10 Most Valuable Baseball Cards

Some of the most valuable and expensive baseball cards are also the rarest. Baseball cards value depends on such factors as their condition, rarity, demand, and when they were produced—those produced in pre 1970s are much more valuable than the ones from 1990s.

The vintage baseball rookie cards are some of the best sports cards, but finding these in near-perfect condition is extremely difficult.

Here's a list of top 10 baseball cards of all times:

(Note: For the sake of simplicity, each player has been represented by his most valuable card.)

1. 1.       Honus Wagner, 1909­–1911, T206

Value: $250,000-$400,000

Only a few hundred Wagner cards were produced, and presently just about 10 of them are in a decent condition. Reason for the low production is Wagner's possible aversion to cigarette smoking. He demanded that production of his cards be stopped. Forbes says that the last recorded auction price for a Wagner was $1.1 million in 2000.

1. 2.       Ty Cobb, 1911–1914,E145-1

Value: $3,600-$6,000

This card has been an elusive find to even the savviest collectors. It is for this reason that collectors are willing to pay a heavy price for this.

1. 3.       Joe Jackson, 1910­–1914,E145-1

Value: $5,000-$9,000

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson has been in the top 10 list for almost a decade. He is most famous for his role in the 1919 Chicago Black Sox scandal when his team tried to lose the World Series to the Cincinnati Red Legs for money.

1. 4.       Nap Lajoie,1933, Goudey Gum #106

Value: $20,000-$30,000

Originally, this card was not a part of the 1933 Goudey set, and only collectors who requested this card in writing got this card. Lajoie holds the American League record for batting average in a single season (.426 in 1901).

1. 5.       Babe Ruth

Value: $3,500-$5,000

Ruth is one of the most successful and popular baseball players of his time. Only a few examples of his card exist today. 

1. 6.       Joe DiMaggio, 1938, Goudey Heads Up R323 #274  

Value: $2,000-$3,500

The only player to have achieved 56 game hitting streaks, his record stands unbroken.

1. 7.       Leroy "Satchel" Paige, 1949, Leaf #8

Value: $3,500-$6,000

Only a single card was printed after Paige spent 22 years with the Negro Leagues.

1. 8.       Willie Mays, 1951, Bowman #305

Value: $2,000-$3,000

Mays' was an all time famous rookie card. He became the greatest all-around baseball player of all times.

1. 9.       Mickey Mantle, 1952, Topps #311

Value: $12,000-$18,000

This card brought collecting to fame in the 1980s.

1. 10.   Ted Williams, 1954 Bowman #66A

Value: $2,000-$3,500

Ted Williams originally signed only with Topps, so when a Williams Bowman card was produced, either Topps or Williams or both disengaged from production, making this card scarce.