all-timer collectible to target for both value longevity and undisputed rarity in the hobby. Beyond his rookie, 1956 and 1957 Topps cards prove other must-own Koufax pieces as well due to scarcity.

If you want to target living legends whose playing days finished more recently, cards from Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter’s rookie season in 1991 are at the height of collectibility right now. Considered a lock first-ballot Hall of Famer and one of the game’s most accomplished and decorated players of the last 30 years, Jeter’s attracts plenty of collectors across generations. His highly coveted 1991 Upper Deck RC is often out of reach price-wise now, but the 1991 Score and Topps rookie variations remain very obtainable investments graded and can net solid returns down the road. Such modern stars provide a unique bridge to today’s fans along with strong potential for future growth in demand after their careers end.

In terms of chasing valuable rookie cards for Hall of Famers throughout baseball history, the 2009 Topps Update Blue Refractor parallel of Angels phenom Mike Trout should be at the top of many want lists right now. Still just 30 years old, Trout has cemented himself as arguably the best all-around player of the 21st century so far, and there’s no telling just how lofty his career stats and career benchmarks could climb before retirement. His rookie card has only been on the market for around a decade but has increased exponentially in demand over the past five years – with PSA 10’s now reaching over $10,000 apiece and the Refractor parallel reaching 5 figures at a high grade as well. With plenty of playing time left, Trout seems poised to one day compete with Mantle and Ruth for “Greatest of All Time” talks – ensuring his rookie, especially short printed versions, become universally demanded classic collectibles for ages.

Targeting Hall of Fame caliber stars from earlier eras offers the excitement of obtaining true historic relics from the early days of the hobby, in addition to the upside of investing in famous names whose cards have gained steadily rarity over 100+ years. For example,1910 and 1911 era tobacco cards like the iconic “Premium Cut Plug” Honus Wagner or “T206” Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins and Ed Walsh portray some of the first true superstars and lay the foundation for the entire baseball card collecting culture. High grade examples fetch millions, but most aficionados would consider any semi-respectably preserved example of these pioneer cardboard stars worthy centerpieces of a collection due to their unparalleled place in sports memorabilia history. The same applies to all-time greats featured in the various 1880s-1890s tobacco era sets like “Old Judge”, “Sweet Caporal”, and “Goodwin Champions” that introduced Hall of Famers to early card collectors – offering a tangible connection to the game’s early days.

So in conclusion, focusing your collection on ultra-significant rookie cards of all-time legends like Mantle, Koufax and Trout; investing in the enduring popularity of icons like Jeter, Ruth and Wagner; or obtaining rare examples of pioneering tobacco stars all provide tried-and-true strategies to assembling an elite baseball card collection with staying power from an historical and investment perspective. With care taken to purchase quality graded examples and understand always-changing market trends, such strategies will serve dedicated collectors well down the road when sharing their prized pieces of baseball nostalgia with future generations.