Anybody who grew up with baseball is often not only an enthusiast of the game but also an avid baseball card collector. Especially in the 1950s, collecting baseball cards were all the rage. Boys could find them with a stick of gum. These cards are printed on plastic or cardboard and feature a specific baseball player, a team photo, or a baseball stadium.
Today, baseball card collectors and sports enthusiasts alike are on the hunt for the most expensive baseball cards. And you’ll be surprised how much one card can fetch. Read on to learn more.
10 Most Expensive Baseball Cards
#1. 1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb
The 1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb card is one of the most recognizable baseball cards, alongside the 1914 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb. The 1915 version, however, is more valuable. It was printed on thicker paper stock and featured an inverse that was printed upside down. Also known as “the Georgia Peach,” Ty Cobb was an 11-time American League OPS+ Leader — one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
In May 2016, a 1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb baseball card was sold for $432,000.
#2. 1952 Topps Willie Mays
Many baseball fans consider Willie Mays to be the best player in history. Dubbed the “prototypical five-tool player,” Mays could hit for power, field, run, throw, and hit for average. He was the National League champion in 1954 and became a four-time National League home run leader in 1955, 1962, 1964, and 1965. He was also a four-time National League stolen bases leader from 1956 to ’59.
This card that features Willie Mays was sold in 2016 for a whopping $478,000.
#3. 1909 T206 Ty Cobb
The T206 set contained four Ty Cobb cards, only three of which have been awarded a PSA 9 grade and were branded as in Mint condition despite being a century old. Ty Cobb made a name for himself as a baseball player when he became a five-time American League runs leader from 1909 to 1911, 1916, and 1916.
It was in August 2016 when this PSA 9 1909 T206 “bat off shoulder” Cobb baseball card sold for $488,425.
#4. 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan
Many Nolan Ryan cards featured the player when he was still a rookie. PSA graded eight thousand two hundred seventy-nine copies as of August 2018. And among these mass-produced cards, only one has been granted a score of PSA 10. Nolan Ryan started as a World Series champion in 1969 and eventually held the record for strikeouts. He was an 8-time All-Star, an 11-time MLB strikeout leader, and then a 2-time NL leader.
This rookie card was sold in 2016 for $612,359.
#5. 1901 American Caramel E90-1 Joe Jackson
In the world of baseball, Joe Jackson is a legend. He earned the nickname “Shoeless Joe” for running the bases in stocking feet because of the blisters that his new pair of spikes gave him. He is also remembered as a player banned from MLB for life for wrongdoing despite being proven innocent and acquitted by a Chicago jury.
His card was sold for $667,149 in 2016.
#6. 1909 T206 Eddie Plank
Eddie Plank faced plenty of controversies during his time. He was steadfastly anti-tobacco and objected to being used for marketing the American Tobacco Company. But Eddie knew he was a force to reckon with on the baseball diamond field. He became the World Series Champion in 1910, 1911, and 1913 and was included in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.
There are only 75 T206 Eddie Plank cards today, and in 2012, one was privately sold for $700,000.
#7. 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle
A familiar face among baseball cards, Mickey Mantle died in 2005 at the age of 63, so he was one of the few baseball players that enjoyed having his face featured in baseball cards. Given that the baseball card collecting era exploded in the 1980s, it was common for this five-time American League runs leader and four-time American League home runs leader to attend and guest in different baseball card shows.
In 2018, the Bowman Mantle card was sold for $750,000.
#8. 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth
It’s been speculated that only 10 copies of the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth “pre-rookie” card still exist and are in circulation. This card features the baseball legend in his minor-league uniform, playing for the Baltimore Orioles. Baby Ruth, born George Herman Ruth, was a professional baseball player whose sports career in Major League Baseball spanned from 1914 to 1935, a total of 22 seasons.
This rare card is today valued at $6 million.
#9. 1909 T206 Honus Wagner
Referred to as the Mona Lisa of baseball cards, there are only 50 known copies of the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner. And the popularity of this baseball star is the primary reason why the rarity and value of this card exploded to impressive heights. Another reason for the card’s rarity is that the Pittsburgh Pirates player stopped the American Tobacco Company from producing more of this card because he didn’t want children and minors to purchase cigarettes to collect the card.
Honus Wagner’s card is one of the most expensive baseball cards and was sold for $7.25 million in 2022.
#10. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
Another Mickey Mantle entry makes it on this list, but this time, it’s the 1952 card — the crown jewel of all baseball cards. As a player, Mickey Mantle held the World Series record for the most significant number of home runs (18) throughout his career, with extra-base hits totaling 26 and total bases of 123. He was one of the most fascinating and excellent players of his time.
It’s no surprise that his 1952 card was purchased last year for a jaw-dropping $12.6 million.
