It’s a difficult pill to swallow, but the reality is that most sports cards aren’t worth much money. The majority of “commons” that you pull from packs hold little to no monetary value. But of course, that doesn’t make it any less exciting to build your collection. Sometimes it’s the cards with the least value that mean the most to you.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are sports cards valued well into the six and seven figures. These are the cream of the crop. These are the “holy grails” that collectors love to chase.
With that in mind, here’s a list of the most valuable sports cards of all time. For the sake of this article, values are based on sales that occurred in 2022. Let’s get started.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $12,600,000
Grade: SGC 9.5
Sold via Heritage on August 27, 2022
1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner – $7,250,000
Grade: SGC 2
Sold via Goldin on August 4, 2022
1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner – $3,720,000
Grade: PSA 1.5
Sold via Goldin on October 9
1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner – $3,136,500
Grade: PSA 1
Sold via Mile High Card Company on March 31, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 008/100 – $2,400,000
Grade: BGS 9/10
Sold via PWCC on October 20, 2022
2020-21 Panini Flawless Triple Logoman LeBron James 1/1 – $2,400,000
Grade: PSA Authentic
Sold via Goldin on June 25, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph /100 – $2,300,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via eBay on February 1, 2022
2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autograph Parallel LeBron James /23 – $2,100,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via Goldin on June 25, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 091/100 – $2,040,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via PWCC on February 19, 2022
1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Kobe Bryant 004/100 – $2,000,000
Grade: BGS 8.5
Sold via PWCC on February 22, 2022
2020 Panini National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield Justin Herbert #158 1/1 – $1,800,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via Goldin on September 10, 2022
2020 Panini National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield Joe Burrow #156 1/1 – $1,700,000
Grade: BGS 9.5/10
Sold via private sale on September 12, 2022
2006-07 Exquisite Collection NBA All Access Triple Logoman Michael Jordan / LeBron James / Kobe Bryant 1/1 – $1,680,000
Grade: PSA Authentic
Sold via Goldin on August 6, 2022
2003-04 Exquisite Collection LeBron James RC 30/99 – $1,572,000
Grade: PSA 8.5/10
Sold via Goldin on January 8, 2022
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $1,560,000
Grade: PSA 8
Sold via Heritage Auctions on February 26, 2022
1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner – $1,528,065.60
Grade: PSA Altered
Sold via Robert Edward Auctions on April 24, 2022
1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth – $1,500,000.00
Grade: PSA 6
Sold via Goldin on April 30, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 025/100 – $1,470,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via PWCC on April 16, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 056/100 – $1,410,000
Grade: BGS 8/10
Sold via Goldin on February 5, 2022
2003-04 Exquisite Collection LeBron James RC 17/99 – $1,392,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via Goldin on February 5, 2022
1958 Alifabolaget Pelé – $1,330,000
Grade: PSA 9
Sold via Rally on February 12, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 048/100 – $1,309,722
Grade: PSA 8/9
Sold via Lelands on March 12, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 029/100 – $1,290,000
Grade: BGS 8/10
Sold via PWCC on January 23, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 099/100 – $1,234,843
Grade: BGS 8.5/9
Sold via Lelands on January 30, 2022
1979-80 Topps Wayne Gretzky RC – $1,200,000
Grade: PSA 10
Sold via Heritage Auctions on August 27, 2022
2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady Autograph 091/100 – $1,200,000
Grade: BGS 8.5/10
Sold via PWCC on August 18, 2022
2003-04 Exquisite Collection LeBron James RC 19/99 – $1,200,000
Grade: BGS 9/10
Sold via Goldin on April 9, 2022
2003-04 Topps Chrome Gold Refractors LeBron James /50 – $1,200,000
Grade: PSA 10
Sold via Goldin on August 5, 2022
2020 Panini Prizm Black Finite Prizms Justin Herbert #325 – $1,100,000
Grade: BGS 9
Sold via private sale on September 8, 2022
2003-04 Exquisite Collection LeBron James RC 78/99 – $1,092,000
Grade: BGS 9/10
Sold via PWCC on July 21, 2022
Key Takeaways
With 30 cards on this list, it may take some time to digest everything you just read. Here are five takeaways to help clear your mind:
- All 30 of these sports cards sold for $1 million or more in 2022.
- There are multiple duplicates on the list, such as the 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Honus Wagner.
- The most valuable card — 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle — sold for approximately $5 million more than the second most valuable.
- Many of the same players are included on the list.
- Not all of the cards are vintage; several are only a few years old.
As a sports card collector, you may share the dream of owning one of these cards in the future. But remember this: many others will skyrocket based on market conditions and player performance. Keep an eye on selling and buying trends in 2023!
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.