All these years, it never crossed our minds that people would lose interest in collecting baseball cards. Through the years, baseball cards were adored by several adults and even kids. Some collect it just to say that they have it, but some also collect it because it is a passion for them. A passion cannot be easily broken down by time; even if it lasts decades or centuries, passion will always be a passion for a person. Now, the interesting thing with this list, you can see the most valuable baseball cards that maybe you could find somewhere in your attic.
The Most Valuable Baseball Cards That You Could Find Somewhere In Your House That Costs A Lot Of Money
Mickey Mantle – 1952 Topps
To start, for a lot of people who are born in the years following World War II, one perfect example and is a great baseball player that time would be Mickey Mantle. Mickey Mantle is known to be one of the most talented players in the whole league at that time. And in line with this, his 1952 Topps card is also a quintessential baseball card. This 1952 Mantle was sold for approximately 3 million dollars with a grade of 9. It was a record for non-Honus Wagner T206 baseball cards.
Mickey Mantle – 1952 Topps
Derek Jeter – 1993 Upper Deck SP Foil
Derek Jeter, known to be the team captain of the New York Yankees and the shortstop. He is probably the biggest icon for the last 30 years in the baseball industry, and he has proven it through all his cards that were produced. Jeter’s most valuable cards came from the days of his minor league last 1993. Baseball cards’ value may vary depending on its condition and related number rating. Mid-grade cards can pay between $200 and $400. For this card, a perfect condition can be close to $1,000.
Derek Jeter – 1993 Upper Deck SP Foil
Dwight Gooden – 1984 Fleer Update
Dwight Gooden, who is also called “Doctor K,” entered the baseball industry back in the early ’80s. Because of the ardent fastballs that he unleashed when he was a rookie, that’s why he was called Doctor K. He did an amazing job in his rookie season, witnessing him strike out a total of 276 batters and won 17 games. This let him set a rookie record. Through this, it was immortalized by the 1985 Fleer Update set. The card can fetch up until $200 depending on its condition.
Dwight Gooden – 1984 Fleer Update
Roberto Clemente – 1955 Topps
Roberto Clemente was an outfielder in his team Pittsburgh Pirates and who is also included in the Hall of Fame. After notching his 3,000th hit in his entire career in baseball, unfortunately, he died in a tragic plane crash. His death caused a lot of people a heartbreak because no one knew this would happen during the peak of his baseball career. In 2012, a 1954 Topps rookie card of Roberto Clemente went for $432,000. Then, four years later, another card raised to $478,000, which is graded 9.
Roberto Clemente – 1955 Topps
Stan Musial – 1948 Bowman
This 1948 Bowman card of Stan Musial is considered to be the oldest card that could be relatively affordable. The set immortalized the St. Louis Cardinals icon. There is a small chance that this kind of card would be in your attic but, it would be worth looking at. Is it not impossible to find an old card, right? At any rate, we recommend you to look at your attic for this kind of card could be sold for more than $1,000, depending on its condition.
Stan Musial – 1948 Bowman
Babe Ruth – 1914 Baltimore News
In the year 2012, this Babe Ruth card went for about $575,000. And for your information, given that this card is somehow overpriced, it is only graded as 2. You were wondering why this ranked two cards is worth $575k? There are rumors that this card has only ten copies of its existence. Meaning, if you are able to have this, there would be a lot of baseball card enthusiasts you have to surpass.
Babe Ruth – 1914 Baltimore News
Pete Rose/Pedro Gonzalez/Ken McMullen/Al Weis – 1963 Topps
The main reason why this 4-player rookie card went for $70,000 and above was that Pete Rose was included in it. Pete Rose was known to be the hits records holder at that time. As time goes by, in 2016, this card went for about$717,700. But what could be the possible reason for this card to be that pricey? Evidently, this card, unlike every other card out there which cost so much money, received a grade of 10. Receiving a grade of ten for a card is absolutely rare.
Pete Rose Pedro Gonzalez Ken McMullen Al Weis – 1963 Topps
Albert Pujols – 2001 Bowman Autographed
In the early ’00s, possessing a baseball card became so natural. In which, none was considered rare unless they came with a gimmick. This kind of gimmick pertains to memorabilia cards, those cards with autographs that came with it, and also low-numbered parallel ones. One good example of this would be Albert Pujols’ autograph card in the 2001 Brownman set. If you got one of these in your attic, with a good condition, you would be able to sell it in four figures.
Albert Pujols – 2001 Bowman Autographed
Cal Ripken Jr. – 1982 Topps Traded
There are lots of rookie cards that can be considered valuable, especially those who belong in 1982. The most valuable card at that time would be the Cal Ripken Jr. card in the Topps Traded expansion set. This card of “The Iron Man” could fetch you about 300 dollars if they were in good condition. This kind of card should be handled with care because the back of the copy of it can chip and flake. This is also the reason why there is a wide range of prices for it.
Cal Ripken Jr. – 1982 Topps Traded
Nolan Ryan/Jerry Koosman – 1968 Topps Rookie
Just like the 4-player card in which Pete Rose was included. This 1968 combo card of Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman of the Mets got auctioned off. This card is so rare that there were nearly eight thousand copies submitted for professional appraisal, and there was only one who was granted a score of ten. This explains why the card of Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman was able to go for $612,359 at the auction. However, grade 9 of this would go for $20,000 to $30,000.
Nolan Ryan Jerry Koosman – 1968 Topps Rookie
Frank Thomas – 1990 Topps Error
During the ’90s, the most valuable card would be Frank Thomas’ card in the set of Topps. This card is unlike other cards with a name in front of it. Well, this card is known for its error that the name of the player was at the back and not located in front. This error is the reason why it is worth a lot of money. This card of the Hall Famer, Frank Thomas, is worth four or five figures for it.
Frank Thomas – 1990 Topps Error
Honus Wagner – T206
This Honus Wagner card in the T206 set is the most famous and the most valuable card of all time. This card is considered to be the legendary card in the card collecting circles. This card, like other cards in 1911, was made by a tobacco company as a means to improve and raise the sales of their cigarette products. There are only a few copies of this card. It is also considered to be the “Holy Grail” of baseball cards. In 2016, one copy can be sold for $3.3 million.
Honus Wagner – T206
Chipper Jones – 1991 Desert Shield
Chipper Jones is known to be one of the most famous MLB players in the year ‘90s. Also, he is part of the Atlanta Braves. This card of his is linked to the iconic moment of the decade. Topps came out with their own version of the base set from the said season, which also came with holograms of “Desert Shield.” This particular card is only available to soldiers that were involved in Operation Desert Storm. You can get hundreds of bucks if you have a copy with the hologram.
Chipper Jones – 1991 Desert Shield
Babe Ruth – 1916 Sporting News
During the flowery season of his career, Babe Ruth, not only is he one of the most famous swingers in the league, but he is also one of the most famous personalities in the entire United States. Throughout history, people are still willing to pay good money just to get to their hands this 1916 card from the Sporting News set. Last 2016, a copy was sold for an amount of $717,000, and a year after that, a copy of Babe Ruth’s card was sold for $550,000.
Babe Ruth – 1916 Sporting News
Ken Griffey Jr. – 1989 Upper Deck Rookie
In the ‘90s, a bunch of people was convinced that the 1989 card of Ken Griffey Jr. in the Upper Deck would be one of those cards which would be sold for a higher price than usual. Fortunately for some, this didn’t come true. However, the card is still considered to be one of the most iconic cards in the past 30 years. If you have one of these in your possession, one good quality of this card will fetch up to 400 dollars.
Ken Griffey Jr. – 1989 Upper Deck Rookie
Willie Mays – 1952 Topps
Aside from the Mantle cards, Willie Mays’ card is another valuable card from the set of 1952 Topps. Willie Mays is the New York’s center fielder and who is a part of the Hall of Fame, made this card so promising. Even though it is not as valuable as that of the Yankees slugger, this “Say Hey Kid” card could go for $478,000 during an auction that happened in 2016.
Willie Mays – 1952 Topps
Kirby Puckett – 1984 Fleer Update
The next one, we have more entries that are coming from the set of the 1984 Fleer Update. It is the set’s version of Kirby Puckett. Kirby Puckett is a baseball player coming from the Minnesota Twins and is a part of the Hall of Fame. This card’s price depends on the grades that were given to a particular copy. However, you can expect around $200 to $500 with the good quality condition.
Kirby Puckett – 1984 Fleer Update
Shoeless Joe Jackson – 1909 American Caramel
This Shoeless Joe Jackson card is similar to Honus Wagner’s card. This 1909 card was made to boost the sales of a cigarette brand and was made by American Caramel. Even though Jackson was banned for a lifetime in the sports that he is in because of the involvement in the Chicago Black Sox gambling controversy that happened in 1919, baseball card enthusiasts still covered it in pieces. Some paid nearly 700 dollars last 2016. With the good condition, you could sell it at such a price as that.
Shoeless Joe Jackson – 1909 American Caramel
Joe Doyle – 1911 ATC T206
Unlike all the personalities that you’ve seen in the previous list who made it into the Hall of Fame, only Joe Doyle was different. Joe was a player with an average level of skills. But how come that the promotion card of the tobacco company was nearly worth 420 thousand dollars? The only explanation for this would be an error. It was an error made by the company that the first print of the card identified Joe as a player of New York’s National League and not the Yankee’s
Joe Doyle – 1911 ATC T206
Hank Aaron – 1954 Topps
For some, it would not be an unexpected thing that Hank Aaron will rake in the big bucks. Hank Aaron was called the former home run king. The only rookie card that he had was his 1954 Topps card. The cards that were created that year were in pretty good condition because it was a big improvement in printing techniques. A fresh and good quality of this kind of card would fetch for nearly 360 thousand dollars. We are sure that it would increase more value in this generation.
Hank Aaron – 1954 Topps
Ty Cobb – 1909 T206 ‘Bat Off Shoulder’
Any card that came from the year 1909 to 1911 T2016 is considered to be very valuable. But, this card of Ty Cobb is not that quite noticeable. The “Bat on the Shoulder” is a little less valuable than “Bat Off the Shoulder” because more improved quality copies of the latter have surfaced. The prices of Ty Cobb’s baseball card could vary a lot. But upon selling this kind of card, you can expect a copy to go up until six figures.
Ty Cobb – 1909 T206 ‘Bat Off Shoulder’
Mickey Mantle – 1951 Bowman
This is the second entry of a card that belongs to Mickey Mantle. But this 1951 Bowman card of Mickey Mantle is not as expensive as his 1952 Topps. This card is the only official rookie card that Mickey has. A copy with a good quality of this card can fetch up to five hundred thousand dollars and more. A big thanks to his popularity among those people who got to watch him play and those younger people who admire the legacy that he made.
Mickey Mantle – 1951 Bowman
Eddie Plank – 1909 T209
This is another card that came from the T209 set. The card of Eddie Plank, who is also part of the Hall of Fame, is considered to be the second most valuable and the second rarest card in the deck. Eddie Plank’s card is next to the card of Honus Wagner. In line with this, there are several reasons why this card is so rare. This card suffered from poor printing plates, which resulted in many of the cards being destroyed and denied for it couldn’t pass the quality control.
Eddie Plank – 1909 T209
Cap Anson – 1887 Old Judge
This card that we have here is the oldest card that you may see on this list. This card is from the 1887 Old Judge set of cards. Many baseball card enthusiasts and experts think that this card is the most important card during the 19th century, a big thanks to the wide variety of players included in this series. The card of Cap Anson, specifically the one in the uniform, is said to be the most valuable of all the cards that you see in the picture.
Cap Anson – 1887 Old Judge
Jackie Robinson – 1948 Leaf
Jackie Robinson is considered to be a hero for the baseball industry for decades. He was the one who broke the color line in MBL, which had a sustained impact on all sports history. That is why he was also considered as the most important athlete from the United States during the 20th century. From then, he was entitled to the 1948 Leaf card. The price for this card changes depending on its grade. One which was graded eight was sold for about $75,000 in the spring of 2019.
Jackie Robinson – 1948 Leaf
Joe DiMaggio – Goudie 1948
This card from the Goudie in 1948 doesn’t look like the usual baseball card. It was different from the other through the build of this caricature body and as well as the background illustration of cartoons. It was also different from others because it was one of the earliest cards of the Yankee Clipper player. You can get a thousand of dollars for this kind of card. However, other Joe DiMaggio cards don’t have a cartoon background with it, which is less cheap than the other one.
Joe DiMaggio – Goudie 1948
Duke Snider – 1949 Bowman
We have Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays on the list, it is only a matter of time that we will tackle this man who is admired to be the center fielder for the team of the Brooklyn Dodgers who are also called “Boys of Summer,” and this is Edwin Snider. Edwin “Duke” Snider is the second most popular personality next to Jackie Robinson in terms of acclaim. This card was in the 1949 Bowman set. In 2016, a copy of this card with a good quality ranged to $232,750.
Duke Snider – 1949 Bowman
Andy Pafko – 1952 Topps
Part of the Dodgers team is Andy Pafko. He is not part of the Hall of Fame. There were no errors nor abnormalities with his card. But, if you’re wondering why this card has made it to this list, it has to do with the numbers. His card was designed to be number 1 in the set of 1952. This is the main reason why it is so famous and adored by baseball card collectors. A copy with a grade of 10 can be sold for about $250,000.
Andy Pafko – 1952 Topps
1909 T206 Sherry Magee (Error)
Sherry Magee has led the National League in RBI for not less than four times. But it is not the reason why his cards were sold for about $660,000 last September 2018. It turned out that there was an error with his card. His name was misspelled. Instead of Magee, it was “Magie” that was written in the copy. As expected, the value of the corrected card version was way more expensive than the errored ones. This was an error that was celebrated by those people inside the card history.
1909 T206 Sherry Magee (Error)
1910 T210 Old Mill Joe Jackson
This card right here is known to be the only cards that were manufactured during Joes Jackson’s playing years that are still around right now. While it has been a hundred years since the Black Sox issue happened and thirty years since “Field of Dreams,” people are still amazed by Joe. Well, in fact, this card was still sold for $600,000 last 2019. Even though the fact that Joe is featured to be a member of a minor league in this card, it is still a very rare one.
1910 T210 Old Mill Joe Jackson
1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb
As long as the molasses-flavored, caramel-coated snack has been around, so as the baseball. Cracker Jack had been immortalized in baseball lore because of the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” that was made in 1902. Ty Cobb drove all the pitchers crazy that time, more than three decades. Averaging .366 batting is still the top for all the Major League Baseball players from then and now. This 1915 Cracker Jack card was sold for 432 thousand dollars last 2016.
1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb
1948 Leaf Satchel Paige
It is uncommon for a 42-year-old pitcher to have a rookie card that can be so rare. Leroy Paige is considered to be the most dominant hurler in the whole history of baseball. Leaf didn’t get a chance to show off his incredible talent in the majors until the year 1948. He, the legend, is said to have no problem when he stepped at every game he had. He even got a 6-1 record for the world champions, Cleveland Indians. Copy of this card is sold for about $432,000.
1948 Leaf Satchel Paige
1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth
In line with Babe Ruth’s fame, you will have a hard time finding a copy of this card with a good shape. A PSA 9 copy of this card that was in the perfect condition was sold for around $432,000 last April 2019—thinking about the fact that the cards were packed together with the caramel, which put it in the condition where they are susceptible to staining. Surely, there were these kids that had these sticky fingers that would get their hands on the cards.
1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth
1909 T206 Ty Cobb (Ty Cobb Back)
Seeing Ty Cobb several times in this list will make you wonder how many cards were made for him? There were four Cobb cards in the Landmark T206 set. Only one variation was as rare as the T206 Wagner. The portrait that is in red advertises Ty Cobb’s own tobacco brand, reading “Ty Cobb, King of the Smoking Tobacco World.” There were only 19 “Cobb-Cobb” that were graded by the PSA. Where in 2018, a graded 3.5 of T206 “Cobb-cobb” was sold for $408,000?
1909 T206 Ty Cobb (Ty Cobb Back)
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle
This card is simply one of the most popular cards of Mickey Mantle. Here, we can see that he is grinning from ear to ear for a good reason. In the year 1956, he was able to capture the elusive Triple Crown by leading the league with an average of .353 in batting and a total of 52 home runs. He truly became a baseball superstar in that particular year. The 1948 card with a grade of 9 was sold for approximately $312,000 last February 2018.
1956 Topps Mickey Mantle
1948 Leaf Stan Musial
Two cards recognized a legendary rookie hitter, and this is one of the two. This card is considered to be harder to find compared to the other one. This card is said to be more attractive because the second one uses colors that oppose black and white, which was normally used at that time. Stan Musial was a 7-time NL champion who was also inducted to be part of the baseball Hall of Fame in 1969. This card was graded nine and was sold for $315,000 last 2018.
1948 Leaf Stan Musial
1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig
Goudey Gehrig’s popularity is said to be durable, as it is illustrated with all the games that he played inside the field. Goudey, known as “The Iron Horse,” retired with a baseball record for the most consecutive games played at 2,130. However, this record was beaten by Cal Ripken Jr. PSA 10 1933 Goudney Gehrig is the only card to receive a Gem mint grade, which was valued $33,000. Then it was auctioned in 2007 and was sold for $274,950. It was the only graded 10 in the year 1933
1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig
1911 General Baking Ty Cobb
Baseball cards are known to be sold in all kinds of forms, whether it is in cigarettes, candy, etc. This 1911 PSA 8 is the only one who was different from the others. This card was packed with loaves and bread. Last September 2008, this Ty Cobb card was sold for a great price, $272,980, to be exact. The closest PSA was PSA 6, as of August 2018. It would make a lot of money if it were to be sold today, it is the easiest way to say it.
1911 General Baking Ty Cobb
1910 E98 Ty Cobb
Next, yes, it is Ty Cobb again. He was considered to be the most gifted athlete in the early 20th century. With his incredible talent, he was an absolutely great hitter, not only that, but he was also the best base stealer and known to have a great defense. It is truly remarkable. He dominated all the statistics in the American League during the Deadball Era. You would always be able to sell century-old cards, especially if the condition of it is great. In May 2019, it was sold for $270,600.
1910 E98 Ty Cobb
1909 T206 Christy Mathewson
Christy Mathewson had a great reputation in his whole career in baseball. He used a special pitch, which was compared to a screwball. This talent was so amazing that he was one of the first to be inducted in the Hall of Fame, along with Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Walter Johnson. His plaque has a caption “Matty was the master of them all.” A PSA 9 T206 Mathewson was sold for $264,000 in September 2018.
1909 T206 Christy Mathewson
1939 Play Ball Ted Williams
There are lots of Williams items to choose from. Most people for the main rookie cards rather than anything. Ted Williams is the true rookie star. That is why he has his own card. This car is relatively common, for it was produced in the late ‘30s. But, all those high-grade illustrations are hard to find all the same. In November 2016, a PSA 9 1939 Play Ball Williams was sold for about $240,000.
1939 Play Ball Ted Williams
1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie
This card right is really considered to be a rare one. There were a total of 100 copies of them existing. The main reason for it to become rare is that it was not included in the original set. The ones who collected it in 1934 had to go directly to the manufacturer for them to complete the set. The cards were mailed directly to the house of the collector with a paper clip on them. In November 2016, a PSA 9 1933 Goudney Lajoie was sold for $228,000
1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie
1910 Standard Caramel Honus Wagner
For Honus Wagner, it is given that there was no doubt that this was not a consolation prize for him. Having Cobb to be the best hitter of his time, Wagner was included in the baseball Hall of Fame class of 1936, which is also known as “The First Five” together with Walter Johnson, Cobb, Ruth, and Mathewson. In September 2018, a PSA 9 1910 Standard Caramel Wagner was sold for about $218,550. Honus Wagner had more than eight batting titles in his entire career.
1910 Standard Caramel Honus Wagner
1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
This card is considered as a “true classic” one in the baseball industry. This was also Joe DiMaggio’s most popular and well-known card. Joe couldn’t just stop hitting the ball in the year 1941, that’s why he set a still-standing 56-straight game hit streak. This card was a big hit last April of 2019. A PSA 9 1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio was sold for approximately $220,000 at an auction. This card is also said to be the key to the 1941 Play Ball set.
1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
1955 Topps Sandy Koufax
Even though Sandy Koufax’s career in baseball was short due to his injuries, he was inducted to be part of the baseball hall of Fame in 1972. For the record, he was the youngest player that has been elected to the Hall of Fame at the age of 36. It just shows how Sandy was dominant in his entire career. A PSA 9 1955 Topps Koufax card was sold for $215,100. There were only 3 copies of this card that was graded PSA 10.
1955 Topps Sandy Koufax
1914 Boston Garter Joe Jackson
This card was originally meant for clothing store window displays. And now there are about six 1914 Boston Garter Jackson cards that exist up until today. A Sportscard Guaranty 70 of this was sold for $204,000 with a PSA 5.5 in August 2007. Today, it still remains to be the most attractive card that was made. No surprise that this kind of card would be more expensive compared to before.
1914 Boston Garter Joe Jackson
1954 Bowman Mickey Mantle
We can say that Mickey Mantle is truly one of the most popular personalities in the history of sports. We can’t imagine how his cards would be extremely valuable even up to this day. Mantle was not surprisingly added to the “Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players” in the year 1998. This is the reason why a Mickey Mantle card could be sold for such a high amount. A good example is this card, a PSA 9 1954 Bowman Mantle, which was sold for not less than $204,000 in May 2017.
1954 Bowman Mickey Mantle
1914 Boston Garter Ty Cobb
This card right here is definitely the card that is almost impossible to find, especially the only Ty Cobb card that was graded by either SGC or PSA. This came from the all-too-rare window display series. This is also a Sportscard Guaranty 50 1914 Boston Garter Cobb, which is a total of PSA 4, and was sold for nearly $205,000 last August 2018. Ty Cobb is considered to be the first baseball player to win a bronze plaque in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
1914 Boston Garter Ty Cobb
Roger Clemens – 1984 Fleer Update
This card is also from the 1984 Fleer Update set. But this time, this card belongs to the most valuable rookie named Roger Clemens, who is also known as “The Rocket.” Roger became one of the best pitchers belonging in the ’80s, the ’90s, and also the ’00s. But unfortunately, his reputation in baseball crashed down after the accusation of the use of steroids. This accusation also prohibited him from being part of the Hall of Fame. You can sell this card for approximately $200 to $400, varying to its condition.
Roger Clemens – 1984 Fleer Update