Funny names and other silly reasons to increase these cards' values
There is a lot that doesn't always make sense in the world of baseball collectibles, but there are at least a few things collectors can count on most of the time. One is that the most expensive baseball cards tend to be of the best players. For example, it's no coincidence that some of the Hobby's highest price tags belong to early cards of Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle. Not surprisingly, the same is true when it comes to more current players. At least for the most part, the top of that market is dominated by Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, Aaron Judge, and the like.
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Still, there are times when a card of a no-name player ends up being worth as much or more than the all-time greats. A classic example is the Joe Doyle error card from the 1909-11 T206 set, which fetches over a million dollars in mid-grade. Here the price tag has nothing to do with Doyle as a ballplayer and everything to do with the rarity of the card's quickly corrected "N. Y. Nat'l" variation. (Doyle was an American Leaguer.)
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Rarity is again the key when understanding how, for example, a 1967 Topps high number card of a player you've never heard of may well sell for more than cards of Ernie Banks or Carl Yastrzemski from the same set. Then again, sometimes a card is just crazy expensive for no good reason at all!
Case in point, check out the stat line for this particular player of yesteryear. At best, the player might be described as mediocre, but even that may be generous given that these are minor league numbers. After all, the 1914 Moose Jaw Robin Hoods weren't exactly the 1927 Yankees!
As for rarity, the particular player's card is no more rare than others in the same set. Under ordinary circumstances, he would be the very definition of a "common player." And yet, if you're sitting on this card in even reasonable shape, you're looking at a small fortune! As for why this is, look no further than the player's name: Ten Million! (And yes, that's his real name.)
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There must be more to the story, right? Nope! That's it. With nothing more than two minor league homers and a funny name, this is a card that commands well over a thousand dollars even in low grade.
Strangely, however, the funny name premium appears largely unique to Million. In other words, while you may get a laugh from your cards of Coco Crisp, Dick Pole, and Boof Bonser, you're unlikely to flip them for any serious cash any time soon. Ten Million aside, the spots of Messrs. Wagner, Ruth, and Mantle within the Hobby Pantheon appear to be pretty solid, at least for now.
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.