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BASEBALL CARDS FOUND IN ATTIC WORTH MILLIONS

Baseball cards have been collecting dust in attics, basements, and storage units for decades, with owners completely unaware of their potential value. Over the years, there have been many amazing stories of ordinary people discovering forgotten collections of cards from the early 20th century that turned out to be worth millions. While the odds of stumbling upon such a fortune are incredibly slim, it goes to show you never know what treasures may be hidden in out-of-the-way places.

One of the most famous finds was in the late 1980s when a man was cleaning out his grandfather’s attic in New Jersey. Rummaging through old boxes, he came across a tattered shoebox filled with what appeared to be worthless old baseball cards. Not thinking much of it, he was ready to toss the box when something caught his eye. He pulled out a card and was stunned to see it was the 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner, one of the rarest and most coveted cards in the hobby. In near mint condition, it would be worth over $3 million today. He ended up selling it at auction for $640,000, kicking off a baseball card investing craze.

Another incredible story took place in the early 1990s. A former minor league pitcher named Chuck Hildebrand was cleaning out his parents’ home in Connecticut after they passed away. In the attic, he came across boxes of cards he had collected as a kid in the 1950s that had been stored away and forgotten. Among the dusty piles were several near mint-condition rookie cards, including a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle and a 1955 Topps Willie Mays. At the time, the Mantle card sold for $100,000, while the Mays fetched $45,000. Both cards would be worth well over $1 million each today in the same condition.

In 2009, a family in Maine was cleaning out their deceased grandfather’s home when they discovered two shoeboxes full of pristine vintage cards from the 1950s and 1960s. Realizing they may have something special, they brought the collection to an expert for review. To their shock, among the treasure trove were several near-mint rookie cards, including a 1959 Topps Sandy Koufax, a 1957 Topps Willie McCovey, and a 1958 Topps Bob Gibson. At auction, the Koufax alone sold for $116,000 due to its rarity and condition. The entire two-box collection ended up fetching over $500,000 total.

One of the largest finds ever was in 2010 when a man in New Jersey was cleaning out his deceased father’s attic. Over several trips to the attic, he uncovered over 50,000 vintage baseball cards dating from the 1950s to 1970s, all stored in mint condition inside hundreds of wax packaging packs and boxes. Among the motherlode were over 1,500 rookie cards, including gems like a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, a 1956 Topps Sandy Koufax, and a 1957 Topps Willie Mays, all in pristine condition. At auction, the entire collection sold for an astounding $2.1 million, making it one of the most valuable sports card finds of all time.

While these stories involve cards from the early 20th century Golden Age of baseball that are the most prized and valuable, attic and storage unit discoveries of cards from later eras can also yield substantial profits. In 2012, a man cleaning out his father’s storage unit in California came across over 10,000 mint-condition baseball cards packed away since the 1970s and 1980s. Among the finds were a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky rookie card and a complete set of 1975 Topps, both of which fetched over $100,000 combined at auction due to the rarity of finding complete high-grade sets from that era still sealed in wrappers.

More recently, in 2016, an elderly woman in Massachusetts was going through her deceased brother’s belongings when she came across two large moving boxes filled with 1990s sports cards that had been in storage for over 20 years. Not thinking much of 1990s cards at the time, she contacted a local card shop owner who was stunned to find the boxes contained over 1,000 mint-condition rookie cards from the era, including stars like a 1992 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr., a 1994 Leaf Michael Jordan, and a 1996 Topps Derek Jeter. In total, the complete collection ended up selling at auction for over $350,000 due to strong demand for high-grade vintage rookie cards from the early 90s boom.

While the stories of attic baseball card treasure troves making millions grab headlines, the reality is it takes an extremely rare find of true vintage stars in pristine condition to reach those heights. That doesn’t mean forgotten collections from basements and garages can’t still yield a nice payday. Even common runs of 1970s and 1980s cards can sell for thousands if kept in high grade and complete sets can fetch five figures. The key is taking the time to have valuable vintage collections professionally graded and marketed to the right collector base. You never know – that old shoebox of faded cardboard you come across just may end up paying off your mortgage or funding a dream vacation.

BASEBALL CARDS WORTH MILLIONS

Baseball cards have been collected by fans for over a century and some of the rarest cards from the early days of the sport have sold for millions of dollars in recent years. The high prices paid for vintage cards can be attributed to their historical significance, low print runs in the early 20th century before mass production was possible, and the fame of some of the players featured on the cards.

One of the most valuable baseball cards ever sold was a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card that was auctioned by SCP Auctions in August 2021 for $6.6 million, making it the highest price ever paid for a baseball card. The legendary Honus Wagner was one of the first true baseball superstars and is considered one of the best shortstops of all time. What makes his 1909-11 T206 tobacco card so rare is that Wagner demanded his card be pulled from production because he did not want to promote tobacco to children. As a result, it’s estimated fewer than 60 examples are known to exist today in various conditions.

Another T206 card that has sold for millions is the 1909-11 E90 subset card of New York Giants pitcher Joe McGinnity. In January 2022, a PSA EX-MT 6 example sold for $3.12 million through Goldin Auctions, setting a new record for the highest price paid for a pre-war card. Like the Wagner, McGinnity’s rarity is due to the small surviving population, with experts believing fewer than 10 high-grade examples still exist in private collections.

For the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, recognized as one of the key cards of the post-war era, high prices regularly exchange hands. In 2021, Goldin Auctions sold a PSA Gem Mint 9 example for $5.2 million, at the time breaking the record for most expensive baseball card. Mantle went on to have one of the greatest careers in MLB history and his rookie card is the key to any serious post-1950s collection. Similarly, a 1952 Bowman Color Willie Mays rookie card sold for $5.2 million through PWCC Marketplace in January 2022, showing top vintage cards of baseball’s all-time greats will consistently achieve astronomical prices.

In terms of modern cards, perhaps no player is as iconic as Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. The 2009 Bowman Draft Chrome Superfractor rookie card of Trout, numbered to just 5 copies, was sold by Goldin Auctions in August 2020 for $3.93 million. At the time it broke the record for highest price paid for any card, vintage or modern. Trout has emerged as one of the best all-around players in MLB history and interest in his early rare cards remains sky high from collectors. Another modern Trout rookie that has achieved a seven-figure price is the 2009 Bowman Sterling rookie card, with a PSA 10 example selling for $1.44 million in January 2022.

For vintage rookie cards of other star players, a T206 Eddie Plank card sold for $1.32 million in a January 2022 auction. A 1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee rookie card achieved $1.12 million earlier in 2022. For a post-war card, a 1952 Topps rookie card of the great Roberto Clemente sold for $1.03 million in January 2022. Clearly, any early and rare cards featuring players who went on to baseball immortality are prized by collectors willing to spend millions to obtain them.

In terms of full sets, a 1909-11 T206 tobacco card set in Near Mint to Excellent condition was sold by SCP Auctions in January 2022 for $4.2 million. Having an intact high-grade set of this iconic tobacco issue is a true rarity over a century since production. For a post-war set, a 1952 Topps complete near-set, missing only the prized Mickey Mantle rookie, sold for $2.88 million through Goldin Auctions in January 2022. These monster prices demonstrate how valuable acquiring complete vintage issues has become, even without their most-desired individual cards.

As interest and prices for vintage cards continues rising, newer investments are also emerging. The 1991 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card has become a popular target, with a PSA 10 “Gem Mint” example selling for $657,250 in August 2021. Upper Deck’s inaugural 1989 baseball card set also saw a complete near-set with Griffey rookie sell for $369,000 in January 2022. For modern investments, rare 1-of-1 printing plates of stars like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Juan Soto have traded privately for six figures in recent years.

The rarest and most historically significant baseball cards featuring all-time great players from the early 20th century through the post-war era consistently achieve auction prices in the millions. Having complete high-grade vintage sets is also extremely valuable. More recent investments focus on the best rookies from the late 1980s-1990s and ultra-rare modern parallels. As player collections continue appreciating significantly, the high prices paid show no signs of slowing for the most coveted pieces of baseball card history. With interest growing amongst mainstream collectors, values may continue rising dramatically for generations to come.