The sports card collecting industry has reached new heights in recent years, in part thanks to an injection of new technology. These technological advances range from GPS-enabled location monitoring of card boxes to software that quickly provides researchers with vital card information, including year, maker, and edition. As collectors remain bullish about the future of the sports card collecting market, it can be helpful to examine some of the most valuable sports cards of all time.
The first sports card sale of seven figures occurred in 2000. Over the following two decades, 19 additional cards sold for at least $1 million. A myriad of factors influence the value of a card. In the majority of cases, valuable cards depict highly successful, iconic sports figures. That said, cards of young, promising athletes can also hold significant value as players continue to build their legacy.
The single largest sports card sale took place in 2022 when a Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card sold for $12.6 million via Heritage Auctions. Mantle is a legend of Major League Baseball (MLB), with 16 All Star selections and a slew of batting records to go along with 12 World Series titles. He hit 18 home runs in his World Series appearances, a MLB record, and is the only player in league history to hit at least 150 home runs as both a left- and right-handed batter.
Mantle’s success as a player is only part of the reason his 1952 Topps card, informally known as the Chairman of the Cardboard, sold for such a sum. When this version of the Mantle Topps card was released, it came in the year’s second wave of cards, by which time young collectors had moved on to football season. This resulted in a considerable deal of stock going unsold, and eventually being discarded. The situation was exacerbated by the fact that Topps, now a major brand in the sports card industry, was a new player at the time. The fact that Mantle’s card was part of the company’s first series of cards has only made it more valuable.
Indeed, the story behind a card often contributes to the card’s value as much as the player themselves. Honus Wagner’s MLB career is unquestioned: he finished his career with 3,420 hits and 1,732 runs batted in over the course of 21 seasons. But the fact that the Honus Wagner T206 card was reportedly never supposed to be printed was undoubtedly a factor in its $7.25 million price tag in 2022, along with a $6.6 million sale the year prior.
The T206 set of cards were produced by the American Tobacco Company from 1909 through 1911. Wagner refused to be involved with a tobacco company, but by the time he made this clear as many as 200 Wagner cards had already been produced. Some estimates have the original count at just 50 cards, making the Honus Wagner T206 one of the rarest cards collectors can find.
Stephen Curry is an example of a record setting sports card sale involving a modern athlete. Curry, a revolutionary three-point guard for the Golden State Warriors, is best known by collectors for his 2009 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph. The card has an estimated value of $5.9 million, which could increase should Curry continue breaking shooting records and winning NBA championships.
