While sports card collecting is sometimes associated with baseball, all four major North American sports have a healthy card collecting community. In fact, cards have been sold at high prices across each of the four sports.
The most valuable sports card in baseball history was sold in 2016 for $3.12 million. Often referred to as the “holy grail” of sports cards, the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner card was sold with cigarette packs between 1909 and 1911. No more than 200 of the cards were printed, compared to thousands for other players of the time. According to the PSA scale, only three such cards exist in good condition today.
The most valuable card in the sport of basketball, meanwhile, belongs to four-time champion forward LeBron James. His 2003-2004 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection card is one of the more interesting cards in the hobby. Upper Deck produced only 23 of these cards, which were not only signed by James, but outfitted with a piece of his rookie season jersey. Thanks in part to the relatively young lifespan, these cards are easier to find in good condition and have sold for upwards of $1.84 million.
National Chicle Gum Company produced the first set of professional football cards, which included the sport’s most valuable card to date. A 1935 Bronko Nagurski in good condition is valued at approximately $750,000. Unbelievably, Hunter Heaney uncovered 10 such cards in 2013 as part of his father’s collection.
Finally, the 1979 Wayne Gretzky card published by O-Pee-Chee, a version of the hockey icon’s rookie card, is valued at $465,000, making it the most valuable National Hockey League (NHL) card in existence.
