While we may not be able to explain it, as humans we tend to spend exorbitant amounts of money on things we don’t really need, especially when we have the financial means to do so and passion comes into play.
This is basically how the exciting and expensive world of baseball card trading came to life, with many wanting to get their hands on rare collectables and willing to purchase them for the same amount as a fairly average house.
There are some that can be picked up for 10 cents at a local mall convention, but we’re more interested in the ones that may have started of at 10 cents and can now be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Babe Ruth: Baltimore News 1914
First on our list is the legend himself, who has been dubbed the best player of all time, Babe Ruth. Before he managed to hit 342/474/690 with as many as 74 home runs, he pitched as a teenage bambino for the Baltimore Orioles, which was just a minor league at the time.
The very rare 1914 Baltimore News card was then sold for an incredible $450, 300 at a public auction. Apparently, however, it was bought by a private buyer for $575 000 in 2012.
Joe Jackson: American Caramel 1901
Who would have guessed that a Shoeless Joe Jackson rookie card that was packaged with caramel would be worth such a fortune today? In August 2016 the highest 1909 card was sold for an incredible $667 189.
In spite of the fact that the star that had his time in the early 20th century will forever be known for his Black Sox scandal, hitting .356/.423/.517 means that he retired as one of the best batters of all time.
Babe Ruth: Sporting News 1915-16
You may not be surprised to see this name again, considering Ruth’s history. The Sporting News rookie card could very likely join the $1 million club, with PSA appraising a NM-MT 8 version at a whopping $1.25 million.
This means that the buyer who managed to get their hands on one last year for $717 000 technically got a bargain. If you enjoy betting or hitting the casino, you really need to win big if you want to get your hands on a Babe Ruth Card.
Mickey Mantle: Topps 1952
Undoubtedly one of baseball’s most iconic players, you still may be wondering what makes Mickey Mantle cards more expensive than the others.
The fact is the 1952 Topps sales were so poor at the time that cards were actually dumped in the ocean, which makes them highly collectable items. One of the rarest cards sold for as much as $1 135 250 last year.
Honus Wagner: 11 T206 1909
This card could be more famous than the player himself, selling for an incredible $3.12 million and referred to as the Holy Grail of baseball cards as few are know to exist.
Bill Mastro eventually admitted to trimming the Gretzky Wagner card in order to bump it up to a grade 8, which is more than likely what made the recent PSA 5 per Cracknell card the most pristine out there.