Baseball Card Market Report for October 20-26, 2022 - Top eBay Sales

PLUS -- 5 Vintage World Series Cards with Hobby Swagger

Oct 28, 2022

Note: When you click on links to various merchants in this newsletter and make a purchase, this can result in this newsletter earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

October Heroes Leading Off

Considering that the World Series starts tonight, it’s fitting that we have a couple of Fall Classic heroes leading off for our lineup of the most expensive baseball cards sold on eBay last week (bottom of post).

OK, so Mickey Mantle always sits near the top of these lists.

And, yes, Jackie Robinson’s batting record in World Series play was a mixed bag.

But they were both undeniably part of baseball’s October constellation during the 1950s, and, when you throw in Willie Mays — he of “The Catch” fame (among other fame) — in the fourth slot, you have the perfect lead-in to get up close and personal with …

5 Vintage World Series Cards with Hobby Swagger

In case you hadn’t heard, the World Series starts tonight!

So how could we miss this opportunity to tie the Fall Classic in with the baseball card market? Well … we couldn’t!

That’s how.

There’s a lot of ways we could go with this, but I’m going with this: a quick rundown of World Series cards that command serious bucks on the market.

(You can find a complete history of Topps World Series cards over on WaxPackGods.com right here.)

For most of their lives, World Series cards issued in base sets (usually Topps) have been fun but little more than curiosities. Now, though, on the heels of the pandemic explosion and amidst the booming graded vintage card market, some of these old gems are proving to have a whole new life.

(Note: The following sections contain eBay affiliate links to listings for the card being discussed. Values cited are based on actual recent card sales.)

1958 Topps World Series Batting Foes (#418)

Check Prices on eBay

Topps has always been masterful at squeezing as many copies of star players as possible into their sets, and they hit the daily double with their first foray into World Series cards.

Big names don’t come much bigger than Mickey Mantle and Hank Aaron, and that’s especially true all these years later when the full extent of Hammer’s greatness is fully visible for the ages.

With great players, though, come great prices … so hold onto your socks!

PSA 7 value: $2000-2500

PSA 8 value: $4000-4500

PSA 9 value: $40,000+

1959 Topps Aaron Clubs World Series Homer (#467)

Check Prices on eBay

If you can’t have Aaron and Mantle together, at least you can have one or the other. This card is a bit of a cheat since it’s part of the “Baseball Thrills” subset and not a dedicated World Series run.

Still, it’s Hank, in the Series, mashing a ball. It counts, and it’s magnificent.

PSA 7 value: $115-125

PSA 8 value: $200-225

PSA 9 value: $800-1200

1962 Topps Maris Wins It In The 9th (#234)

Check Prices on eBay

To hear the accounts of the day, chasing Babe Ruth during the summer of 1961 damn near killed Roger Maris. But The Rajah still had enough in his tank that October to hit a walk-off ding-dong against the Reds in Game 3 of the Fall Classic.

Cue Topps opportunity to feature another card of the man of the hour, which they did with aplomb.

PSA 7 value: $60-75

PSA 8 value: $200-250

PSA 9 value: $600-650

1964 Topps Koufax Strikes Out 15 (#136)

Check Prices on eBay

Sandy Koufax may have been the most dominant pitcher of all-time during the mid-1960s. And, even if you don’t think he gets the nod, you have to admit he’s in the conversation.

The Left Arm of God was in great working order in Game 1 of the 1963 World Series, too, as Koufax mowed down 15 New York Yankees. Yowsa!

PSA 7 value: $175-200

PSA 8 value: $350-375

PSA 9 value: $3000+

1972 Topps Game No. 4 (#226)

Check Prices on eBay

Less than a year after this card was issued, Roberto Clemente would be gone, killed in a plane crash while delivering relief supplies to hurricane victims.

Along with his base and In Action 1972 Topps cards, and that eerie 1973 Topps, this one has taken on a mystique over the years that’s helped drive up the price tag.

PSA 7 value: $30-40

PSA 8 value: $70-85

PSA 9 value: $200-225

PSA 10 value: $1000+

—

These are just a few of the many desirable World Series cards that have made collectors smile through the years. And, while the dollar signs are rolling upwards, they still tend to lag behind the base cards for the same players in the same years.

All of which is to say, you might yet find some bargains among Fall Classic baseball cards.

Probably not so much among our list of …

Top Baseball Card Sales on eBay for October 20-26, 2022

(Quick note — this list contains affiliate links to the original eBay listings.)

If you want to see updated 30-day market toppers anytime, we have a couple of resources over on WaxPackGods.com:

Most expensive baseball cards sold in the last 30 days
Most expensive football cards sold in the last 30 days
Most expensive basketball cards sold in the last 30 days
Most expensive hockey cards sold in the last 30 days

Now, on with the show …

Baseball Card Values Newsletter

Discussion about this post