Top 5 Most Valuable Chicago Cubs Baseball Cards of All Time
The Chicago Cubs are one of the most iconic and beloved franchises in Major League Baseball. With over 140 years of history dating back to 1876, the Cubs have produced countless legendary players whose baseball cards are highly sought-after by collectors. Let's take a look at the top 5 most valuable Chicago Cubs baseball cards of all time.
1. 1909-11 T206 Christy Mathewson
- Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $3,000,000+
The Holy Grail of sports cards, this T206 Christy Mathewson is the most prized and valuable baseball card in the hobby. While known primarily for his brilliance with the New York Giants, Mathewson began his career in 1900 with the Chicago Orphans (which later became the Cubs). Only a handful of these cards exist in top condition due to the fragile nature of the 1909-1911 T206 set. A PSA 10 Gem Mint copy sold for an incredible $3.12 million in 2016. Even in lower grades, this Mathewson commands eye-popping prices at auction. It remains the pinnacle card for advanced pre-war baseball card collectors.
2. 1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth Rookie
- Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $800,000+
Although best known as a legendary slugger for the Yankees, Babe Ruth made his MLB debut in 1914 as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. When the Red Sox sold Ruth to the Yankees in 1919, it spawned the famous "Curse of the Bambino" that saw the Red Sox fail to win a World Series for 86 years. Ruth's 1916 M101-4 card was distributed with the iconic Sporting News magazine and pictures him in a Red Sox uniform. High-grade copies of Ruth's rookie fetch astronomical prices due to his mythical status as the greatest player in baseball history. This card is the Holy Grail for vintage Babe Ruth collectors.
3. 1909-11 T206 "Shoeless" Joe Jackson Rookie
- Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $750,000
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson was one of the best pure hitters in the early 20th century and is most infamously known for being banned from baseball for his role in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. However, before that, Jackson spent 1908-1909 with the Philadelphia Athletics and 1910-1915 with the Cleveland Naps (later Indians) where he batted .408 in his 1911 season. His rookie card in the iconic 1909-1911 T206 set pictures him with the Naps. Only a handful of PSA 10 examples are known to exist, putting this card out of reach for most collectors. But even in lower grades, it remains one of the keys to the T206 set.
4. 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson Rookie
- Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $750,000
Jackie Robinson famously broke baseball's color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. His 1948 Leaf rookie card is one of the most important and desirable post-war cards ever produced. With only a small print run originally, high-grade copies are very scarce. The last PSA 10 example to come up for public auction sold for $600,000 in 2019. This significant rookie card of one of baseball's most culturally impactful figures will continue to climb in value in the coming decades.
5. 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie
- Estimated PSA 10 Gem Mint Value: $600,000
Arguably the most popular and influential baseball card ever produced, Mickey Mantle's iconic 1952 Topps rookie features one of the games' all-time greats early in his Hall of Fame career. Mantle won 7 World Series titles and AL MVPs with the Yankees in the 1950s and 60s. He was beloved for his prodigious power hitting ability. While the population of PSA 10s is higher than the other cards on this list, demand for Mantle's rookie in pristine condition continues to skyrocket. It anchors some of the most valuable vintage baseball card collections on the planet.
Honorable Mentions:
- 1909-11 T206 Frank Chance Portrait - $125,000 (PSA 10 Gem Mint)
- 1913 W514 Strip Card Joe Tinker Portrait - $125,000 (PSA 10)
- 1916 M101-4 Sporting News Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown - $100,000 (PSA 10)
- 1933 Goudey #106 Napoleon Lajoie - $100,000 (PSA 10)
In summary, the T206 Honus Wagner often gets mentioned as the world's most expensive baseball card, but it does not have a direct Cubs connection. When it comes to the top cards linked to the historic Chicago National League franchise, these top 5 selections comprise the creme of the crop for value and investment potential. The Cubs have an incredibly rich history and their early star players are immortalized on cardboard that generates massive demand from collectors to this day. Owning one of these ultra-rare cards remains the pinnacle for serious investors and diehard Cubs fans alike.