One of the most famous and valuable baseball cards is the 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner card. Widely considered the “holy grail” of baseball cards, it is one of the rarest cards in existence with only around 50-200 known to still exist today in various conditions. Just a few years ago, one mint condition example sold at auction for $3.12 million, setting a new record. Other early 20th century tobacco era cards like the 1910-1911 White Border set and 1913 Watkin cigarette cards can also fetch huge sums for rare examples in the best condition grades.
For those just after World War II, the 1952 Topps and 1953 Bowman sets contained the rookie cards of legends like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and more. High graded copies of their rookie cards can sell for well over $100,000. The late 1950s saw the rise of the bubble gum card era with Topps as the dominant brand. While most common examples aren’t too valuable, rare variations like the 1957 Topps Ted Williams with gray backing can sell for over $20,000 in top condition.
The 1960s delivered iconic rookie cards like the 1965 Topps Sandy Koufax (over $40,000), 1968 Topps Johnny Bench (over $50,000), and 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan ($100,000+). Topps continued to dominate through the 1970s as well. Some particularly desirable and valuable 1970s cards include the 1973 Topps Johnny Bench (over $12,000), 1975 Topps Mike Schmidt (over $5,000), and en masse the high graded rookie cards from the great rookie classes of the late 1970s like the 1979 Topps Cal Ripken Jr.
The late 1980s brought about the modern baseball card boom with companies like Upper Deck entering the scene and use of glossy stock/photography becoming standard. Expensive 1980s rookies include the infamous 1988 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr. ($10,000+), 1986 Topps Mark McGwire (over $3,000), and 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. ($5,000+). The early 1990s rookie classes continued to produce valuables like the 1992 Topps Chipper Jones and 1992 Bowman Derek Jeter autos.
In the modern era, limited print runs and autographed/memorabilia cards have driven values. Rare refractor parallels of stars’ rookie cards reign supreme. Examples include the 2001 Topps Chipper Jones auto refractor (/150 prints – $4,000+), 2003 Topps Freddie Freeman auto (/99 prints – $2,000+), and 2006 Topps David Wright auto (/99 prints – $1,500+). Serial numbered patch autographs of current superstars can easily top $1,000 as well thanks to their scarcity.
For football cards, some of the earliest icons setting record prices are the high-grade examples of 1948 Leaf Johnny Unitas and 1949 Bowman Joe Montana rookies. The 1950s also produced legendary rookie cards like 1953 Topps Jim Brown and 1958 Topps Johnny Unitas that command five-figure sums. Icons of the 1960s like 1965 Topps Dick Butkus, 1968 Topps Joe Namath and 1969 Topps O.J. Simpson have extremely valuable rookie cards as well.
The 1970s NFL boom years created new stars and a massive collector base. Key valuable 1970s rookies include the 1974 Topps Walter Payton, 1977 O-Pee-Chee Joe Montana, and 1978 Topps Earl Campbell. RCs of Joe Theismann, Dan Fouts, and others from the late ‘70s are also sought after. As with baseball, the 1980s brought glossier photography and new companies like Fleer and Score. Select rookies held their ground like the coveted 1983 Topps Lawrence Taylor.
In the modern era, rare parallels and autographs have defined football card values. Finest refractors of Randy Moss’s 1998 rookie year go for $3,000+. Serial numbered patch autographs of recent elite NFL players regularly sell for $500-$1,000 each. Limited print autograph runs of dual-sport stars like 2009 Playoff Jabrill Peppers (/10 prints) hold immense value as well. As in all collecting, condition, scarcity and the attached memorabilia all factor greatly into a football card’s top price potential.
The most monetarily significant cards from baseball and football tend to be the earliest 20th century tobacco issues, pre-war and 1950s-1980s iconic rookie cards graded high, and modern serialized memorabilia autos. Icon status, low print runs, and top grades are usually needed to command those big five- and six-figure prices. With continued collector demand, lower-print parallel inserts and autographs of even recent stars can carry mid-range values now and appreciate further over time as well. Condition remains vital, so properly stored and protected examples from any vintage will reap the highest rewards on the market.
