List of most expensive sports cards

Sports cards are a variety of trading card, small cards usually made of cardboard, which feature an image of an athlete or athletes along with identifying text. The earliest sports cards were promotional materials usually included with tobacco products and candy and often bearing an advertisement on the reverse. The value of a sports card depends on a combination of the card's condition, the subject's popularity and the scarcity of the card. In some cases, especially with older cards that preceded the advent of card collecting as a widespread hobby, they have become collector's items of considerable value. The two priciest cards are baseball cards, followed by three basketball cards.
The first sports card to sell for one million dollars was a T206 Honus Wagner which went for $1,265,000 at auction in 2000., the industry brings in over one billion dollars annually for manufacturers and retailers.

List of highest prices paid

This list of items is ordered by consumer price index inflation-adjusted value in millions of United States dollars in.
This list includes only the highest price paid for a given card and does not include separate entries for individual copies of the same card or multiple sales prices for the same copy of a card. Thus, for example, the T206 Honus Wagner is represented on this list by one particular card's 2021 sale and does not include the same card's 2012 sale for $1.2 million or the Jumbo Wagner and its $3.12 million sale price.
Cards are evaluated by third-party services, most often Professional Sports Authenticator, Beckett Grading Services, or Sportscard Guaranty Corporation, and given a grade on a ten-point scale based on condition.
The images below do not necessarily represent the individual specimen sold but are representative of the given cards.

Inflation-adjusted price	Original price	Athlete	Year	Card		Grade	Image	Date of sale	Auction house	Notes
$	$12,600,000		1952	Topps		SGC 9.5			Heritage Auctions	Set record for most expensive sports memorabilia ever sold at auction. More than doubled the previous record for a sports card.
$	$12,932,000	Michael Jordan / Kobe Bryant	2007–08	Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA 6			Heritage Auctions	Purchased by a group of three investors which included Kevin O'Leary. Not accounting for inflation, it set a record for most expensive sports and basketball card ever.
$	$7,250,000		1909–11	T206		SGC 2			Private sale	It is generally believed that only 50 to 200 of the cards were ever produced. This sale was brokered by Goldin Auctions.
$	$7,200,000		1914	Baltimore News		SGC 3			Robert Edwards Auctions	A blue variant of this card sold for $575,000 in 2021. It was the first card of Ruth ever produced. It had been owned by the descendants of the paperboy who collected it in 1914 and was housed at the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum.
$	$5,900,000		2009	Panini National Treasures Logoman Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA 8			Private sale	Highest sale ever for a basketball card at the time. Purchased by Alt Fund II, the second investment fund managed by Alt which is a company that specializes in alternative assets.
$	$5,200,000		2003	Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #07/23	BGS 9			PWCC Marketplace	The sale was the highest ever for a basketball card at the time. There was a similar LeBron James card that sold for $1.845 million in May 2020.
$	$4,600,000		2018	Panini National Treasures Logoman Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	Ungraded			Private sale	The sale was made public on Luka Dončić's birthday. The card previously sold for $3.2 million in a private deal in December 2019.
$	$4,300,000		2017	Panini National Treasures Platinum Shield Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 8.5			Private sale	Set the record for most expensive football card. The buyer was a card shop in New Albany, Ohio and the sale was brokered by PWCC Marketplace.
$	$4,212,000		1933	Goudey #53		PSA MINT 9			Memory Lane Inc.	Ruth appeared on four different cards in the 1933 Goudey set: #53, #144, #149 and #181. There are no copies of this card with a higher grade.
$	$3,936,000		2009	Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 9			Goldin Auctions	The seller, gambling consultant David "Vegas Dave" Oancea, had bought the card for only $400,000 only two years prior.
$	$3,750,000		1979	O-Pee-Chee		PSA 10			Private sale	The only other PSA GM-MT 10 had previously set the record for the most expensive hockey card, having sold for $1,290,000 just 5 months prior.
$	$3,107,372.40		2000	Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Ticket Autograph	Serial numbered #8/100	BGS MINT 9			Lelands	Broke the record for the most expensive football card which had been set two months earlier by a different copy of the same card in a Lelands auction.
$	$3,192,000		1951	Bowman		PSA 9			Memory Lane Inc.	The 1951 Bowman is the only recognized rookie card of Mickey Mantle who is the most collected figure in the industry.
$	$2,928,000		1997	Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Logos Signature	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA Authentic			Goldin Auctions	The whereabouts of this card were unknown to the public until it was submitted to PSA for authentication in 2022.
$	$2,400,000		2020–21	Panini Flawless Triple Logoman Patch Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA Authentic			Goldin Auctions	Ten-card boxes of Panini Flawless were sold for approximately $15,000. The sale was described on ESPN.com as "arguably the most promoted card sale of all time." It set a record for a card which was pulled from a pack and resold in the same year.
$	$2,500,000		1986–87	Fleer		PSA MINT 9 / 10			Joopiter	The first sports card ever sold by Pharrell's auction house, Joopiter. One of nine Jordan rookie cards privately autographed in blue marker in 2024.
$	$2,000,000		1997	Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems - Green	10	BGS 8.5			Private sale	Set a record for a Kobe Bryant card. The Precious Metal Gems were serially numbered to 100 with 1-10 being Green and 11-100 being Red.
$	$1,857,300		2013–14	Panini National Treasures Logoman Patch Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 9			Goldin Auctions	Broke the record for a basketball card which had been set only two months and two days earlier.
$	$1,795,800		1996–97	Topps Chrome Refractor		BGS PRISTINE/Black Label 10			Goldin Auctions	The same copy of this card had been sold for just $58,100 on eBay in 2016.
$	$1,800,000		2020	Panini National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 8.5			Goldin Auctions	This card was sold later in the same week that another Herbert card sold for $1.1 million.
$	$1,770,000		1916	M101-4 Sporting News		SGC 7			Heritage Auctions	Although called the Sporting News set, many other companies advertised on the backs of these cards. The February 25, 2023 card advertised the Sporting News on the back.
$	$1,700,000		2020	Panini National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS GEM-MINT 9.5			Private sale
$	$1,680,000	/ LeBron James / Kobe Bryant	2006–07	Upper Deck Exquisite Collection All NBA Access Triple Logoman	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA Authentic			Goldin Auctions
$	$1,537,500		2003–04	Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #32/99	BGS 8.5			Goldin Auctions
$	$1,700,000		1961	Fleer		SGC 10			Private sale	The only recognized rookie card of Wilt Chamberlain, it set a record for a vintage basketball card. This private sale was brokered by Goldin Auctions.
$	$1,440,000		1997–98	Upper Deck Game Jerseys	Serial numbered #8/23	PSA 7			PWCC Marketplace	The autographed card features a swatch of the jersey he wore during the 1992 NBA All-Star Game. Set a record for a Jordan card. A copy of the same card with a higher grade from BGS sold for just $840,000 two years later.
$	$1,620,000		1933	Goudey #149		SGC 3			Fanatics Collect	Ruth appeared on four different cards in the 1933 Goudey set: #53, #144, #149 and #181. Another Ruth card from this set, the yellow-backgrounded #53, sold for $4,212,000 in 2021.
$	$1,500,000		2004–05	Panini Mega Cracks		PSA 10			Private sale	Set a record for a soccer card.
$	$1,291,500		2004–05	Upper Deck Ultimate Signatures Logos #USL-LJ Signed Logoman	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA Authentic			Goldin Auctions	Set record for any 2004 LeBron James card.
$	$1,140,000		2013–14	Panini Prizm Black Mosaic	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS GM-MT 9.5			Goldin Auctions
$	$1,107,000		1955	Topps		PSA 9			Goldin Auctions	Set record for a Roberto Clemente card.
$	$1,080,000		2017	Panini National Treasures Holo Gold Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #3/10	BGS GEM MINT 9.5			PWCC Marketplace	Rarer parallels of the same card had sold for $4,300,000 and $840,000 earlier in the same year.
$	$1,067,500		2024	Topps 50/50 Shohei Ohtani Black Dynasty Relic Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA MINT 9			Heritage Auctions	The card included the MLB logo patch worn on Ohtani's pants when he became the first player in league history to have a 50–50 season. The ball from the same home run was separately auctioned for $4.392 million.
$	$1,050,000		2011	Topps Update Platinum	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 9			Private sale	Purchased by DJ and Entrepreneur DJ Skee. Was displayed at the 2021 Topps booth at the National Sports Collectors Convention
$	$1,020,000		2012–13	Panini National Treasures NBA Logoman Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 9			Goldin Auctions	Set record for an Anthony Davis card.
$	$1,100,000		2020	Panini Prizm Black Finite	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 9			Private sale	This sale made Herbert the third NFL player to have a card sell for over $1 million after Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
$	$1,005,600		1969	Topps		PSA 10			Heritage Auctions	There are no other copies of the card graded as highly as this one which was previously owned by Dmitri Young.
$	$1,080,000		2009–10	Panini National Treasures "Century Platinum" Rookie Patch Autograph	Serial numbered #4/5	PSA MINT 9			Goldin Auctions
$	$1,080,000		2009	Bowman Chrome Draft Red Refractor Autograph	Serial numbered #5/5	BGS GEM-MINT 9.5			PWCC Marketplace	The same copy of this card set a record in 2020 for a modern-day card when it sold for $922,500.
$	$984,000		1952	Topps		PSA 9			Goldin Auctions	In 1953, unsold cards from the set were returned to Topps by retailers and dumped in the Hudson River.
$	$915,000		1997	Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems - Green	10	PSA Authentic			Heritage Auctions	The Precious Metal Gems were serial numbered to 100 with 1–10 being green and 11–100 being red.
$	$1,110,000		2024	Topps Chrome Update MLB Debut Patch Autograph	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA 10			Fanatics Collect	The buyer was Dick's Sporting Goods. Fanatics vowed to donate their portion of the sale to the 2025 California wildfire relief efforts.
$	$900,000	/ Michael Jordan	2003–04	Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Logoman	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS 8.5			Goldin Auctions	At the time, set a record for a modern-day card and a basketball card. The buyer was identified as high-end basketball card collector Nat Turner.
$	$922,500		2002–03	Upper Deck Autograph Logo Mania	Serial numbered #1/1	BGS MINT 9			Goldin Auctions	Set a record for a non-rookie card of Kobe Bryant.
$	$933,483.60		1969	Topps		PSA MINT 9			Memory Lane Inc.	This is an error card featuring Mantle's name in white letters instead of yellow. It is around eight times rarer than the yellow-lettered version.
$	$861,000	/ /	1980–81	Topps		PSA 10			Goldin Auctions	Joint rookie card of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.
$	$840,000		2017	Panini National Treasures Black Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #1/5	BGS 9			Goldin Auctions	Set the record for most expensive football card.
$	$900,000		2020	Topps Chrome F1 Superfractor auto	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA 8			Goldin Auctions	As featured on King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch, this sale is considered the most expensive F1 card in the world.
$	$700,000		1909–11	T206		PSA 7			Private sale	Like the T206 Honus Wagner, the reason for the scarcity of T206 Plank cards is unknown.
$	$717,000		1916	M101-5 Sporting News		PSA 7			Heritage Auctions	Although called the Sporting News set, many other companies advertised on the backs of these cards. The August 28, 2016 card had nothing on the back.
$	$717,000	/ / /	1963	Topps		PSA 10			Goldin Auctions	The only recognized rookie card of Pete Rose.
$	$799,500		2007–08	Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Card Parallel Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #23/35	BGS 9			Goldin Auctions	Set record for a Kevin Durant card.
$	$750,000		1941	Play Ball		PSA 10			Heritage Auctions	This card was produced during the same year as Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.
$	$780,000		2018	Panini Prizm Gold Prizm	Serial numbered #3/10	PSA 10			Goldin Auctions
$	$720,000		2004	Topps Chrome Superfractor	Serial numbered #1/1	PSA 10			Heritage Auctions	Set record for a non-autographed 2004 LeBron James card.
$	$667,149		1909	American Caramel		PSA 8			SCP Auctions	Set a record for a candy card. Considered a rookie card.
$	$870,000		1909–11	T206		PSA 9			Heritage Auctions	One of several Cobb cards from the T206 set. This variant features Cobb holding a bat away from his body on the obverse and an advertisement for Piedmont Cigarettes on the reverse. Another copy of the card sold for $488,425 in 2016.
$	$660,000		1909–11	T206		PSA 8			Heritage Auctions	Magee's name is erroneously spelled as "Magie."
$	$612,359.83	/ Jerry Koosman	1968	Topps		PSA 10			Heritage Auctions	Nolan Ryan's rookie card
$	$575,000		1914	Baltimore News		PSA Good 2			Private sale	Features Ruth with the minor league Baltimore Orioles two years before his first Major League card. The seller had bought the card for $199,750 in 2007.
$	$720,000		1954	Topps		PSA MINT 9			PWCC Marketplace	A copy of the card with the same grade sold for only $645,000 a year earlier in 2021.
$	$660,000		1917	Collins-McCarthy		SGC 8			Heritage Auctions	As of 2021, only nine submissions from the entire 200-card set had been graded this highly by SGC or PSA.
$	$600,000		1910	Old Mill		PSA 3.5			Heritage Auctions	Features Jackson with the minor league New Orleans Pelicans despite being issued during his Major League career.
$	$630,000		1957	Topps		PSA 8.5			Heritage Auctions	Russell's only recognized rookie card. The same copy of the card sold in May 2023 for $660,000 which, adjusted for inflation, is less than the August 21, 2021 inflation-adjusted sale price.
$	$601,200		2009–10	Panini National Treasures "Century Gold" Rookie Patch Autographs	Serial numbered #10/25	BGS 9.5			Goldin Auctions
$	$501,900		1969–70	Topps		PSA 10			Heritage Auctions	Set record for a basketball card. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's only recognized rookie card.
$	$478,000		1952	Topps		PSA 9			Heritage Auctions	In 1953, unsold cards from the set were returned to Topps by retailers and dumped in the Hudson River.
$	$504,000		1915	Cracker Jack		PSA 9			Heritage Auctions