The baseball card market saw significant growth in 2022 as interest in the hobby surged, especially among younger collectors. Prices reached new heights for some of the most coveted cards in the sport’s history. Let’s take a look at the top cards that sold for the highest prices in 2022.
Coming in at the number one spot is a rare 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Gem Mint 9 that sold for $12.6 million in January 2022. This shattered the previous record price for a baseball card. The Mantle was one of only nine Topps Mickey Mantle rookie cards that received a PSA 9 grade. It became the first sports memorabilia item and the first baseball card to sell for over $10 million.
The second highest sale of 2022 went to a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner Ex-JT, rated PSA Authentic. Widely considered the “Mona Lisa” of sports cards due to its rarity, only 50-200 genuine T206 Wagners are believed to still exist in the world. This particular example sold on a private sale for $7.25 million in August 2022.
In third place is a rare 1951 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle that sold for $5.2 million in January 2022. The card received a PSA Authentic grade and is only one of five known examples printed in color by Bowman during that time period. It joined the historic Mantle rookie card as one of the most valuable pieces of sports card history.
The number four slot goes to a 2009 Bowman Draft Prospects Superfractor Mike Trout card that sold in August 2022 for $3.936 million. Trout has developed into one of the best players of all time and high-grade examples of his rare rookie cards remain in high demand. This Trout Superfractor carries additional appeal as only five were printed.
Rounding out the top five is a rare 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner PSA EX-MT 5 that sold in April 2022 for $3.1 million. As one of the most legendary and sought-after cards ever made due to Wagner’s immense stature in early baseball history, high-quality T206 Wagners consistently shatter records. This card’s price tag proved the market remains as strong as ever for vintage greats.
Stepping outside the top five, here are a few other notable sales from 2022:
A 2012 Topps Update Trout rookie PSA 10 sold for $3.936 million in September 2022
A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 8 brought $2.88 million also in September 2022
A rare 1933 Goudey #153 Babe Ruth fetched $2.1 million when privately sold in August 2022
A 1964 Topps #127 Hank Aaron rookie graded PSA 8.5 changed hands for $2.08 million in April 2022
A rare 1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee PSA 8 netted $1.44 million in a June 2022 sale
2022 was a record-breaking year for high-end baseball card transactions. Iconic stars from Mantle and Wagner to Trout and Aaron continue to see astronomically high values as interest grows in vintage memorabilia. New players like Trout also prove investments in today’s stars could pay off down the road as well. With more collectors entering the market, prices for the rarest examples appear poised to only go higher in the years ahead.
