One of the holy grails of baseball cards is the 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner card. This is arguably the most valuable trading card in existence due to its rarity. It is believed only 50-200 authentic T206 Honus Wagner cards were ever printed. The card has long been shrouded in mystery because it is speculated that Wagner had an issue with his likeness being used to promote cigarettes, which is what the T206 series was. Due to his request, it’s believed very few of his cards were released. Today, Wagner cards in near perfect condition have sold for over $3 million, with the most recent sale being $6.6 million in August 2016.
Another incredibly valuable and iconic early 20th century baseball card is the Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card. Mantle was already a budding superstar by 1952 and his rookie card is the apex of the famous golden era of Topps post-World War 2 baseball cards that collectors feverishly seek. In the highest graded gem mint condition of Mint+ 10, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle in recent years has reached the $2-5 million range at auction. Even in lower grades of stiff Ex-Mt 8 or lower it still frequently fetches $100,000. The 1952 Topps Mantle is one of the most high profile rookie cards in the history of collecting.
A third pre-1960 card that is worth a notable premium is the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth. Ruth was already a legend by 1933 but his Goudey cards were ahead of their time with beautiful colorful artwork and remain very collectible and iconic today. High graded 1933 Goudey Ruths in NM-MT 8 to Mint 9 condition will typically reach from around $50,000 up to around $500,000 or more depending on the auction. Even well-worn lower graded examples in Good to VG condition still command 4-5 figures for one of the earliest mass-produced Ruth cards.
Besides individual star cards, early complete full sets also hold tremendous value. The 1909-11 T206 set has long been the holy grail for set collectors as it included the ultra-rare Wagner card. A pristine near-complete master set of the color portrait 1909-11 T206 cards recently sold for $2.88 million. Another of the most expensive and collectible early flagships sports sets is the 1913 T206 strip card set, known as the E-90 set. A complete Near Mint E-90 set in 1998 reached $1.2 million, which was the high point for early 20th century sports card sets at the time.
Pursuing vintage early 20th century baseball cards is incredibly rewarding but takes diligence and patience, as condition is critical. The most affordable way to break in for new collectors is often to seek out individual “common” stars cards from the 1910s-1950s in circulated lower grades that are typically hundreds to low thousands. Slowly work your way up through accumulating these more available options until being able to potentially land a true condition rarity like a Goudey Wagner, 1952 Topps Mantle, or other legendary issues. The hobby becomes most exciting when striving for the big vintage chase cards that could become true generational heirlooms.
