Hopefully, none of these baseball cards was thrown away by your parents.
They had small beginnings. Some of the first baseball cards were tobacco box inserts, which were used to advertise the brand while also protecting the package’s star, the cigarettes inside, from being crushed. Baseball cards are now a multibillion-dollar industry.
Here are some of the most valuable cards in the game today:
- Clemente, Roberto, 1955 Topps:
Roberto Clemente, a part of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the 3000-hit club, died in a plane crash while on his way to Nicaragua to assist earthquake victims.
The grade 9 PSA card was auctioned for $478,000 in 2016, beating a grade 10 PSA 1955 Roberto Clemente card that sold for $432,000 in 2012.
Dmitri Young, the famous major leaguer, owned the 2012 edition and put it up for sale.
- Willie Mays, 1952 Topps:
Willie Mays, arguably one of the greatest baseball players of all time, is regarded as a baseball legend.
It’s no surprise, though, that his 1952 Topps card fetched $478,000 at auction in 2016.
His card was part of the three sports sale hosted by Heritage Auctions, which sold a total of $11 million worth of memorabilia over the course of the sale, with the Willie Mays card becoming the most valuable piece!
- Babe Ruth, 1914 Baltimore News:
Babe Ruth, baseball’s most prolific and well-known name, had his 1914 Baltimore News card auctioned for an astounding $575,000 in 2012.
Only about 10 cards are known to exist, making them all highly valuable. They were once among the top-5 baseball cards of all time.
What is the most valuable baseball card in your collection?