The hobby of baseball card collecting saw some enormous prices paid for rare and historically significant cards in 2019. As interest in vintage cards and young star rookies continues to grow, new record prices were set at auctions throughout the year. While mint condition vintage cards from legends like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays will always command top dollar, 2019 showed collectors are also willing to pay massive sums for cards depicting relatively recent stars as well.
The most expensive baseball card sold in 2019 was a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8 that went for $2.88 million through Heritage Auctions in January. Mantle is considered the crown jewel of baseball cards due to his iconic career and status as possibly the best switch hitter of all time. Any Mantle rookie or vintage issue consistently shatters records, but this clean PSA 8 example took the cake last year. The buyer chose to break the $2 million mark for any single card to acquire this coveted piece of cardboard showing The Mick as a fresh-faced 20-year-old Brooklyn Dodger farmhand before his legendary Yankees career.
Coming in a close second was another Mantle rookie, but this one was in an even more coveted PSA NM-MT 8.5 grade. Through Goldin Auctions in November, a bidder paid $2.435 million, more than double the previous record, to secure this beautifully preserved introduction to one of baseball’s all-time greats. At this lofty price point, any minor flaws or imperfections could potentially cost a collector hundreds of thousands or even over a million dollars.
A third big ticket Mantle card from 1952 had been anticipated to potentially take the top spot, but “only” achieved $1.32 million through Heritage’s February auction. Still considered in superb condition, this PSA NM-MT 8 example showed that while the market may cool slightly after record-setting sales, Mantle cards in eight-figure territory are here to stay.
Moving beyond the so-called “Holy Grail” of Mantle’s rookie, a 1964 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 9 sold for an impressive $615,000 through Goldin’s October Premier Auction. This post-rookie Mantle issue showed him as a star of the first-place Yankees and demonstrated the enduring value of high-grade examples of cards depicting his playing career prime.
Rounding out the top 5 most expensive modern era cards is a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner that went for $350,000 at Heritage’s January auction. The legendary Wagner is viewed similarly to Mantle as the pinnacle collecting achievement due to his Hall of Fame career and the ultra-rare nature of surviving high-grade examples of his only True Rookie card issue over 100 years old. The price paid for this example in a strong VG 3 reflected both the increasing hunger for vintage pre-war issues and acceptance that lower grades still retain tremendous worth due to rarity.
Further down the top 10 list, two rookies of young star outfielders brought over $200,000 despite their subject players still being in the early stages of Hall of Fame careers. In August, a 2009 Bowman Sterling Mike Trout autograph PSA 10 rookie fetched $225,936 through Goldin. Trout has cemented himself as one of the greatest all-around players of the modern generation, and collectors recognized the potential historic significance—and investment upside—of an intact black parallel autographed rookie issue of his.
Also bucking the trend of multi-million-dollar vintage icons, a 2007 Bowman Chrome Draft Refractors Purple Refractor #66/99 Kris Bryant PSA 10 rookie secured $186,000 at Goldin’s November auction. Bryant emerged as a cornerstone of the World Series-winning Cubs and has proven himself as one of baseball’s most consistent young stars, lending credence to sizable spending on early issues featuring promising talent who pan out as expected. Both the Trout and Bryant cards showed investors the potential for exponential future appreciation when identifying elite young talent early in their careers.
In an ongoing sign that condition is paramount, the 6th most expensive card sold at auction in 2019 was a 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth PSA 8 for $147,640. Ruth revolutionized the home run and reshaped expectations for sluggers en route to becoming arguably the most famous baseball player ever. His lone true freshman issue is always a headliner due to his legendary status, and this example’s impressive state of preservation aided its massive final bid.
The rest of the top 10 consisted primarily of pre-war tobacco cards and post-war stars in top condition. These included an 1899 Phillies Caramel Honus Wagner PSA 6.5 at $129,600, a 1909-11 T206 Chief Bender PSA 8 at $109,600, a 1934 Goudey #53 Dizzy Dean PSA 9 at $105,240, and a 1957 Topps Sandy Koufax PSA 8 at $101,000. As with the Wagner and Ruth rookies, vintage icons like Dean, Koufax and stars of yesteryear continue driving prices sky-high simply due to their age, importance to the sport’s history and the rarity of finding pristine survivors from over a century ago.
In summary, 2019 exemplified that collectors are willing to spend like never before both to procure one-of-a-kind early 20th century cardboard but also invest aggressively in today’s talent. Record prices were set across distinct eras and genres of the card-collecting spectrum, from turn-of-the-century tobacco issues to modern autos and refractors. With interest seemingly growing by the auction, companies like PWCC and Goldin stepping into the market, and online platforms expanding access and exposure to cards, all signs point to the record-setting sales of 2019 as only the beginning of the hobby’s next stratospheric level. Condition clearly is key, but certain talents have properly demonstrated the potential to become investment-grade portfolio additions regardless of set or year if identified precursor to immense on-field success.
