Baseball cards have been around for over 130 years and many of the earliest and rarest prints are among the most valuable collectibles in the world. The value of vintage baseball cards has skyrocketed in recent decades as nostalgia and interest in the history of the game has grown exponentially. Many of the cards considered the most valuable represent some of the game’s all-time great players from baseball’s early eras in pristine, near mint condition. Here are some of the highest valued baseball cards that have achieved record prices at auction:
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – Worth well over $1 million, the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner portrait card is considered the crown jewel of baseball cards. Produced by the American Tobacco Company between 1909-1911, it is one of the sport’s most iconic cards due to Wagner famously demanding his card be pulled from production. As a result, it is exceptionally rare with only 50-200 known to exist today in varying conditions. In January 2022, a PSA 6 example sold for a record $6.6 million, making it the most valuable trading card ever sold. Its perfect 10 gem mint condition has been called the ‘Holy Grail’ and is essentially priceless if one were ever discovered.
1913 E90-1 Tobacco Bronze Billy Myers – Despite being printed decades earlier, this relatively unknown tobacco card challenges the Wagner as the most valuable at auction depending on condition. The Billy Myers card was part of a Cincinnati-based tobacco issue and remarkably only 1-2 are known to exist today. In August 2021, one graded PSA 8.5 sold for $3.12 million, shattering records. A perfect PSA 10 could potentially sell for $20 million according to industry experts given its greater rarity than even the Wagner.
1909 E121-1 Old Mill Ale School Nine Ursel Back – Printed in Canada and centering a young Connie Mack among other future major leaguers, this extremely rare tobacco card set the record for a non-sports card at $776,752 in a 2012 auction. With only 1-3 known surviving specimens, condition is crucial and the 2012 sale was for an extremely well-preserved PSA 8 copy. A perfect PSA 10 could potentially eclipse $2 million or more.
1909 T205 White Border Honus Wagner – Issued by American Tobacco in their second year and famously lacking the black Tobacco prefix to denote the company’s endorsement, the White Border Wagner is also one of the most iconic cards. Surviving examples number no more than the original T206 Black Border issue and a high quality copy sold for $3.12 million in 2016. With its history and fame, a perfect PSA 10 example could someday reach $5 million.
1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth RC – Considered the all-time most desirable rookie card, only an estimated 50 original prints of Babe Ruth’s Sporting News debut are known to exist due to the card being included as an insert in magazines rather than packs of cigarettes like most tobacco issues. A PSA 8 realized $996,000 in a 2007 sale, and a flawless PSA 10 holds legends status and might achieve $2 million or more.
1909 E90 Mayo Cut Plug Co. Honus Wagner – One of the earliest printed Wagner cards distributed in Virginia and North Carolina, the extremely rare Mayo Cut Plug Company issue is considered the rarest non-sporting card set. With only 2-5 survivors believed to exist, even low graded examples could surpass $1 million with better condition perhaps reaching $3 million. A perfect PSA 10 would likely break all records.
1909 E165 Brick Plymouth Clarence Ditmars – Featuring a young Ditmars in his Plymouth uniform, this card is among the most famous and valuable New York tobacco issues. Produced in limited numbers, recent sales of mid-grade copies have brought $275,000 to $500,000 depending on condition. Pristine high grade specimens scarce and could sell for north of $750,000.
1909 E94 Allen & Ginter Sporting Smiles Billy Hamilton – One of the most desirable early Allen & Ginter cards featuring the legendary 19th century speedster “Sliding Billy” Hamilton. Noted for its iconic smiling pose, recent increased hobby demand has lifted prices dramatically. PSA 8 level sales reaching $300,000 to $500,000 and a flawless PSA 10 could pass $1 million.
1913 E121 T201 Gold Border Joe Jackson – Part of the inaugural T201 set, only an estimated 50 of the famed “Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s Gold Border rookie survive in collectible condition today making it exceptionally rare. A 2010 sale realized $284,900 for a PSA 7 copy showing strong potential value for higher grades where a PSA 10 could draw bids well above $500,000.
1909 T206 Turkey Red Cabinets Joe Tinker – One of the most coveted of the massive 511-card T206 Turkey Red set, the legendary Chicago Cubs shortstop and member of the famous Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance double play combo fetch top prices. Recent PSA 8 sales bringing over $200,000 indicating the soaring potential for sharp higher grade specimens. A flawless PSA 10 Tinker would be worth at least $500,000.
1909 T206 Turkey Red Cabinets Eddie Plank – The legendary “Gettysburg Plowboy” Plank holds deserved fame as the winningest left-handed pitcher in baseball history when he retired. With a playing career spanning 1902 to 1917, the T206 cabinet backs holding Plank portraits are appropriately scarce and valuable, with recent PSA 9 sales exceeding $125,000 foreshadowing massive returns if a flawless PSA 10 example surfaces.
While supply and condition continue to determine final prices realized, these historically significant early baseball cards showcasing the origins of some of the game’s most legendary and iconic players continue to set new standards as impressive as their real-life athletic achievements. As nostalgia for baseball’s early decades grows while high-grade survivors become increasingly scarce, the prices paid for the finest specimens will likely push boundaries even further into the millions based on the proven passion of serious collectors. The next century-plus of collecting history is sure to bring many new chapters to these classic cards that helped launch baseball card mania to new heights.
