Today, baseball cards are no longer distributed with tobacco or candy but baseball card collecting is just as popular and enjoyed by adults and children. Anyone with an interest in baseball can build an impressive baseball card collection.
Baseball cards in the United States have gone through many changes and are no longer just a hobby but can be a form of investing thanks to short-run print subsets that include cards paired with anything from jersey swatches to game-used bats and autographs. Baseball cards sale themselves and at rates that would impress even the most lucrative collectors from 50 years ago.
Topps was founded in 1938 and today is still acknowledged as one of the leading producers of baseball cards. Sy Berger, who worked for Topps from 1947 - 1997 designed the 1952 Topps Baseball card set on his kitchen table. This original design is still used today. In 1951, Topps introduced its first two sets of baseball cards called the Red Backs and Blue Backs and each containing 52 cards. Topps dominated the baseball card industry until they lost a lawsuit in 1980. Since then numerous other baseball card producing companies have made a name for themselves: Fleer, Don Russ, Bowman, and Upper Deck to name a few.
In 2007 a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for $2.35 million to an anonymous collector. This Honus Wagner T206 white-rimmed baseball card has been highly sought since the 1980s and is currently the most expensive baseball card ever purchased or sold. Other popular baseball cards would include the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card, Shoeless Joe Jackson or any card featuring Babe Ruth.
Top 10 Most Valuable Baseball Cards
1) Honus Wagner - 1909 T206 White Border #366 - $2.3 million
2) Nap Lajoie - 1933 Goudey #106 - $20,000-$30,000
