Baseball cards became popular shortly after mass production in the 1880s. /Andy Cross/Denver Post via Getty Images

The business cards of Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle of the Hall of Famers have sold millions of dollars.

Although baseball cards were introduced to the public in the mid-1860s-shortly after the game began and shortly after photography became popular-baseball cards were not mass-produced until the 1880s. At that time, tobacco brands such as Old Judge and Gypsy Queen inserted cards with player illustrations in their products, mainly to keep the fragile packaging intact. Since the early 1930s, baseball cards have been popular with fans, especially children, who received an extra piece of chewing gum in the package.  

But it wasn't until the 1980s that the value of baseball cards soared, thanks to the public's strong interest in nostalgia and the popularity of "rookie cards" (cards that featured players in the first season of Major League Baseball). 

Now considered an investment by high-end collectors, rare cards in excellent condition have sold millions of dollars. In 1991, Professional Sports Authenticator, a sports memorabilia company, established an industry standard for card grading and certification. Other companies also score cards based on conditions, including Beckett Grading Services (BGS) and Sportscard Guaranty Company (SGC).

For more than 70 years, the main card company player has been Topps, which has obtained the license of Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association to produce official baseball cards. In August 2021, Topps was designated as Fanatics, which will start producing officially authorized MLB cards in 2026.

From Honus Wagner, a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame, to the outstanding Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, here are nine iconic cards of star players sold or auctioned for huge sums: 

The most valuable baseball card, the Honus Wagner card of the American Tobacco Company in 1911.

Scott Els/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Star power: Wagner, known as the "flying Dutchman," hit 3,420 hits and 723 misses during his career with Colonel Louisville and the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1897 and 1917. He led the National League to hit the ball eight times, each hitting the ball and stealing bases five times. In 1936, he became a member of the first Baseball Hall of Fame.

Iconic card: 1911 American Tobacco Company T206, sold in August 2021 for US$6.606 million.

Legend has it that Wagner was a prohibitor, and he hated using his portrait to sell tobacco. Others believe that Wagner asked the company to provide more compensation for the use of his portrait, so the production of the card was restricted. Regardless of the reason for its rarity, the Wagner T206 card is still the most famous baseball card. 

1952 Tops Mickey Mantle rookie card.

Matt Dirkson/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images

Star power: Mantel was an excellent all-around player before declining due to injury. He played in 1951-1968 and is considered the best conversion batsman in MLB history. If he is not injured frequently, he may have threatened Ruth's home run record. Mantel ended his MLB career with 536 home runs.

Iconic card: 1952 Topps #311, sold for $5.2 million in 2021.

It may be the most legendary trading card in sports, and it is not even Mantle's rookie card. This honor is attributed to his Bowman card in 1951. But Topps Mantle in 1952 has one thing that the card does not have: a fabulous backstory.

In 1952, Sy Berger, the owner of Topps, let a printing press run some of his company's cards. But the card released in the late summer cools collectors, and the outer shell of the product has not been sold. In 1960, Berger dumped as many as 500 boxes of cards (including Mantel's now valuable cards) into the Hudson River.

Read more: Epic battle to beat Babe Ruth's home run record

Babe Ruth Goudey card from 1933.

Star power: Known as the "Great Bambino", "Swat Sultan", "Influential Colossus" or simply "Baby", Ruth is the game's first global star. Like Wagner, he was selected to all the MLB teams of the Century in 1936 and was the first member of the Hall of Fame. Ruth, who played from 1914 to 1935, was the long-term MLB historical home run champion until he was surpassed by Hank Aaron (1974) and Barry Bonds (2004).

Iconic card: 1933 Goudey #53, sold at auction in July 2021 for $4,212,000.

In 1933, one year after he won his last World Series championship, the Good Glue Company produced a set of 240 cards, including four Ruth cards. But No. 53, Ruth is projected against a bright yellow background, which is still the standard. This iconic card is rated as intact by Professional Sport Authenticator.

Read more: 10 things you might not know about Babe Ruth

Topps This unique 2009 Mike Trout rookie card was autographed by the outfielder of the Los Angeles Angels. 

Star Power: Widely regarded as the best active player in the game, nine of the future Hall of Fame members were All-Star players in his first 11 seasons. The outfielder of the Los Angeles Angels has three American League MVP awards. 

Iconic card: Bowman Draft BDPP89 Superfractor in 2009, sold for US$3.9 million in August 2020.

Topps, which produces Bowman cards, began making "parallel" cards in 1992, which are short-run printed versions of rarer and more valuable basic cards. The Superfractor version of Trout's Bowman Draft autographed rookie card-the shiny gold version, limited to one-set the highest card sales record until it was eclipsed several times in 2020 and 2021. 

Star power: As one of the most feared and powerful pitchers in the game, Ryan created a record MLB of 5,714 hitters, nearly 1,000 more than the second place on the list, Randy Johnson. He was an iron man, pitching for four teams during his 27-year career from 1966-93, and then retired at the age of 46.

Iconic card: 1968 Topps Rookie Card #177 (cooperating with Mets pitcher Jerry Cusman), sold for $600,000 in August 2020.

Some people may argue that Ryan lacks team success. He only played for one World Series champion, the 1969 New York Mets. But he set countless records. Koosman got the highest bill on this card and he is an excellent player himself. He ended his career with 222 victories. Few of these cards are intact.

Star power: Robinson, a member of the Hall of Famer, broke the color barrier of Major League Baseball in 1947 and became an icon of social justice in the process. As an outstanding all-around athlete, he played four sports (baseball, basketball, football and track and field) at the University of California, Los Angeles. Robinson played from 1947 to 1956, was selected to the National League All-Star six times, and was named the most valuable player in 1949. His No. 42 jersey has been retired by all MLB teams.

Iconic card: 1948 Leaf #79, sold in March 2021 for $392,400.

This iconic card from 1948 is the most desirable card in a group of early cards with stars such as Ted Williams, Stan Muchal, Warren Span, and DiMaggio-it was named PSA 7. At level 10, "Gemstone Condition" is the highest PSA rating.  

Read more: Jackie Robinson facts, quotes and statistics

Star power: Joltin' Joe set a record of 56 consecutive home bases in Major League Baseball in 1941, which is one of the more amazing signs of this sport. As a 13-time All-Star and 9-time batting champion, DiMaggio is a pop culture icon. He married Marilyn Monroe and was immortalized in songs by the Les Browne Orchestra in 1941. It was composed of Alan Courtney and Benjo. The horse writes words.

Iconic card: 1939 Play Ball #26, sold in July 2021 for $218,578.

The 1939 Play Ball card is one of several DiMaggio cards from the little-known manufacturer and is considered his top rookie card. Usually the stoic star smiles on the Play Ball card. Other high-quality versions of his 1936 World Wide Gum and 1938 Goudey cards may have a higher value than this card.

Star power: Henderson, known as the "thief" — played for the Oakland A and New York Yankees during his 25-year career — is considered the best starting striker in Major League Baseball history Golfer. He is the historical leader in base stealing and running (2,295). Henderson’s 1,406 steals in his career are nearly 500 more than the second-ranked player Lou Brock. 

Iconic card: 1980 Topps #482, sold in February 2021 for $180,100.

From the 1950s to the early 1980s, the cards made by Topps often deteriorated quickly, thus losing value to card collectors. As a result, the intact Henderson rookie card produced by Topps has become almost impossible to find. According to Professional Sports Authenticator, a sports memorabilia grading service, the card has been graded more than 23,000 copies. Only 25, or 0.1%, of manufacturers received mint condition designation.  

Star power: "Boy" is a rare combination of skill and athletic ability, becoming the favorite of fans, especially his first team Seattle Mariners. Griffith retired after the 2010 season. He was elected to the Hall of Fame for the first time, with 99.3% of the votes. He was named to the All-Star 13 times and led the American League in home runs four times. He ended his career with 630 home runs.

Iconic card: 1989 Upper Deck #1, $23,100 in March 2021. 

Griffey's 1989 Upper Deck rookie card immediately caused a sensation. Soon after the set was released, ungraded copies were sold for more than $100. Griffith became the best player in the 1990s and continues to prove that the high price is reasonable. 

Read more: Who invented baseball?

Fact check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. However, if you see something that looks incorrect, please click here to contact us! HISTORY regularly reviews and updates its content to ensure its completeness and accuracy.

We compile our most fascinating features twice a week and provide them directly to you.