Though introduced to the public in the mid-1860s—not long after the game’s inception and soon after the popularization of photography—baseball cards were not mass-produced until the 1880s. That's when tobacco brands such as Old Judge and Gypsy Queen inserted cards inside their products featuring illustrations of players, mainly to keep the flimsy packaging intact. Baseball cards became a hit with fans, especially children, who got a bonus piece of chewing gum inside packs starting in the early 1930s.
But it was not until the 1980s that baseball card values skyrocketed, thanks to the public's deep interest in nostalgia and the explosion of the popularity of “rookie cards”—cards featuring players in their first Major League Baseball season.
Now considered investments by high-end collectors, rare cards in supreme condition have sold for millions. In 1991, an industry standard for card grading and authenticating was established by Professional Sports Authenticator, a sports memorabilia company. Other companies also rate cards based on condition, including Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and Sportscard Guaranty Company (SGC).
For more than 70 years, the major card company player was Topps, which was licensed by MLB and the MLB Players' Association to produce official baseball cards. In August 2021, Topps was designated to be replaced by Fanatics, which will produce officially licensed MLB cards beginning in 2026.
From Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Famer Honus Wagner to Los Angeles Angels standout Mike Trout, here are nine iconic cards of star players that were sold or auctioned for significant sums:
