The hobby and business of collecting trading cards, especially vintage baseball cards, has exploded in recent decades. As the collecting community has grown substantially and rare vintage cards have become even more scarce, prices for the most coveted examples have skyrocketed into the millions. Here is a ranking of the 10 most expensive baseball cards ever sold, with details about each record-breaking sale:
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $3.12 million (2007)
The first card on the list needs little introduction – the legendary Honus Wagner T206 is arguably the most famous trading card in existence. The “Holy Grail” of the hobby, it’s estimated fewer than 60 genuine examples still exist in collectors’ hands today. In 2007, a PSA NM-MT 8 copy broke records when it sold for $3.12 million through SCP Auctions, a figure that still stands as one of the highest prices achieved for any trading card.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $2.88 million (2021)
Mantle is considered the finest switch hitter of all time and one of baseball’s true icons. His flawless 1952 Topps rookie card taken from his legendary 18 seasons with the Yankees set a new record when Heritage Auctions sold a PSA Gem Mint 9 copy for $2.88 million in January 2021. It was the finest known example and highlighted Mantle’s status as a card whose value may eventually surpass even the Wagner.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth – $5.2 million (2016)
One of the most desired pre-war issues, the Goudey Ruth cards featured photographs without backs. In 2016, Christie’s auctioned the finest known example, a PSA Authentic grade, and it shattered expectations by selling for $5.2 million, a record for a Ruth card that still stands today. The ‘Bambino’ remains one of the most popular and influential players in history.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $3.75 million (2016)
Just a few months after the above Ruth sale, a second T206 Wagner blasted past previous prices. Offered by SCP Auctions, this example carried a PSA Authentic grading and became just the second Wagner to breach $3 million, selling for a new record $3.75 million. The rarity and mystique of the Wagner keeps the card at the very pinnacle of the hobby.
1909-11 T206 Johnny Evers – $2.88 million (2016)
While not a true ‘superstar’ in the Wagner or Ruth level, Evers’ key defensive role on the dominant Chicago Cubs teams of the early 1910s made his T206 a hugely important issue. Even consigners were stunned when an “About Mint” graded copy, the finest known, smashed through estimates to sell for $2.88 million through SCP Auctions in the same sale as the above Wagner.
1909-11 T206 Walter Johnson – $2.47 million (2007)
Along with Wagner and Mathewson, Walter Johnson is considered one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history based on his legendary live arm. His imposing T206 rookie card from his early Washington Senators days reflects his awesome dominance on the mound. In 2007, a PSA 8 copy sold for a record $2.47 million through SCP, underlining Johnson’s iconic status nearly a century after he retired.
2009 Bowman Draft Prospects Mike Trout – $3.84 million (2022)
For a card produced within the past 15 years, Trout’s rookie has achieved unthinkable heights. Regarded as one of the best all-around players ever, the soon-to-be Hall of Famer established himself as a generational talent from the very beginning. In August 2022, Collectible sold an immaculate PSA 10 version for a staggering $3.84 million, aided by Trout’s otherworldly career but still jaw-dropping for a modern card.
1909-11 T206 Christy Mathewson – $2.8 million (2021)
Along with Wagner and Johnson, “Big Six” Mathewson is universally acclaimed as one of the top three hurlers from baseball’s earliest eras. His iconic T206 is equally scarce and holds tremendous significance in the evolution of the game. In 2021, a PSA 8 sold through Goldin Auctions for $2.8 million, underlining the high demand for one of history’s most accomplished pitchers.
1952 Topps Bobby Thomson – $2.88 million (2016)
Thomson’s legendary “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” walk-off home run is arguably the most iconic single moment in baseball lore. Naturally, his 1952 Topps rookie has taken on outsized importance, reflective not just of his career but that unforgettable October afternoon. In ’16 it was authenticated and encapsulated with a PSA 8 grade, then sold by Heritage for a still unmatched $2.88 million price.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $6.6 million (2021)
Twelve years after setting the initial record, a new milestone was reached when a different Wagner T206 surfaced in pristine condition. Upon review by PSA, it was deemed the finest example in existence with a PSA NM-MT 8 grade. In the ultimate reflection of the card’s unchallenged rarity and prestige, Goldin Auctions achieved the highest price paid for any trading card when it closed at an earth-shattering $6.6 million in August 2021. The “King” of cards remains securely on its hobby throne.
Over 100 years since their initial production, the true gem-quality examples of these ultra-rare early 20th century tobacco cards, depicting the era’s greatest players like Wagner, Ruth, Mathewson and others, have achieved values that seemed unimaginable just one or two decades ago. As more affluent collectors push prices ever higher and original high-grade copies become almost impossible to find, these cards have cemented their place in the highest echelons of collectibles and sports memorabilia. The elite cards portraying baseball’s immortal figures will likely remain the most coveted, and expensive, in the entire industry for decades to come.
