The hobby of collecting baseball cards has been popular for over a century. Some of the earliest baseball cards date back to the late 1800s. While common cards from the 1950s and 1960s can be found for just a few dollars, certain rare and iconic cards have exploded in value over the years to become the most valuable baseball cards ever printed. Here’s a look at the top 10 most expensive baseball cards ever sold according to industry sources and auction reports:
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $3.12 million
Considered the holy grail of sports cards, the ultra-rare 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner is arguably the most iconic baseball card ever made. Wagner, who played for both the Louisville Colonels and Pittsburgh Pirates during his Hall of Fame career, demanded that American Tobacco Company stop producing his card from their most famous cigarette series as he didn’t want to promote tobacco to children. Only an estimated 50-200 examples are known to exist today in various conditions. In January 2016, mint condition example sold for a record-setting $3.12 million through SCP Auctions, making it one of the costliest collectibles ever sold.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $2.88 million
Mickey Mantle is universally hailed as one of the greatest switch-hitting outfielders and power hitters in MLB history during his storied career with the New York Yankees. His abundantly recognizable rookie card from Topps’ 1952 set became one of the highest valued post-war cards. In January 2018, a PSA NM-MT 8 example in phenomenal condition established a new record when it crossed the auction block at Heritage Auctions for a staggering $2.88 million, making it the most valuable post-war card. The buyer was collector and co-founder of Rays Group, Mark Demetriou.
1909-11 T206 Eddie Plank – $900,000
Eddie Plank was a prolific left-handed pitcher who spent the majority of his successful career with the Philadelphia A’s and won 301 games with an excellent 2.35 ERA over 17 seasons. His rare tobacco card from the iconic T206 set captures him in the A’s uniform. In 2016, a PSA EX-MT 5 example realized $900,000 at auction through Robert Edward Auctions, becoming the highest price achieved at the time for a non-Wagner T206 card. Preserved examples of Plank’s issue in high grades are exceedingly uncommon.
1998 Topps Chrome Refractor Ken Griffey Jr. – $939,000
Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the most exciting and prolific players during his era in baseball. His 1998 Topps Chrome Refractor rookie card proved to be tremendously sought after by collectors. Less than two dozen are known to exist today in pristine mint condition. In 2021, a unprecedented PSA GEM-MT 10 “black label” example recognized by Population Report as the only BGS Black Label 10 in existence fetched a staggering $939,000 on Goldin Auctions. This set a new record for the most valuable modern card.
1909-11 T206 Mathewson/Merkle – $1.32 million
In 2014, this rare dual portrait Tobacco card featuring New York Giants pitching great Christy Mathewson and infielder Fred Merkle set a record at the time when an exceptional PSA NM 7.5 copy crossed the auction block at SCP Auctions for $1.32 million. Only about 25 are believed to exist in collector hands of Mathewson and Merkle pictured together. High quality specimens in significant demand due to the legacy of the two star players it features.
1914 Cracker Jack Lefty Grove – $1.43 million
Hall of Famer Lefty Grove was one of the all-time great pitchers of the 1920s and 1930s for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics. A phenomenal 1914 Cracker Jack tobacco card showing Grove in pitcher’s motion shattered value expectations when a PSA EX-MT 5 example achieved $1.43 million at Goldin Auctions in 2021, setting a new record for the issue. The rarity, pedigree, and sublime condition factors all contributed to the astronomical price.
1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee – $1.47 million
Sporting an action photo of slugging Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Sherry Magee, only around 30 specimens are believed to remain of his scarce 1911 poster cabinet card from the hallowed T206 set. Always in strong demand among advanced collectors, a pristine T206 Magee rated PSA NM-MT 7 sold at a 2012 Robert Edward Auction for $1.47 million. Remarkable condition and provenance history contributed to the impressive realization.
1909-11 T206 Joe DiMaggio – $1.65 million
Among the rarest and most aesthetically pleasing issues from the iconic T206 set is the card showing American League great Joe DiMaggio. As one of the most recognized players in baseball history, collector interest for an original issue portraying the New York Yankee star’s formative years with the minor league San Francisco Seals is tremendously high. In 2021, an exemplary PSA GEM-MT 10 graded example became the highest graded DiMaggio T206 card to trade publicly at $1.65 million sold by Goldin Auctions.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $3.25 million (2015)
While the famous Wagner is always a contender for the most valuable card in existence, a specific PSA GEM-MT 10 graded example set a new record in 2015 at $3.25 million, sold at auction through Goldin Auctions to Brian Seigel. The prized card is widely hailed as the finest of the approximately 50-200 surviving Honus Wagner T206 cards in the world, cementing its claim as the greatest and most prized trading card of all-time. Perfect color, centering and overall condition contributed hugely to its staggering price.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $6.6 million (2021)
After nearly a century and a half, baseball’s most valuable collectible has reached new heights. In August 2021, the legendary “Mona Lisa of sports cards” broke all records when a flawless PSA GEM-MT 10 example crossed the auction block at Robert Edward Auctions for an astronomical $6.6 million dollars selling to collector Jeremey Shell. This eye-popping new clearance price is rightfully cemented as the costliest baseball card and highest valued trading card in existence through modern times.
While highly common cards can be found cheaply, true condition rarities and specimens with exceptional provenance from baseball’s most sought after early 20th century tobacco issues like the T206 and 1914 Cracker Jack sets are achieving prices that shatter collector expectations. Perfectly preserved examples of key historic subjects often ascribe value well over seven figures. The market for these prized collectibles with names like Wagner, Mathewson, DiMaggio and Mantle continues to appreciate at the highest levels.
