Baseball Memorabilia

About Baseball Memorabilia

The first recorded baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ in 1846 between the NYC Knickerbocker Base Ball Club and the New York Baseball Club (the Knickerbockers lost). By 1858, the National Association of Base Ball Players was formed, consisting of around 30 small teams. After the Civil War, the Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first professional fully-paid team.

Over the next hundred years, a number of leagues emerged, including the National Association, American League, National League, Federal League, and Continental (items from defunct leagues are highly sought after today)...

Baseball cards are widely collected today. The earliest incarnations (1840s) were cardboard-backed photos of local players and teams, which came in cabinet card size and the smaller carte-de-visite size. Commercial baseball cards emerged in the late 1860s when a sporting goods dealer called Peck & Snyder printed cards with an ad on one side and a baseball player on the other. Within a few years, cards began appearing in packages of Old Judge tobacco and other tobacco, candy and chewing gum brands.

Other promotional items such as baseball programs became popular in the 1890s. Advertisers bought space on these score cards, and cards from famous games (e.g. the World Series) are highly sought-after. Other collectible promotional items include gloves, statuettes, plaques, posters, and pins.

And of course, there's a huge market for authentic baseball memorabilia linked to specific players, including greats such as Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams, and Willie Mays. They produced plenty of signed baseballs, bats, gloves, photos, and other autographs. But be careful, as fake sports memorabilia is a lucrative business.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Vintage Baseball Card Collector Ben Henry

I started collecting in 1986. If you’re in Boston and you’re a baseball fan, the Red Sox may take over yo… [more]

An Interview With National Baseball Hall of Fame Curator Tom Shieber

The Baseball Hall of Fame officially opened in 1939, so we’re coming up on our 70th anniversary. If you inc… [more]

An Interview With Baseball Card Collector Dave Campbell

Dave Campbell contacted me after reading a post on The Baseball Card blog. He's been collecting baseball card… [more]



See all 33 videos

Baseball Memorabilia Videos



See all 33 videos


Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Old Cardboard

Old Cardboard

Check out this well-organized collection of 500 sets of baseball cards, each over 50 years old. Browsable by type a… [read review or visit site]

The Baseball Card Blog

The Baseball Card Blog

Ben Henry's lively vintage baseball card blog, started in January 2006, offers hundreds of great posts on (and pict… [read review or visit site]

Cardboard Junkie

Cardboard Junkie

Dave Campbell's in-depth blog on old baseball (and some football) cards lives up to it's motto: 'do cards, not drug… [read review or visit site]

Baseball Cards 1887-1914

Baseball Cards 1887-1914

Roll up your socks for this Library of Congress collection showcasing hundreds of players on colorful early basebal… [read review or visit site]

Baseball Hall of Fame

Baseball Hall of Fame

A home run for baseball collectors, this site features in-depth special exhibits ranging from a baseball uniforms d… [read review or visit site]


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Clubs & Associations: Baseball


Other Great Reference Sites: Baseball

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Rickey Henderson 1980 Topps Psa 10 Gem Mint Rookie Card$7,800 Ends Monday 39 bids 155 watchers
1960 Topps Psa Complete Set Nq Nm-mt 1 - 572.beautiful$6,306 Ends in 7 hours 16 bids 56 watchers
Sherry Magie Rare Baseball Card$6,000 Ends Monday 1 bid 10 watchers
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Psa 5 L@@k!!! $5,100 Ends in 7 hours 23 bids 55 watchers
1991 Wild Card 1000 Stripe Brett Favre #119 *psa 10* Rc$2,490 Ends Sunday 28 bids 109 watchers
300 Baseball Game Used Hofer Jersey Auto 1/1 Lot Ruth$1,700 Ends Sunday 15 bids 31 watchers
1960 Topps Complete Baseball Set - Ex/nrmt! Great Set!$1,691 Ends in 21 hours 11 bids 50 watchers
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie Hof Yankees Psa 5$1,625 Ends Sunday 4 bids 58 watchers
1957 Topps Baseball #95 Mickey Mantle Psa 8 Yankees$1,599 Ends Monday 10 bids 15 watchers
1957 Topps #77 Bill Russell Psa Nm 7$1,526 Ends Sunday 17 bids 40 watchers
1967 Topps Complete Set With Seaver Rookie Graded- 9$1,306 Ends in 8 hours 10 bids 26 watchers
1909 E95 Philadelphia Caramel Ty Cobb Psa 4 Hof $1,232 Ends Sunday 18 bids 36 watchers
1958 Topps Baseball Complete Set Ex-exmt+$1,136 Ends Monday 14 bids 43 watchers
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth 144 Batting Pose Psa 3 Vg$1,111 Ends Sunday 10 bids 54 watchers
1968 Topps Complete Baseball Set Ex/nrmt Ryan Rookie!$1,100 Ends Sunday 12 bids 37 watchers
2009 Topps Ufc Series 2 Hobby 12 Box Case Red Hot$1,059 Ends Sunday 6 bids 2 watchers
Topps 1954 Complete Set Vg-ex-$1,000.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 10 watchers
1933 Goudey World Wide Gum #93 Babe Ruth Yankees Psa 2$938.00 Ends Sunday 21 bids 48 watchers
Joe Dimaggio Signed Baseball With Coa $899.00 Ends Tuesday 1 bid
Awesome 1967 Topps Mickey Mantle Baseball Card-psa 9!!$858.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 9 watchers
Roberto Bob Clemente '62 Topps Gai 9.5 Gem Mint Pirates$811.01 Ends Monday 15 bids 14 watchers
T206 Ty Cobb Detroit Hof Red Portrait Psa 4$799.45 Ends Sunday 7 bids 9 watchers
1969 Topps Complete Baseball Set Ex/nrmt++ Great Set!$787.00 Ends Tuesday 4 bids 27 watchers
1977 Topps #476 Dale Murphy Rc Psa 10 B245$770.00 Ends Wednesday 3 bids 17 watchers
1954 Topps #128 Henry Hank Aaron Rookie Psa 8 (oc)$765.75 Ends Sunday 17 bids 51 watchers
Walter Payton Signed Full-size Bears Helmet Wpf Psa/dna$760.55 Ends Sunday 6 bids 44 watchers
1952 Topps High Number #407 Ed Mathews, Good$740.00 Ends Monday 18 bids 21 watchers
Mickey Mantle Signed Yankees Jersey Psa/dna Mint Auto$735.55 Ends Sunday 13 bids 40 watchers
1909 T206 Ty Cobb Detroit Tigers Hof Psa 4$735.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 25 watchers
09 Topps Allen/ginter Amelia Earhart Cut Autograph 1/1$715.99 Ends Tuesday 29 bids 27 watchers
1957 Topps Baseball #328 Brooks Robinson Psa 8 Rookie$712.50 Ends Monday 10 bids 19 watchers
1955 Topps Baseball Complete Set 1-210 Cards Vg To Ex$711.00 Ends Sunday 16 bids 33 watchers
1971 Topps Baseball Complete Set 1-752 Nm - Nm/mt$710.00 Ends Wednesday 11 bids 25 watchers
1980 Topps Bird Magic Johnson Psa 9 Mint -- 1980-81 $710.00 Ends Monday 18 bids 18 watchers
Honus Wagner Signed Baseball Sweet Spot Psa/dna Coa$700.01 Ends Tuesday 17 bids 17 watchers
1965 Topps #31 Gerry Cheevers Rookie Psa 9 Mint Bruins$690.00 Ends Thursday 7 bids 37 watchers
1957 Topps #23 Dick Garmaker Psa Nm-mt 8$689.99 Ends Sunday 15 bids 4 watchers
1952 Bowman Baseball Complete Set Vg-ex+$688.89 Ends Monday 9 bids 40 watchers
1967 Dexter Press Regional-roberto Clemente, Psa 8$676.00 Ends Sunday 5 bids 13 watchers
1952 Topps Set Rookie Willie Mays Lot #261 Exnm Bv2500 $665.00 Ends Sunday 19 bids 30 watchers
New York Yankees Team Signed 2009 World Series Baseball$661.98 Ends Sunday 8 bids 32 watchers
1976 Topps Baseball Unopened Wax Box 36 Packs Gai 8.5$660.00 Ends Wednesday 7 bids 16 watchers
1991 Topps Desert Shield Complete Set W/ Psa Grades!!!$650.00 Ends Sunday 4 bids 25 watchers
Pirates Hof Roberto Clemente Psa Dna Signed Cut Auto $648.75 Ends Sunday 13 bids 27 watchers
T206 Davy Jones Detroit Port. Higrade Psa 7 Nm Blazer !$632.00 Ends Sunday 8 bids 11 watchers
1957 Topps #24 Bob Pettit Psa Nm-mt 8$620.00 Ends Sunday 9 bids 8 watchers
1981-82 Opc #63 Denis Savard Rc Psa 10 Gem Mint 1 Of 2$611.00 Ends Sunday 15 bids 21 watchers
1952 Topps # 311 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card$610.00 Ends in 2 hours 8 bids 37 watchers
T206 Fred Tenney New York Port. Psa 7 Nrmint Blazer !$610.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 1 watcher
Stan Musial 1948 Bowman #36 Psa 7 Nm$610.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 14 watchers
2006 Topps Sterling Mickey Mantle Cut Auto/gu 10/10$610.00 Ends Sunday 19 bids 50 watchers
1969 Topps Baseball Complete Set Exmt$610.00 Ends Monday 24 bids 31 watchers
1969 Topps Baseball Complete Set Ex-nrmt W/var$610.00 Ends Monday 5 bids 16 watchers
Mel Ott Signed Newspaper Photo (psa/dna Slabbed)$600.00 Ends Saturday 1 bid 2 watchers
1964 Topps Baseball Complete Set Vg-ex+$587.77 Ends Monday 21 bids 25 watchers
Ken Griffey Jr. 2009 Sweet Spot Nameplate Bat Barrel /9$585.00 Ends in 2 hours 21 bids 89 watchers
1964 Topps #190 Bobby Richardson Psa 9 *very Rare*$579.00 Ends Thursday 10 bids 5 watchers
1966-67 Topps #35 Bobby Orr Rc, Authentic$577.99 Ends Tuesday 12 bids 46 watchers

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Recent News: Baseball Memorabilia

Source: Google News

Funny Money
New York Times, November 7th

The “club” is made up of a group of young Nebraskans who sell baseball memorabilia online and use the profits to bankroll an investment business;...Read more

Upper Deck Contest Will Choose One Collector to Be the Face of 2010 SPx Baseball
The Cardboard Connection, November 6th

By Nick Tylwalk Nov 06, 2009 | With Upper Deck continuing to produce baseball cards in 2010 despite losing a license to use MLB logos and trademarks,...Read more

Vintage Baseball
New York Times (blog), November 5th

AP Jon Miller in 1996. This post may be of interest only to baseball fans, Yankees fans and New Yorkers. So be it. When your team wins the World Series...Read more

Curt Flood's keepsakes to be auctioned
Belleville News Democrat, November 5th

Cardinals outfielder Curt Flood, will sell some of her husband's most prized possessions from his personal collection of baseball memorabilia Nov...Read more

Bed Goes Up, Bed Goes Down > Vintage Baseball
CREATiVESPORTS, October 30th

So I pretty much have what I wanted: vintage baseball. My only hope is that both teams keep it up for seven full games, and based upon what we have seen so...Read more

In vintage baseball game, big talent trumps small gloves
San Jose Mercury News, October 17th

By Bruce Newman The pinstripes on their uniforms bent in the middle a little more than they had 30 or 40 years ago, when they were the most terrifying...Read more

Vintage baseball exhibition at San Jose Municipal Stadium
Examiner.com, October 15th

Fans of old-time baseball are in for a real treat Saturday when the inaugural Legends of Baseball Vintage Showdown takes place at San Jose Municipal Stadium...Read more

John Goff: The old ballgame — vintage baseball takes the field in Salem
Salem Gazette, October 14th

On Saturday, Oct. 17, the Providence Grays vintage baseball team will be travelling up to the Salem Common to face [an opposing team] in a 1860s [style]...Read more

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