One of the most iconic and valuable baseball cards is the Honus Wagner 1909-1911 T206 card. Produced between 1909-1911 by the American Tobacco Company, the Wagner card has long been considered the “Mona Lisa” of sports cards due to its rarity, condition challenges, and historical significance. What makes the Wagner so rare is that it’s believed Wagner asked the American Tobacco Company to stop production of his card because he did not want to promote tobacco to children. As a result, far fewer Wagner cards were produced compared to other players from the set. Only about 60-200 legitimate Wagner cards are thought to exist today in various conditions. Examples have sold for over $1 million when in near-mint condition, making it truly one of the most valuable cards ever printed.

Another exceedingly rare and valuable pre-war card is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. As one of the earliest Mickey Mantle rookie cards produced, it holds an extremely important place in card history and for collectors of Mantle memorabilia. The Mantle rookie was part of Topps’ first full baseball card set and is key in the transition from the golden era to the modern age of mass-produced cardboard. Its scarcity and association with one of the game’s greatest switch-hitting power hitters has elevated it to an elite class of collectibles over the years. High grade 1952 Mantle rookies in Near Mint to Mint condition have reached auction prices up to $2.88 million, displaying its icon status.

For pre-war tobacco cards, another highly valued set is the 1909-1911 T206 set beyond just the Honus Wagner. Some other notable stars from the set include a 1909 T206 Nap Lajoie that holds a record auction price of $3.12 million and a 1909 T206 Ty Cobb that sold for $1.8 million. Another card featuring Hall of Fame outfielder Sherry Magee has been known to exceed $100,000 in top condition as well. The rare discoveries of high graded examples of any star player from the massive 524-card T206 set in the 100+ year old fragile tobacco wrappers tend to bring big prices.

Post-war, one of the most valuable modern rookie card investments remains the 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle that was part of the legendary era of 1950s Bowman issues and Topps’ early years. Although not quite as scarce as the ‘52 Topps, the color and added photo variety makes for a truly collectible early Mantle piece. Graded mint specimens regularly eclipse the $500,000 mark with one mint copy selling for nearly $2.88 million in January, 2021. Other highly valued post-war Bowman rookies include the ‘52s of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Roberto Clemente when in high grades of NM-MT 8 or above.

While beyond the realm of a ‘regular’ collector, the all-time record sale of an individual trading card remains a 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner which achieved $3.12 million back in 2016. Several 1950s rookie cards of Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax have now surpassed the $1 million mark in recent boom years as investment-minded collectors drive competition.

Some other notable ultra-high-end baseball cards that can command seven-figures based on condition, historical significance and availability include:

1932 Goudey Babe Ruth: Key early Ruth nostalgia issue with around 300-400 survivors grading high. Has achieved sales around $750,000.

1933 Goudey Jimmie Foxx: Extremely rare pre-war issue of Hall of Fame slugger with less than 10 high-grade survivors. Values estimated $500,000+.

1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig: Similarly rare early Gehrig with iconic photo position within the set. Near $500,000 valuation.

1936 PLAY BALL Honus Wagner: Considered the “Mona Lisa” of Goudey issues due to rarity and appeal. Only a handful are known, values vary wildly based on finding.

1952 Topps Jackie Robinson: Iconic debut issue for baseball’s color barrier breaker. About 15 high grade copies confirmed, $500,000 range.

1957 Topps Hank Aaron: Final Topps rookie card issued for Hammerin’ Hank before breakout ‘58 season. Rare in NM with two sales around $450,000.

1961 Topps Roger Maris: Documented single season home run record holder which attracts significant premiums in high grades ($250k+ range).

1970 Topps Nolan Ryan: Cryptic rookie card for career strikeout king that broke $400K recently when near-mint.

As you can see, the combination of star power, historic significance, rarity and condition are what drives seven and eight figure valuations for the most elite baseball cards in the collecting universe. Whether they be from the earliest tobacco card era or the golden age of modern mass-produced issues, theperfect storied examples never fail to capture public attention and set new peaks in the marketplace. With new generations taking interest and new money entering the high-end card market, it will be fascinating to track how values trend for these true prized baseball collectibles in coming years.