Sports cards are highly collectable and some reach prices only the super-rich can afford. Although miniature in size, these cards can fetch millions of dollars at auction, making them some of the most valuable artworks in the world per square inch. But which card takes the top spot? As 2021 continues to smash records, read on to discover the world’s most valuable sports cards, ranked from least to most expensive.
Card #537 from the 1963 Topps set reached $717,000 (£526,135) at auction in 2016. According to the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), this card is the only copy of the design – which features the heads of baseball players Pete Rose, Pedro Gonzales, Ken McMullen and Al Weis – in perfect condition. The card received a new offer of $1.1 million (£807,290) via Heritage Auctions in March 2021 but its anonymous owner declined.
In April 2020, shortly after the coronavirus pandemic made live sport impossible, Netflix released The Last Dance. This 10-part series follows the career of basketball star Michael Jordan and features behind-the-scenes footage of the Chicago Bulls. Not only did The Last Dance provide a welcome distraction for bereft basketball fans, but it also sent the price of Michael Jordan sports cards soaring. In December 2020, this 1997 Metal Universe card – one of just 10 green Michael Jordan cards in existence – sold for $915,000 (£671,519). At the time, this made it the most expensive Michael Jordan card to date.
Baseball legend Jackie Robinson was the first African American player in Major League Baseball (MLB). The 1952 Topps set of sports cards is rare and just 11 copies of #312 have received a grade 9 or 10 from the PSA, ratings that indicate "mint" or "gem mint" condition. This copy sold for $984,000 (£722,158) at Goldin Auctions in March 2021.
Card #260 from the 1969 Topps series is the first card on this list to hit the $1 million (£733,800) mark. Showing baseball right fielder Reggie Jackson on a pale blue background, this rookie card is considered one of the most iconic sports cards from the 1960s. According to the PSA, the design itself isn’t rare but finding one in great condition can be tough. The 1969 Topps series suffered a variety of print errors, from image tilts to dark print defects. When former MLB player Dmitri Young sold this gem mint copy, it reached $1.005 million (£737,369) at auction.
Although cards from the early 1900s are often considered the holy grail of sports card investments, newer cards can be just as desirable. Traditionally, the backs of sports cards feature facts or advertisements. Today, they can include patches from sports jerseys or even samples of the players’ hair. This unique copy of #151 from the 2012-13 National Treasures series, which sold for $1.045 million (£766,403), is a perfect example. Not only does it feature an NBA symbol patch taken from a player-worn jersey, but it’s also been signed by Davis himself.
A baseball player and philanthropist, Roberto Clemente tragically died in a plane crash while delivering earthquake relief supplies to Nicaragua in 1972. His #164 rookie card from the 1955 Topps series is highly sought after. The PSA claims there are 11 copies of the card in mint condition (grade 9) and just one in gem mint condition (grade 10). This one, which received a grade 9, bears Clemente’s signature and sold for $1.1 million (£806,850) in March 2021.
Since the tragic death of NBA champion Kobe Bryant in 2020, the demand for his sports cards has skyrocketed. According to data from eBay, the value of Bryant cards increased by 600% in the few weeks following his fatal helicopter crash. However, none of these cards came close to #138 from the 1996 Topps series, which sold on Goldin Auctions for a record-breaking $1.796 million (£1.3m) in March 2021. The card is one of just two copies in "pristine" condition around the world.
When a Giannis Antetokounmpo sports card from the 2013-14 National Treasures series sold for $1.8 million (£1.3m) in September 2020, it briefly became the world’s most expensive basketball card. The copy features Antetokounmpo’s signature and the NBA patch from his Milwaukee Bucks jersey. It received a grade 9 rating from the PSA and was listed on Goldin Auctions, where it sold just a few months before Antetokounmpo was crowned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Card #GJ13S from the 1997-8 Upper Deck series is the second Michael Jordan sports card to make this list. Bought for $2.1 million (£1.5m) in May 2021, it’s the most expensive Michael Jordan memorabilia in the world, featuring Jordan’s signature and the patch from his 1992 All-Star game jersey. The card is one of just 23 copies and is described as "fundamentally without equal" in its listing on Goldin Auctions.
Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New England Patriots, Tom Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl champion. His 2000 Panini Playoffs Contenders Auto card was printed just 100 times and is described as "the most important football card in the world" by the New Jersey auction house Lelands. When this copy was sold during a Tom Brady auction, it reached a staggering $3.1 million (£2.27m) during a bidding war of more than 30 participants.
Playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1897 and 1917, Honus Wagner was one of the first five players to join the MLB Hall of Fame. It’s no surprise his sports cards are some of the most sought-after in the world. Thanks to their age and scarcity, high-grade Wagner cards are hard to find – so when a copy of his card from the 1909 T206 series came to auction in May 2021, it sold for $3.75 million (£2.73m), despite what Goldin Auctions described as its "horizontal creases, a small smudge or two, and the expected corner wear".
Tying with the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner card, this 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky card also sold for $3.75 million (£2.73m) in May 2021. This makes it the world’s most expensive hockey card. According to Gold Card Auctions, it's also one of the most frequently forged. Although Topps made a card with the same photo on the front, this design by the chewing gum company O-Pee-Chee is much harder to find and counterfeits have flooded the market.
When this Bowman Chrome Auto Rookie series card sold for $3.9 million (£2.86m) via Goldin Auctions in August 2020, it broke records. The card was in mint condition and the only copy of its kind, bearing the exclusive serial number 1/1. According to Forbes, its previous owner bought it for $400,000 (£293,440) on eBay in 2018. That means it gained around $3.5 million (£2.75m) in value in just three years, reflecting the recent surge in sports card prices.
In July 2021, LJ’s Card Shop in New Albany, Ohio, paid $4.3 million (£3.2m) for this 2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes football card. The card – which is the only one of its kind – features an NFL jersey patch and Mahome’s signature. It smashed the record set by Tom Brady’s 2000 Panini Playoffs card just one month before, making it the most expensive football card in the world. Mahomes himself had this to say on Twitter: "My goodness".
This one-of-a-kind 2018-19 National Treasures basketball card hit headlines in early 2021 when it sold for $4.6 million (£3.4m). Unlike most of the cards on this list, it was bought by an individual collector who chose not to remain anonymous. Bolillo Lajan San announced the sale on Instagram on 28 February, Luka Doncic’s birthday. "Today is a big day in the hobby", he wrote, confirming that he’d spent a total of $5.88 million (£4.3m) on sports cards as part of the deal.
LeBron James is no stranger to breaking records. However, his latest achievement wasn’t on the court but during a private sale brokered by PWCC Marketplace. In April 2021, this 2003-4 Upper Deck Exquisite RPA (rookie patch autograph) sports card sold for $5.2 million (£3.8m). At the time, this made it the world’s most expensive basketball card, breaking the record set by Bolillo Lajan San two months earlier.
Card #311 from the 1952 Topps series might also have sold for a staggering $5.2 million (£3.8m), but its buyer – actor Rob Gough – described it as "highly underpriced". Gough, a sports card collector, bought the iconic Mickey Mantle card from PWCC Marketplace in January 2021. The 1952 Topps series was the first annual set of sports cards. It became infamous after the company threw thousands of leftover cards into the Hudson River in 1960, a move that’s made it tricky to find original copies today.
In July 2021, the alternative asset platform Alt Fund II bought a 51% stake in this 2009 National Treasures RPA card for $5.9 million (£4.3m). Unique amongst sports cards, the RPA was awarded a grade 8 overall while Curry’s autograph was awarded a perfect PSA rating (grade 10). Alt Fund II has stored the card in its so-called Alt Vault, which currently contains more than 10,000 rare cards worth over $50 million (£37m) in total.
In June 2021, a copy of card #53 from the 1933 Goudey set – known as "Yellow Ruth" because it shows Babe Ruth on a yellow background – was sold to an anonymous buyer for $6 million (£4.4m). If you're hoping to cash in on the card’s success, you can. Shares of the card are available from the investment platform Collectable for just $3 (£2.20) and fans and shareholders alike can admire the card at the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore, Maryland.
The quality of a sports card can make or break its value. When a copy of this 1909 Honus Wagner card came to auction in May 2021, it sold for $3.75 million (£2.75m) despite its creases and smudges. Just three months later, another copy was sold via Robert Edward Auctions for $6.6 million (£4.8m), setting the record for the most expensive sports card in the world. We don’t know why so few of these cards were produced. Perhaps Wagner disagreed with the American Tobacco Company, which issued the cards. Whatever the reason, the scarcity of the T206 series means they're the ultimate prize for many sports card collectors.
The Honus Wagner card was knocked off its pedestal this August when a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card fetched a stunning $12.6 million (£10.8m) at auction. Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle played for the New York Yankees for 17 years, and the record-breaking card is from his rookie season. It fetched top dollar as it's in pristine condition with a rare Mint+ 9.5 grading. The sale makes it not only the most expensive sports card in the world but also the most valuable piece of sporting memorabilia. The previous record was held by Diego Maradona’s "Hand of God" football jersey, which fetched $9.3 million (£8m) in May.
Since the sports card market exploded in 2020, people around the world have made millions from their collections. But not everyone has been so lucky. In August 2021, a man from Monte Lake, British Columbia lost his Wayne Gretzky rookie card when his house burned down in a wildfire. Despite keeping the card in a supposedly fireproof box when he evacuated his home, Robert Hugh returned to find the box and the card destroyed. The tragedy happened just three months after the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky card sold for $3.75 million (£2.75m).