The year 2021 saw strong interest in the baseball card hobby remain despite the ongoing pandemic. While values of modern cards fluctuated, vintage cards from the sport’s golden era of the 1960s-80s continued commanding top prices at auction. Let’s take a look at some of the highest selling baseball cards from 2021 based on auction data:
Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps PSA 8 – $5.2 Million
The undisputed heavyweight champion of 2021 sales was this one-of-a-kind Mantle rookie card, which sold for a record-shattering $5.2 million through PWCC Marketplace in January. What made this card so special? As a PSA 8 gem mint condition, it’s regarded as the finest known copy of Mickey Mantle’s rookie. The previous auction record for any card was $3.12 million for a 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner in 2016, so the Mantle easily topped that. Experts believe factors like Mantle’s status as a Yankees icon and the card being in such phenomenal condition for its age drove the high price. The record is a testament to Mantle’s enduring popularity and the 1952 Topps design continuing to captivate collectors decades later.
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner PSA 5 – $3.75 Million
The next highest auction sale of 2021 was predictably another iconic early 20th century tobacco card – none other than the famous Wagner. This PSA 5 very good example went for $3.75 million in a Robert Edward Auctions sale in April, trouncing the card’s previous public record of $3.12 million. While not in pristine condition, it still represented a rare opportunity to own one of the sport’s rarest pre-war cards; only 50-200 Wagners are believed to exist in total. The strong price reflects how the Wagner has cemented its status as the most coveted and valuable trading card of all time, continuing to attract serious enthusiast and investment interest at a level unmatched by other issues.
1969 Topps Reggie Jackson RC PSA 8 – $2.88 Million
Among modern cards, no rookie matched the splash of Reggie Jackson’s ’69 Topps issue. In April, a PSA 8 NM-MT copy of “Mr. October’s” iconic debut broke new ground by selling for $2.88 million via Goldin Auctions. This is not only a record price for any Jackson card, but also the highest price achieved for any 1960s/70s card at the time (since surpassed by the Mantle). The massive sum reflects Jackson’s prestige as one of baseball’s most memorable sluggers who blasted his way to World Series MVPs. With electric action photography and an iconic design beloved by collectors, this card has long been one of the most investible from the sport’s transitional modern era.
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth PSA 5 – $2.20 Million
Babe Ruth holds a hallowed place in baseball history as the game’s first true superstar home run king. His early Goudey issues are thereby highly sought. This PSA 5 very good condition example brought $2.20 million at Goldin’s February Legends & Luxury auction, once again blowing away what had been the most paid previously for the legendary slugger’s 1930s cards. While appropriately graded for its age, the premium speaks to the rarity, appeal, and folklore surrounding anything bearing the Babe’s likeness from his playing days – cementing his cards as blue-chip trophies for diehard collectors.
1909-11 T206 Johnny Evers PSA 3 – $1.56 Million
While not in the same esteemed company as the iconic Wagner, the T206 set from 1909–1911 is nonetheless eagerly collected as one of the first comprehensive baseball issues. A PSA 3 very good Johnny Evers attracted a surprising $1.56 million winning bid in February via Heritage. Though understandably lower graded, the price suggests strong ongoing enthusiasm for high-end examples from this pioneering tobacco era release, especially for players tied to the storied Chicago Cubs teams Evers was part of. This may have been a record at the time for any non-Wagner/Cobb T206 card.
1975 Topps Nolan Ryan RC PSA 8 – $900,000
Nolan Ryan’s record-setting Hall of Fame career made his ’75 Topps rookie one of the most desirable modern issues. In November at Heritage, an extremely well-preserved PSA 8 copy realized a then-record $900,000. As one of the set’s most iconic subjects along with Rod Carew and George Brett, this Ryan shares space alongside the likes of Mantle and Jackson as perhaps the single most valuable post-war rookie card – a true rarity in such a pristine state of preservation nearly 50 years later. The sum underscores how modern issues can achieve vintage-level prices where condition and subject merit.
2000 Bowman Chrome Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 10 – $657,250
For prospects huddling to open unforgettable pack fresh hits in the early 2000s, Ken Griffey Jr.’s prospects-heavy Bowman Chrome debut reigns supreme. An unprecedentedly flawless PSA 10 copy sold through Goldin in May for an astounding $657,250. Griffey mania at its peak in the late 90s combined with his clean, modern design and ultrarare true gem state propelled this way beyond any previous prices realized for even the player’s acclaimed 1989 Upper Deck rookie card. It demonstrates how condition alone can transform an affordable modern issue into a blue-chip investment when taken to the pinnacle grading level.
As this overview shows, the pandemic did little to curb robust collector interest driving new record prices across the hobby in 2021. While vintage greats still commanded the highest sales, modern stars like Griffey and post-war icons like Ryan started achieving previously unfathomable values as well. Condition more than ever has become king in determining an item’s potential worth. With strong economic recovery and more new collectors entering the market, 2022 may see baseball’s all-time hits continue climbing to even greater new heights.
