Some of the most popular and valuable vintage baseball cards come from the early 20th century when the hobby first began taking off. These older cards from the T206, 1909-1911 T205 White Border, and 1933 Goudey sets are highly sought after by collectors due to their rarity, condition and representation of some of the game’s earliest and most iconic stars. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the most coveted vintage baseball cards from these classic sets.

T206 White Border (1909-1911) – Issued as promotional inserts in packages of tobacco products like cigarettes between 1909-1911 by the American Tobacco Company, the “white border” cards are considered some of the earliest modern baseball cards produced. Highly collectible stars featured include Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Eddie Plank, Chief Bender and Addie Joss. In gem mint condition, the rare Honus Wagner card from this set currently holds the record as the most expensive trading card ever sold, fetching $6.6 million in private sale in 2016. Other key players like Ty Cobb and Mathewson in top grades can sell for well over $100,000.

T206 Gold Border (1909-1911) – A rarer variation of the white border T206 set with a gold colored border, only about 10% as many of these were printed. Even more scarce are cards depicting African American players of the era like Charlie Grant, George Stovey and Grant “Home Run” Johnson, who faced discrimination and are only known from a handful of examples in collectors’ hands. High grade examples of stars like Wagner, Cobb, Johnson or Mathewson can bring millions.

T205 White Border (1909-1911) – Issued alongside the T206s as cigarette inserts, but featuring simpler player portrait designs without backgrounds. The rarity and high quality of the biggest stars like Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson and Honus Wagner make their best examples elite collector items worth over $100,000 each.

1933 Goudey – One of the first modern sets specifically produced for the collectors’ market rather than as promotions. Includes many of the era’s stars with vivid color portraits. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig among the most sought after. In near-mint condition, a Ruth is potentially a million dollar card while a mint Gehrig could sell for over $500,000. Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Lefty Grove are other valuable Goudeys.

1914 Baltimore News – Only 65 cards were issued as part of this early newspaper/trading card insert set before it was discontinued. Features many future Hall of Famers like Walter Johnson, Eddie Collins, Nap Lajoie and Grover Cleveland Alexander among others. High grades of star players can fetch six figures.

1919-1922 W514-W576 E120-E141 Indian Gum/Nationals Gum – Early sets created by the American Caramel Company as candy/gum promotions. Star power alone makes star players like Babe Ruth in an Indian Gum uniform valuable, with a mint example possibly pricing over $250,000.

1916 M101-1 Sporting Life – One of the earliest issued sets designed specifically as a trading card product. It was sold in packets of 5 cards each. Features players like Grover Cleveland Alexander and Walter Johnson among 48 total cards. High grades can bring $40,000 or more.

1938 Play Ball – Considered the true successor to 1933 Goudey, this set maintained many of its bright enameled style graphics. Stars include Joe DiMaggio, Mel Ott and Bill Dickey. A near mint DiMaggio is worth more than $75,000 today.

1909-1911 Imperial Tobacco Allen and Ginter/Owens – Beautifully crafted images of players issued in Britain, but also distributed in America primarily as cigarette incentives like other vintage sets. Contains early photos of Honus Wagner, Cy Young and others unavailable anywhere else making high quality examples of stars quite rare and valuable.

Beyond the marquee stars, there is high demand for authentic vintage examples of other Hall of Famers, early stars or Negro League legends. Even commons or less recognizable names have value as early issued tobacco/gum era cards become more seldom with each passing year as they continue to be lost, damaged or removed from circulation by collectors. Condition is always key when evaluating these vintage cards, and the demand keeps growing with affluent collectors and investors eager to own documented pieces of baseball’s earliest card history. With the highest graded and finest known examples of the set’s biggest stars bringing record prices on the rare occasions they become available.

Vintage cardboard from sets produced prior to World War II remain some of the most prized possessions for dedicated traders and collectors of baseball memorabilia. They represent an important intersection between the early years of professional baseball, rise of mass media marketing and origins of the trading card phenomenon. As our appreciation grows for the figures and moments they depict from the games earliest eras, so too does the value assigned to well-preserved relics that bring them so vividly to life.