The Most Expensive Baseball Cards in the World

A look at the most expensive baseball cards in the world and what makes them so valuable.

The Most Expensive Baseball Cards in the World

Baseball cards have been around for over a century and there are some that are worth a lot of money. The most expensive baseball card in the world is the 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card. This card was sold for $3.12 million in 2016. There are only around 60 of these cards in existence.

Honus Wagner

Considered by many collectors to be the Holy Grail of baseball cards, the Honus Wagner T206 card is one of the most sought-after cards in existence. Wagner was a legendary player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and fewer than 200 of his T206 cards are thought to have been produced. One of these cards sold at auction for $2.1 million in 2007, and another sold for $3.12 million in 2016, making it the most expensive baseball card ever sold.

Mickey Mantle

In 1952, the New York Yankees featured a young outfielder by the name of Mickey Mantle. That season, Mantle would go on to hit .311 with 52 home runs and 130 RBIs, finishing second in American League MVP voting. His outstanding play would help lead the Yankees to a World Series title. The following year, Topps released its first set of baseball cards, which included a rookie card featuring Mantle.

Today, that 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card is widely considered to be the most valuable baseball card in the world. In 2018, one example of the card sold for a record $5.2 million.

While that may be the most expensive baseball card ever sold, it’s not the only one that commands a hefty price tag. Here are some other examples of the most expensive baseball cards in the world.

1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner: $3.12 million
The 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner is another highly coveted baseball card. The card features Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner and is considered one of the rarest cards in existence. In 2016, one example of the card sold for $3.12 million, making it the second most expensive baseball card ever sold at auction.

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth: $575,000
This 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card is one of only a handful known to exist and is considered to be one of the most valuable Ruth cards in existence. In 2017, an example in excellent condition sold for $575,000 at auction, making it one of the most expensive baseball cards ever sold.

1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie: $50,000+
The 1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie is another highly sought-after baseball card. The card features Hall of Fame second baseman Nap Lajoie and is considered to be one of his more valuable cards. One example in good condition sold for $50,000 in 2012 and prices for the card have continued to increase in recent years.

Ty Cobb

Considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, Ty Cobb’s trading cards are some of the most valuable in the world. One of his cards from 1909 sold for a record $1.32 million in 2016, making it the most expensive baseball card ever sold. Other Ty Cobb cards have sold for over $700,000, and his 1910 card is considered to be the most valuable baseball card in existence, with an estimated value of over $5 million. If you’re lucky enough to own a Ty Cobb card, you may just be sitting on a small fortune.

The Most Expensive Baseball Cards Ever Sold

Baseball cards have been around for over a century, and they are definitely not going anywhere anytime soon. While some cards are worth a few dollars, others are worth a few hundred dollars. However, there are some baseball cards out there that are worth a fortune. In this article, we will be taking a look at the most expensive baseball cards in the world.

Honus Wagner

Honus Wagner is a name every baseball fan knows. He was a superstar shortstop who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1897 to 1917. He was one of the first five players inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. He was also the subject of what is considered to be the most valuable baseball card in the world.

The Honus Wagner card was produced by the American Tobacco Company in 1909 as part of a set of 50 cards called the T206 set. The card is so rare because Wagner refused to have his likeness associated with tobacco products and demanded that his card be pulled from production. It is estimated that only 200 to 500 Honus Wagner cards were ever produced, making it one of the most valuable collectibles in the world.

One Honus Wagner card was sold at auction for $2.1 million in 2007, making it the most expensive baseball card ever sold. The card is currently owned by Ken Griffey Jr., who purchased it for $3.5 million in 2016.

Mickey Mantle

In 1991, a collector paid $231,000 for a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card—a record price that stood for more than 15 years. In 2007, another collector paid $2.8 million for the same card, smashing the previous record by more than $2 million and setting a new standard for the most expensive baseball card ever sold.

Mantle’s record-breaking 1952 Topps card is not the only one of his cards to sell for seven figures—in 2019, a pristine copy of his 1953 Topps card sold for $5.2 million, making it the second most expensive baseball card ever sold.

Mantle isn’t the only player with multiple million-dollar cards to his name—in 2016, a 1909 T206 Honus Wagner card sold for $3.12 million (after previously selling for just over $2 million in 2007), making it the third most expensive baseball card ever sold. A different copy of the same Wagner card famously sold for more than $4 million in 2007, but that sale was never officially finalized and the card changed hands again in 2013 for an undisclosed sum (believed to be less than the $4 million ask).

Ty Cobb

This card depicting Ty Cobb stealing third base was sold in April 2016 for $1.32 million, setting a new record for the most expensive baseball card ever sold. The card, which was originally produced by the American Tobacco Company in 1909, is one of only two known copies in existence. The other copy is owned by Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick and is not for sale.