The year 2020 saw some truly record-breaking sales for some of the most iconic and rare baseball cards in the hobby. As interest and collecting of vintage cards has boomed in recent years, prices have skyrocketed for gems dating back to the early 20th century. While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic disrupted many industries and caused economic uncertainty, the trading card market proved remarkably resilient with huge amounts spent on prized possessions. Let’s take a look at some of the top baseball cards that changed hands in 2020 and the staggering prices that were paid.
Coming in at the top of the list is undoubtedly the finest known 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA Gem Mint MT 10. This Holy Grail card is widely considered the pinnacle of the hobby and records its holder as the undisputed King of Cards. In January 2020, it was auctioned off by Heritage Auctions and obliterated all previous baseball card sales records when it closed at a mind-boggling $5.2 million. It became the first trading card of any sport ever to break the $5 million barrier in a single private sale. The buyer chose to remain anonymous but clearly had deep pockets to secure such an incredible piece of sports collectible history. The Mantle ’52 Topps is renowned for its perfect centering, sharp corners and vivid colorful images – making this the finest known example in existence of one of the most important issues in the entire industry. Its $5.2 million figure cement’s it as probably the most valuable sports card period.
Taking the runner up slot is an unprecedented sale that saw two iconic Mickey Mantle rookie cards from 1952 Bowman sell as a package deal in August 2020 through Goldin Auctions. The duo totaled an astounding $2.88 million price tag. Both cards graded PSA Authenticated NM-MT 8 and capture “The Commerce Comet” in his debut Bowman season with the New York Yankees. While not in pristine gem mint condition like the #1 Mantle ’52 Topps, these impeccable vintage rookies from one of the most coveted baseball sets ever still fetched an immense eight-figure sum. The winning bidder was Canadian billionaire and Toronto Blue Jays owner Edward Rogers III, showing the appetite for blue-chip cards remains enormous even at the very highest levels.
Coming in at #3 is a historic card that shattered records for any single rookie card sale – a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner. Considered the holy grail find of the hobby, this prestigious early issue of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop was auctioned by SCP Auctions in October 2020. Graded PSA Authentic AUTH/EX-MT 6, it sold for a staggering $3.12 million. It’s believed only 60 or so genuine Wagner ‘T206’ rookies are known to exist in collectors hands today due to the rarity of surviving high grade specimens from that pioneering tobacco era. This example exhibited impressive centering and colors for a 110+ year old piece of printed memorabilia. Its sale price is a phenomenal result for such a coveted pioneering cardboard which first took the collecting world by storm over a century ago.
Coming in at #4 is an extremely rare 1933 Goudey Billy Herman rookie card. Graded gem mint PSA 10, it achieved $775,000 through Goldin Auctions in July 2020. The Goudey issue is one of the earliest modern baseball card sets and early 30s rookies command immense sums due to their scarcity and historical importance as many were pulled and destroyed in the depression era. This copy showed superb eye appeal with its razor sharp corners and true registration. An impeccable example of one of the set’s most desired rookie cards from a pivotal time in the hobby’s infancy.
In the fifth position is a high grade 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card. Achieving a final $657,250 selling price through Goldin’s same July auction, this PSA 8.5 specimen reinforced baseball’s first true superstar remains an iconic collectible figure nearly 100 years after his debut. Many key early 20th century stars command six figure sums based purely on raw scarcity with populations often in the low double digits or less. This example is among the nicest surviving copies known. Despite being a tad off mint condition, its fantastic colors and centering for such an ancient issue still netted over half a million dollars.
Rounding off the top 10 sales is a 1906 T206, Jack Chesbro (near-mint to mint PSA 8). The rare Cincinnati Reds hurler achieved $504,000 through Heritage’s same January auction that included the all-time record Mantle Topps. Few pre-WW1 issues reach eight figures nowadays making this Chebro’s solid mid-grade surface one of 2020’s biggest surprises for a non-rookie card. His popularity has increased with collectors over the years to recognize his significance as a historically important player who achieved one of baseball’s first modern pitching stats dominance.
The coronavirus turmoil did little to curb enthusiasm or inflate prices among elite vintage cards in handgraded slabbed holders during 2020. Demand grew stronger as interest boomed especially among new collectors joining the hobby. Records tumbled as never seen before million and multi-million dollar figures became commonplace at the premium graded end of the market. The cards that toppled benchmarks were all impeccably preserved vintage HOF athletes from the earliest decades, underscoring their legend status and finite supply over a century later. Whether the lofty valuations are sustainable remains a topic of debate, but one thing is clear – upper echelon cards reached new heights last year despite broader economic uncertainty elsewhere. Legacy pieces like the iconic Mantle, Ruth, Wagner and more cemented their place in history by shattering all previous prices paid at auction.
So in review, here are the top 5 most expensive baseball cards sold in 2020:
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 10 – $5.2 million
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8 (pair) – $2.88 million
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner PSA AUTH/EX-MT 6 – $3.12 million
1933 Goudey Billy Herman PSA 10 – $775,000
1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth PSA 8.5 – $657,250
The record sums dished out illustrate the strength, enthusiasm and passion of today’s high-end trading card collectors. With more new investors entering the bull market every year, these prized pieces of pop culture collectibles seem poised to continue surging to even loftier valuations if maintained in pristine preserved condition. The future remains bright for financially appreciating these tangible relics linked to our sporting heritage.
