The Most Expensive Baseball Cards Ever Sold

A look at the most valuable baseball cards of all time.

Baseball fans of all ages have been collecting cards for more than a century. While the vast majority of cards are worth less than a cup of coffee, a select few have broken the seven-figure mark to become some of the most expensive baseball cards of all time.

What Makes Some Baseball Cards So Valuable?

Early baseball cards were included with packs of cigarettes or gum. As the popularity of baseball cards increased, you could buy a pack of cards for a few cents. Now, some boxes of baseball cards cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

Why are some baseball cards so valuable and others are nearly worthless? The most expensive baseball cards have two things in common: the rarity and overall condition of the card.

The vintage cards that sit atop the list of the most expensive baseball cards ever sold capture this point. Finding authentic copies of cards nearly a hundred years old is increasingly rare. If you’re lucky enough to find one, the chances it’s in good condition are slim to none.

As the demand for sports cards has boomed, millions of new cards are being printed every year. Card companies like Topps and Panini have had to find new ways to manufacture rarity. This is where numbered parallels and case-hit inserts come in. The most valuable modern cards have a very limited print run, sometimes limited to just one copy. This scarcity, along with the cards being in mint condition, makes them some of the most expensive baseball cards of all time.

The 10 Most Expensive Baseball Cards Ever Sold

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 SGC 9.5

$12.6 million
This 1952 Topps card is Mickey Mantle’s most popular. An SCG 9.5 copy sold for $12,600,000 with Heritage Auctions in 2022. Not only does it headline the list of most expensive baseball cards of all time, but it’s also the most valuable trading card ever sold.

T206 Honus Wagner SGC 2:

$7.25 million
The T206 set was produced by American Tobacco Co. from 1909 to 1911. As the story goes, Wagner did not want his name and photo to be included with packs of cigarettes because it would suggest he approved of smoking. American Tobacco Co. stopped printing the cards once they heard this, but it was too late for the estimated 50-200 cards that were already produced. The SGC 2 copy that sold for $7,250,000 with Goldin Auctions in 2022 is one of only a handful to have surfaced.

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth SGC 3

$7.2 million
This 1914 card was the first Babe Ruth card ever produced. Sold for $7,200,000 with Robert Edwards Auctions in 2023, this particular copy was preserved by a Baltimore News newspaper boy. Only 10 copies of this card are believed to exist.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 PSA 9

$4.2 million
There are four Babe Ruth cards in the 1933 Goudey set. Card #53 is known as the Yellow Ruth and is one of the most iconic cards ever produced of the Babe. This PSA 9 copy sold for $4,200,000 with Memory Lane Auctions in 2021.

2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Mike Trout Superfractor Autograph 1/1 BGS 9:

$3.9 million
Mike Trout is one of only two modern players to make the list of most expensive baseball cards. His highly coveted 1st Bowman Superfractor autograph sold for $3,936,000 with Goldin Auctions in 2020. At the time of the sale, this Trout card broke the previous record for highest sale set by a T206 Wagner.

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253 PSA 9

$3.19 million
Although most collectors prefer his 1952 Topps card, this 1951 Bowman card is technically Mickey Mantle’s true rookie card. It’s not as valuable as the 1952 Topps, but the 1951 Bowman is still one of the most expensive baseball cards ever sold. A PSA 9 copy sold for $3,192,000 with Memory Lane Auctions in 2022.

1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth #151 PSA 7

$2.46 million
The Blank Back version of this Babe Ruth rookie card is one of the few to show him as a pitcher. PSA has graded six copies of the Blank Back and 18 copies of the regular card. This PSA 7 copy sold for $2,460,000 with the Mile High Card Company in 2021.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149 PSA 8.5

$1.62 million
Of the four Ruth cards in 1933 Goudey, #149 is known as the Red Ruth. The image is the same as the one on #53 but instead features a bright red background. With only one graded higher, this PSA 8.5 copy sold for $1,620,000 with Fanatics Collect in 2024.

T206 Joe Doyle SGC 3.5

$1.3 million
Joe Doyle isn’t a household name or even a Hall of Famer, but the “N.Y. Nat’l” version of his T206 card is one of the most valuable of the set. American Tobacco Co. incorrectly listed Doyle as playing for the National League’s New York Giants, not the American League’s New York Highlanders. Once the company noticed the error, they removed the “Nat’l” designation. It’s believed that less than 25 error copies exist, including the one that sold for $1,323,000 with Robert Edwards Auctions in 2023.

2024 Topps Chrome Update Paul Skenes MLB Debut Patch Autograph 1/1 PSA 10

$1.11 million
Paul Skenes’ MLB Debut Patch Autograph captivated collectors for months before a lucky 11-year-old pulled the card of his dreams. He turned down the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offer of season tickets for 30 years plus meet-and-greets and memorabilia, and it proved to be the right decision. The card sold for $1,110,000 with Fanatics Collect in early 2025.

Add to Your Baseball Card Collection Today

The list of most expensive baseball cards of all time includes Hall of Famers and active stars, but you don’t have to break the bank to add cool cards to your collection. Visit the AA Mint Cards online store to check out baseball cards you can add to your collection!