The business of sports collectibles has seen a lot of changes from 2020 to 2021. The volatility in prices saw a surge from 2020 into early 2021, and then prices corrected handily in many categories. One aspect that has continued to show strength during a period of volatility has been in the high-end vintage baseball cards. After scouring a mountain of data from the summer of 2021 auctions on eBay, the vintage baseball card prices above $10,000 was a massive list.

This is an expanded review of the eBay auctions with multiple bidders with sale prices above $10,000 from June through August in 2021. These fell under eBay’s category of baseball cards with “sold” status after multiple bids on individual cards. And other exceptions or additions were noted separately.

PLEASE NOTE — Our original screen within the context of “baseball cards” in eBay auctions did not include individual names. That has now been expanded within key vintage card auctions to include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb. It was then expanded to include Mickey Mantle, Robert Clemente, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Jackie Robinson and Pete Rose. We believe that the larger search results limitation is an issue within basic past auction searches that requires more advanced search criteria. This updated screen will have missed other specific auctions above the $10,000 level which did not fall within the updated screen.

We also only used the auction format, which does screen out some of the “Buy It Now” transactions that will have occurred above the $10,000 level within eBay. We also eliminated auctions that only had 1 bidder and those bids which were only in the final throws of an auction. No consideration was given to sales tax, shipping costs, insurance and international orders.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. The same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds is now being used to buy high-end collectibles. If people are spending $10,000 in competitive auctions, that is definitely capital that could have just as easily been used to buy stocks, bonds, crypto and other assets. It is also undeniable that collectors with a passion to own these cards are competing with investors who are simply buying assets to sell for a profit.

First and foremost, collectors and investors alike better understand and accept that there are no guaranteed profits in life. Stocks and bonds can fall in value. Sports collectibles can also fall in value. And when you add up the cumulative costs of commissions (or fees), shipping and taxes, the costs for break-even in collectibles are automatically higher than investing in traditional assets.

Again, this list has been updated to reflect a wider group of names using more specific search criteria.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 7 rookie sold for $128,109.00 on August 29, 2021 after 256 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 4 rookie sold for $84,999.00 on July 5, 2021 after 92 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card #311 PSA 1.5 FR sold for $39,101.00 on June 26, 2021 after 67 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 3 rookie sold for $38,000.00 on August 15, 2021 after 83 bids.

1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle rookie PSA 6 sold for $34,600.00 on June 12, 2021 after 88 bids.

1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #160 PSA 7 sold for $31,100.00 on July 24, 2021 after 47 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 1 rookie sold for $30,057.00 on July 10, 2021 after 31 bids.

1959 Home Run Derby set break Mickey Mantle PSA 7 sold for $29,985.00 on July 6, 2021 after 51 bids.

1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth New York Yankees PSA 4 VG-EX sold for $26,300.00 on July 14, 2021 after 58 bids.

1909 E102 TY COBB PSA 5 (title included “CENTERED HIGH END EXAMPLE” RARE, ONLY TWO GRADED HIGHER!) sold for $25,655.00 on July 13, 2021 after 32 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 1 rookie sold for $24,700.00 on August 5, 2021 after 60 bids.

1956 Topps #33 Roberto Clemente WHITE BACK PSA 9 sold for $22,102.22 on August 15, 2021 after 53 bids.

1952 Bowman #101 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 sold for $19,870.00 on June 20, 2021 after 46 bids.

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie Card #253 PSA 3.5 sold for $19,300.00 on June 27, 2021 after 4 bids.

1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 PSA 7 sold for $19,000.00 on September 3, 2021 after 1 bid.

1933 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth PSA 4 sold for $16,900.00 on July 14, 2021 after 27 bids.

T206 Ty Cobb Bat On Shoulder Piedmont 150 SGC 80 EX-NM 6 sold for $16,669.00 on June 28, 2021 after 35 bids.

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie PSA 3.5 sold for $16,000.00 on August 12, 2021 after 1 bid.

1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays New York Giants HOF PSA 6 EX-MT (with the “LOOKS NICER” in title) sold for $15,500.00 on July 19, 2021 after 21 bids.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 PSA 2 sold for $15,350.00 on August 7, 2021 after 32 bids.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC 1 sold for $15,100.00 on August 17, 2021 after 59 bids.

1921-23 National Caramel Babe Ruth SGC 1.5 sold for $15,000.00 on August 27, 2021 after 54 bids.

1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Ty Cobb RED Portrait PSA 4.5 sold for $14,877.00 on August 2, 2021 after 39 bids.

Henry Hank Aaron “HOF 82” Signed 1954 Topps #128 RC Rookie (PSA 5 PSA/DNA 9) sold for $14,588.00 on August 30, 2021 after 67 bids.

1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 sold for $14,500.00 on August 15, 2021 after 70 bids.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181 PSA 4.5 sold for $14,120.00 on July 21, 2021 after 41 bids.

1922 W575-1 Babe Ruth SGC poor 1 sold for $14,100.00 on July 31, 2021 after 27 bids.

1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth PSA 2 sold for $14,100.00 on July 14, 2021 after 47 bids.

1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82 PSA 6 PWCC sold for $13,750.00 on August 8, 2021 after 6 bids.

1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson RC BVG 4.5 BGS sold for $13,700 on Jul 25, 2021 after 66 bids.

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253 (shown as ungraded) sold for $13,700.00 on June 15, 2021 after 41 bids.

1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson PSA 3 VG sold for $13,011.00 on June 21, 2021 after 62 bids.

1963 Topps set break #537 rookie stars PSA 8 sold for $12,313.59 on June 23, 2021 after 50 bids.

1933 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth PSA 2 sold for $12,000.00 on August 23, 2021 after 68 bids.

1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson ROOKIE RC #79 PSA 3 VG sold for $11,900 on June 19, 2021 after 37 bids.

1933 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth PSA 4 sold for $11,900.00 on August 10, 2021 after 28 bids.

1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle BVG 8.5 sold for $11,700.00 on August 16, 2021 after 46 bids.

1953 Topps #244 Willie Mays New York Giants HOF PSA 7 NM sold for $11,577.00 on July 19, 2021 after 71 bids.

1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #181 PSA 2.5 sold for $11,560.00 on August 31, 2021 after 10 bids.

1952 Topps Willie Mays #261 PSA 4 VG/EX sold for $11,425.00 on June 16, 2021 after 38 bids.

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle PSA 3 cardscore 41 sold for $11,233.00 on August 23, 2021 after 48 bids.

1963 Topps set break #537 PSA 8 sold for $11,215.00 on August 16, 2021 after 33 bids.

1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson RC Rookie PSA 2.5 (with a “LOOKS NICER” note in the title) sold for $11,000 on June 22, 2021 after 36 bids.

1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson PSA 2 Good Card #79 sold for $11,000 on June 10, 2021 after 66 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie #311 BVG authentic altered sold for $10,844.00 on June 24, 2021 after 29 bids.

1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays New York Giants SGC 55 VG-EX+ 4.5 sold for $10,700.00 on July 19, 2021 after 42 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 1 authentic altered sold for $10,300.00 on July 21, 2021 after 48 bids.

1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson Rookie #79 Brooklyn Dodgers PSA 2 sold for $10,211.00 on July 25, 2021 after 55 bids.

T206 Ty Cobb Bat Off Shoulder PSA 4 / Polar Bear Back sold for $10,200.00 on July 12, 2021 after 2 bids.

1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle BVG 8.5 sold for $10,200.00 on August 29, 2021 after 49 bids.

1939 Play Ball Ted Williams #92 Rookie Card PSA 6 sold for $10,139.92 on June 13, 2021 after 53 bids.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA altered authentic sold for $10,100.00 on June 29, 2021 after 20 bids.

1975 Topps #320 Pete Rose PSA 10 sold for $10,109.85 on August 16, 2021 after 64 bids.

1954 Topps Ernie Banks rookie #94 PSA 7.5 near mint sold for $10,054.00 on July 19, 2021 after 31 bids.

1967 Topps #150 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 sold for $10,008.00 on August 15, 2021 after 28 bids.

There were multiple auctions that fell within the context of sets and larger lots. These were filtered out aside from the individual card sales to keep the criteria equal. These were seen as follows:

• 1956 Topps Baseball Complete Set (1-342) w/ PSA Graded Mantle Mays Ted Williams includes 49 PSA graded cards sold for $13,644.55 on August 25, 20201 after 33 bids.
• A lot of 1954 TOPPS (HANK AARON, ERNIE BANKS & JACKIE ROBINSON PSA #128, 94, 10) sold for $12,100 on August 18, 2021 but only listed 2 bids.
• 1963 Topps Complete Set (1-576) w/ PSA Graded Pete Rose RC Mantle Aaron Clemente and 25 PSA graded cards sold for $10,857.00 on August 25, 2001 after 53 bids.

Please feel free to reach out and contact any additional auctions within eBay’s vintage cards from the summer of 2021.