From Michael Jordan to Babe Ruth, check out the most valuable sports cards sold for millions, as the collection market continues to explode.
Sports cards have exploded in value over the past few years. What used to be childhood treasures tucked away in shoeboxes are now selling for millions at auction.
Collectors and investors are paying record-breaking prices for rare cards featuring legendary athletes. Here's a look at the most valuable sports cards ever sold.
1. 2007-08 Upper Deck Michael Jordan-Kobe Bryant Dual Logoman – $12.9 Million
This one-of-a-kind card shattered records in August 2025, becoming the most expensive sports card ever sold.
The 2007-08 Upper Deck "Exquisite Dual Logoman" features both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant's autographs, along with NBA jersey logos from actual game-worn uniforms. Jordan's logo came from the Bulls' 1996-97 championship season.
A private collector held onto this card for over a decade before putting it up for auction. The winning bid of $12.9 million came from a partnership between Canadian investor Kevin O'Leary, collector Matt Allen, and entrepreneur Paul Warshaw.
2. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle – $12.6 Million
The legendary 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card held the record for most expensive sports card until the Jordan-Bryant card knocked it off the throne. This mint condition card sold for $12.6 million in August 2022—more than double the previous record.
Mantle's card has become a pop culture icon. Baby Boomers grew up watching him dominate with the Yankees, and the card itself represents a golden era of baseball.
Its combination of rarity, condition, and cultural significance makes it one of the most valuable sports cards ever sold.
3. 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner – $7.25 Million
The Honus Wagner T206 card was once synonymous with being the most expensive sports collectible. Wagner, a Hall of Famer known for his clean living, had stopped production in 1911 when he noticed the cards featured cigarette ads on the back.
In the 19th century, early tobacco and newspaper promotions created some of today's most sought-after collectibles.
Only about 50 of these cards exist today. A particularly fine example sold for $7.25 million in a private sale brokered by Goldin Auctions in 2022.
4. 1914 Babe Ruth Baltimore News Rookie Card – $7.2 Million
Babe Ruth's rookie card sold for $7.2 million in 2023 through Robert Edward Auctions.
What makes this card particularly special is that it features Ruth in a Baltimore Orioles uniform—then a minor league team—rather than the Red Sox or Yankees jerseys most fans associate with The Babe.
Only about 10 of these cards exist, making it one of the rarest sports cards ever sold.
