Hundreds of thousands of unique baseball cards are in circulation and that is a low-ball estimate. In fact, there are probably more than that. Did you know that there are only a few that are really valuable. Expensive baseball cards are very sought after by museums and collectors. In this article, we are going to talk about and show you the top ten most expensive baseball cards in history.
10. Eddie Plank $188,000
The Eddie Plank 1909-1911 baseball card made the list because it was worth close to two hundred thousand dollars. This baseball is very rare and its scarcity has lead it to sell for $188,000. There are only a hundred of them that are known to exist in the world.
9. Joe Jackson $199,750
The Joe Jackson 1910 baseball card made its way onto this list after nearly cracking the two hundred thousand dollar mark. This particular card was sold in very good condition so it can be difficult to determine what other examples of the card would be worth. Either way, when a baseball card costs more than most houses, it certainly labels it as a rarity.
8. Joe Jackson $204,000
The Joe Jackson 1914 baseball is one of the more popular cards of the Joe Jackson lineup. For those who don’t know, Joe Jackson was banned from the sport of baseball for the rest of his life. He also happened to be one of the most talented hitters of all time. While his popularity only increases with time, so does the price of his baseball cards. As you can see from the price, this card is one that many collectors would love to own.
7. Honus Wagner $219,000
Just when you thought the prices couldn’t get any steeper, the Honus Wagner 1910 baseball card comes in at almost two hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Again, like most of the other cards on this list, the price is determined by the availability and demand for the card itself. As you can see from the price, the demand for this baseball card is huge.
6. Ty Cobb $273,000
The next baseball card comes in at close to three hundred thousand dollars. The Ty Cobb 1911-1914 baseball card is very rare. Its scarcity is something that collectors appreciate and there are people who are willing to pay a lot of money for it. It has proven to be quite elusive, even for the savviest of collectors.
5. Lou Gehrig $275,000
Leave it to Lou Gehrig to pass on a legacy through a baseball card worth about two hundred and seventy five thousand dollars. The condition of the card sold at this price was superb and it is one of the few cards to get a PSA 10 grade. This more than a quarter of a million dollar card is definitely rare and certainly valuable.
4. Mickey Mantle $282,000
So the price continues to escalate. The Mickey Mantle 1952 baseball card is quite easily the most traded baseball card of the 1950s. It was loved by baby boomers and the image of Mantle on the plate alone sent people rushing to purchase his cards. Just so that people are aware, this baseball card is also the most sought after to duplicate for baseball card counterfeiters.
3. Joe Doyle $329,000
This is another super rare card from the American Tobacco Company set. This card is extremely rare and its circulation has virtually stopped. It is one of the few cards where there are less than seven in existence. If you happen to stumble upon this card, or even own it, then you’re most likely in for a huge payday.
2. Babe Ruth $517,000
Babe Ruth was one of the most successful and accomplished baseball players of his time. His legend has been immortalized and he will also be remembered as one of the greats. Did you know that the 1914 Babe Ruth baseball card is worth just over half a million dollars? It goes to show the power that Babe had over the game. While his card did not make it to number one on the list, one thing can be said for certain: he is one of the greatest to ever play the game.
1. Honus Wagner $2,000,000
Leave it to the Honus Wagner 1909 baseball card to be worth almost two million dollars. This is something that definitely doesn’t happen every day and it just goes to show the power of supply and demand in the baseball card industry. Most people won’t argue: this is the rarest and most valuable baseball card on the books today. It was once even owned by legendary hockey player, Wayne Gretzky, at one point. While it is worth this much today, it is certainly possible that the price of this baseball card is going to increase. Some experts suggest that it may be worth twice this amount in forty years, assuming that it was still in the same condition.