Whats The Most Expensive Baseball Card

Roberto Clemente Topps Rc #164

Roberto Clemente easily makes the top ten thanks to an RC which sold for $1.1m. It was sold as part of Goldin Auctions Winter Auction 2021.

The first Latin player to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1973, his tragic death following an airplane accident has only enhanced the mystique of the player.

The $1.1m fees was for a PSA 9 grade, of which only 11 exist. A copy previously sold for $478,000 in 2016.

Theres also a sole gem mint copy which went for $432,690 back in 2012. What would it sell for today?

The 10 Most Expensive Baseball Cards In The World

Want to know what the most expensive baseball cards are worth?

Baseball is massively popular all over the world, particularly in its country of origin, America.

All sorts of merchandise and memorabilia are sold to baseball fans, but perhaps one of the most popular and enjoyable to collect, are baseball cards.

Like most collectables, baseball card values depend on factors, like market values, trends, age, grading and overall condition.

So, without further ado, were going to take a look at 10 of the most expensive baseball cards in the world, and see how they stack up!

The Most Expensive Sports Cards Ever

To most sports card hobbyists and collectors, the collecting of sports cards is just that: A hobby. But as sports trading cards have become more and more valuable, it has become something entirely different. Now many see it as an investment strategy, some a status symbol, and for others, a treasure hunt to unearth the worlds most expensive sports cards.

The meteoric rise in popularity of this age-old pastime has been boosted by athletes and pop culture icons such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Kevin Durant, and Mark Wahlberg. Sports card values have skyrocketed, and it will be interesting to see if the market can support these inflated prices. Its one of those cultural phenomena Im not sure I understand entirely, but it sure has been fun to watch.

Without further ado, here is the list:

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Inflation Of Sports Cards

In 1975, the same Honus Wagner T206 card that weve previously mentioned could be purchased for a mere $1500. If you were to adjust for inflation, then the Wagner T206 wouldve only been worth $7500.

Compare that with 20 years later, when the card was worth $500,000, and then $1.27 million in 200. Its easy to see just how the prices of ultra rare cards can skyrocket.

Just 21 years afterwards the card would be sold for $6.606 million. This isnt a strange occurrence in the world of sports cards though.

With the covid pandemic there came a massive uplift of sales that went on in the sports card scene,some believe this is due to the cancellation of most live sports, or maybe even nostalgia for older times.

But this uplift saw the sale of the most expensive card ever sold of all time, and theres good reason for that. Lets take a look at some.

• Nostalgia- Many people growing up in the 80s and 90s collected sports cards as children/teenagers. Now that theyre older, and have disposable income, theyre much more likely to invest in some more expensive sports cards, and teach their own children about their favorite cards from their childhood, which keeps the market going.

Mike Trouts Rookie Card Becomes The Richest Baseball Card Ever Sold

Mike Trout rookie card sells for $3.9 million, per @GoldinAuctions.The seller of the card originally purchased it for $400,000. He just netted over $3 million.Its the highest-selling sports card of all-time. ?

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Honus Wagner has had a stranglehold on the baseball card collecting scene for decades, but he finally has a worthy challenger. A 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Mike Trout Superfractor card from Trouts minor league days took the top spot when it sold for $3.936 million on Goldin Auctions.

This event was somewhat of a perfect storm as we had a remarkable collection of historic memorabilia supported by incredible marketing and publicity during a great market for sports collectibles, Ken Goldin, founder of Goldin Auctions, said in a release.

The card shows Trout at the plate for the Angles minor league affiliate. Its signed by Trout himself in blue marker.

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The Trade Of Baseball Cards

In the game, when baseball players are traded between teams, sometimes there are hefty price tags that come with the deal, especially if there is a big star involved. When it comes to baseball cards, this seems to share the same type of story. Whoever is willing to pay top dollar for the most coveted baseball cards that come available, so be it. In the case of the iconic Boston Red Sox, there are some prized baseball cards featuring the names of star talent that can only come cheap in ones dreams. Otherwise, paying what seems like a mass fortune for some is nothing more than a small price to pay to get ones hands on that one special baseball card that apparently has more value to it than life itself. The PSA Authentication & Grading Services is a website that has been serving as a price guide on baseball cards, as well as a dating site that focuses on the conditions of baseball cards and their estimated values. Among the most expensive baseball cards to collect, Babe Ruths rookie year with the Boston Red Sox has been known to see his name featured at many elite-classed auction sites. The majority of the most expensive cards have his name on them, but each with its own stories and why the price tag.

Bowman Chrome Mike Trout

Sold price: $3.9 million Year sold: 2020 Auction house: Goldin Auctions

When this Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor Autograph card was sold in August 2020, it garnered the highest price ever for a sports card. Mike Trout was then at the pinnacle of his career, but making such an enormous sum for the card of an active player was something of an anomaly in the trading card world. But this is actually a one-of-a-kind card. It is marked 1/1 and signed by Trout.

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Topps #123 Sandy Koufax Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $92,500

Dimensions: 2-5/8″ x 3-3/4″

Considered by most to be the greatest lefty of all-time, Sandy Koufax has one rookie card to his name and this is it.

His career cut short by arthritis in his pitching arm, he went on to become the youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972.

The Left Arm of God as he was known, Koufax possessed raw power that helped him once strikeout an astounding 382 batters in a season.

He was also clutch, maintaining a sub-1.00 World Series ERA and twice being named series MVP in 1963 and 1965.

Centering issues, as well as dark print blotches in the yellow background, are usually the two key issues of this card.

This is my favorite Sandy Koufax baseball card and one of the best-looking cards of the 1950s in my opinion.

A Mickey Mantle Baseball Card Just Fetched $126 Million At Auctionsetting A Record For The Most Expensive Piece Of Sports Memorabilia Ever Sold

Lifelong Yankees fan Anthony Giordano bought the card in 1991 for $50,000.

This weekend, Heritage Auctions in Dallas set a new record in sports memorabilia with the sale of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card for $12.6 million, the latest sign of a boom.

The card, graded a mint 9.5 by Sportscard Guaranty Corporation, surpassed the sale earlier this year of soccer star Diego Maradonas 1986 World Cup jersey, which went for $9.3 million.

In the latest sign of the booming market for sports memorabilia it also eclipsed the previous record for the most valuable sports card at auction, set by a T206 Honus Wagner card that sold for $6.6 million last year.

We always knew this card would shatter records and expectations, Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage, said in a statement. But that doesnt make it any less of a thrill to be part of an auction during which a single item breaks the eight-figure threshold for the first time.

The consignor Anthony Giordano, a former owner of a paper recycling company, bought the card for $50,000 in 1991. Growing up in New York, Mantle was his favorite player.

Mantle played for the New York Yankees his entire Major League Baseball career, from 1951 to 1968. He retired with 536 home runs, 1,676 runs scored, and 1,509 RBI according to the Baseball Hall of Fame, which inducted Mantle in 1974.

Babe Ruths signed, game-used bat also did numbers at this weekends sale.

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Goudey #181 Babe Ruth

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $300,000

Dimensions: 2-3/8″ x 2-7/8″

The Green Ruth is the last of the four Babe Ruth cards to appear in the 1933 Goudey set.

The card features a great image of the Sultan of Swat seated in pinstripes looking over his right shoulder atop a green background.

While not as pricey as the Yellow or Red Ruths of the same set, its still a very expensive card and a key member of the Ruth quartet.

Sold In February 2021 For $1005600 By Heritage Auctions

Selected as the number two overall pick in the 1966 MLB Amateur Draft, Reggie Mr. October Jackson made his Major League debut on June 9, 1967 for the Kansas City Athletics. Jacksons rookie card emerged from 1969 Topps and arises from the Dmitri Young Collection, one of the finest collections of baseball cards established by former major leaguer Dmitri Young. Of the 7,084 Reggie Jackson rookie cards graded by PSA, this is Jacksons only card, approximately .00001%, to earn a PSA 10. After comfortably earning 93.6% of the Hall of Fame votes in his first year of eligibility, Reggie Jacksons rookie card is likely to continue to be highly valued by collectors.

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Which Is Worth More A Psa 10 Graded 1975 Topps Brett Or Yount

A PSA 10 graded 1975 Topps Brett sold for a max of over $180,000 while the highest price ever paid for a Yount is just over $100,000. This means that Brett, in top condition, is worth more than Yount of the same grade.

The 1975 Topps made some pretty decent design choices from previous years. The distinctive colorful borders certainly make this set stand out. It is therefore, hard to find a high PSA grade of this set on the market, which makes their value a bit on the top side in the present day.

Cracker Jack Joe Jackson

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $350,000

Dimensions: 2-5/8″ x 3-3/4″

This card is often thought to be Jacksons most attractive and popular baseball card.

But, that doesnt necessarily mean its his most expensive.

Although it features identical imagery as his 1914 Cracker Jack issue, most high-end examples of these two issues are of the 1915.

While collectors could pull 1914 Cracker Jack cards directly from the box, that also meant they usually had caramel stains on them.

The 1915 version was part of a redemption program, however, thus better preserving their condition.

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The Most Expensive Baseball Cards Ever Sold

Auction House: Private Sale

Price Realized: $5,200,000

Currently reigning as the most expensive baseball card ever sold , this 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle received a condition grade of Mint PSA 9, one of only six copies to achieve such a high mark. Actor and entrepreneur Rob Gough picked the card up at a private sale in January of 2021.

Plows Candy E300 Ty Cobb

Estimated PSA 8 NM-MT Value: $125,000

Dimensions: 3″ x 4″

One of the rarest pre-WWI candy issues ever distributed is the 1912 Plows Boy Candy set that included 69 different baseball players.

Only 7 of the Ty Cobb cards have ever been submitted to PSA for grading which speaks to the rarity of them.

As with most early candy or tobacco issues, this card with the image of the Georgia Peach ready to swing is the most valuable and sought after in the set.

When these cards come up for auction, really take note.

Many baseball historians still consider Cobb the greatest all-around player that ever graced a baseball diamond.

The card is a true giant in the hobby.

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These Baseball Cards Have Sold For Millions Of Dollars But Why An Expert Explains

A mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card recently sold for $12.6 million, becoming the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia on record. It broke the previous record set in early August during a private sale when a Honus Wagner card went for $7.25 million. A Wagner card set the record before that in August 2021, selling for $6.6 million.

Its no secret that baseball cards and sports memorabilia have become a booming business over the last few years. In some cases, the trading card market has become so hot and the desire so great that retailers like Target had to restrict access to their trading card department.

During the first half of 2021 alone, eBay reported $2 billion in trading card transactions occurred on its site, with an average of one sports trading card being purchased every second.

But what is it that has caused the aforementioned Mantle and Wagner cards to sell for a cumulative $26.45 million?

Well, its all in the cards.

Wagner and Mantle are part of a trio of card sets considered the most desirable in sports collecting, Mike Provenzale, a production manager with Heritage Auctions told Nexstar. Those sets are the 1909 T206, the 1933 Goudey set, and the 1952 Topps set.

The 1909 T206

The first, the 1909 T206 set, was found in cigarette and tobacco packs from the American Tobacco Company. Notably small compared to modern cards, Provenzale referred to the run of cards as the first landmark set.

The 1933 Goudey Gum set

The 1952 Topps set

The Most Famous Baseball Card On The Market Just Set Another Record

Sports memorabilia, especially trading cards, have become a hot commodity in recent years. The most prized card on the market — and one of the most iconic baseball cards ever — a Honus Wagner T-206, just set another record for the most expensive card ever sold.

The 1909-1911 Honus Wagner T-206 was recently purchased for a whopping $7.25 million, per a report from USA Today. That shattered the previous record, which was set by the same Honus Wagner card at $6.6 million.

Ken Goldin, the founder of sports memorabilia company Goldin, oversaw the sale. Goldin explained that the rarity of the Honus Wagner card is what drives its value. Collectors see it as the ultimate trophy on their mantle.

“It’s just so rare,” Goldin told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s a flag-bearer for the industry, especially for cards. Anybody that gets into the hobby and has money, it’s a status symbol. ‘Do you have a Wagner?’ There’s so few of them.”

The face of the most valuable trading card in existence, Wagner is most well known for his 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900 to 1917. In his time with the Pirates, Wagner hit .328 with 82 home runs and 1,474 RBI. In 1909, Wagner helped lead Pittsburgh to a World Series championship.

After collecting a World Series ring and leading the National League in batting eight times, Wagner was part of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1936. The Pirates retired Wagner’s number 20 years later in 1956.

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Which Psa 10 1971 Topps Baseball Card Has Sold For The Most Dollars

The most expensive PSA 10 from the 1971 Topps baseball set was #630 Roberto Clemente which sold for $71,700 in 2016. Only 1 PSA 10 Clemente has ever been graded, and with the way the market has been moving, it is highly likely that the price will be considerably higher if it’s ever seen back in auction. The second most expensive baseball card from the 1971 Topps baseball set was #400 Hank Aaron which sold for $60,000.

Jerry Koosman / Nolan Ryan Topps

Were not especially fond of duo cards, but well make an exception for the 1968 Topps Mets Rookies which features the combined talents of Jerry Koosman and Nolan Ryan.

Of course, the latter is the main draw, making the MLB All-Century Team.

Milton Bradley, O-Pee-Chee, and Venezuelan Topps all released Ryan RCs, but none are as popular in terms of mainstream appeal.

Theres also a sole PSA 10 graded copy, which has to be seen as a solid investment piece.

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American Caramel E106 Ty Cobb

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $120,000

Dimensions: 1-1/2″ x 2-3/4″

Produced in 1915 by the American Caramel Company of York, Pennsylvania, the E106 set consists of 48 different cards, including two varieties of the legendary Ty Cobb.

The set is one of if not the most condition sensitive of the early E class era.

Cobb is pictured is his Detroit Tigers uniform leaning on his bat atop a multi-colored background.

This card shares its front design with several others of the era .