The Most Iconic Baseball Card of Each Decade: The Early 20th Century

Every decade has a single, definitive baseball card that towers above the rest. These cards define their decade and become a measuring stick for prices, nostalgia, and historical importance.

Baseball cards trace back to the 1800s through advertising handouts, cabinet photographs, and tobacco inserts. These earliest cards are incredibly important, but it is difficult to name one definitive card for each decade of the 19th century. Production varied widely, distribution was inconsistent, and many surviving examples are not universally recognized by today’s collectors.

First Ever Baseball Card AKA Magnolia Invitation — Some believe that the "Magnolia Invitation" from 1844 is the first baseball card ever. Others argue that it should not count as a baseball card since it was a ticket. | MLB

Once the hobby entered the 20th century, things changed. National releases, larger print runs, and the rise of household-name superstars created clear baseball card landmarks. In most decades, one card has separated itself from the pack and became the lasting symbol of its era. Below are the most iconic cards of each decade:

1900s: 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner

Universal Population Count: 55

Highest Sale Price: $7.25 Million

Why is this Card so Iconic? It is still considered the “Holy Grail” of sports cards because of its extreme rarity and unique backstory. Other cards in the T206 series were mass-produced, but the Wagner card was pulled from production early.

1900s Runner Up: 1909 T206 Ty Cobb "Red Portrait"

1910s: 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie Card

Universal Population Count: 9

Highest Sale Price: $7.25 Million

Why is this Card so Iconic? It is the first card ever made of the Great Bambino. The card features a 19-year-old Ruth as a minor league pitcher for The Baltimore Orioles. This Ruth rookie card is even more rare than the T206 Wagner.

The baseball card hobby did not even know this card existed until the 1980s. Jim Copeland, a legendary collector, purchased the first recognized copy of the card in the 80s for roughly $6,600. Before this, the set was so obscure that it hadn't even been formally documented or listed.

1910s Runner Up: 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth Rookie Card

1920s: 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig Rookie Card

Universal Population Count: 90

Highest Sale Price: $1,032,000

Why is this Card so Iconic? It is unequivocally Lou Gehrig's only true rookie card, as it was released in 1925 when Gehrig played his first season with the Yankees. The set produced by Exhibit Supply Company is extremely rare, as less than 50 copies of the Gehrig card have ever been graded by PSA. Gehrig is unquestionably the greatest first baseman of all time.

1920s Runner Up: 1921 E121 American Caramel Babe Ruth

1930s: 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144

Universal Population Count: 2,713

Highest Sale Price: $1,065,000

Why is this Card so Iconic? It is not the rarest or most expensive Ruth, but it is the most recognizable. The full-body action shot of Ruth is the image that pops into collectors’ heads when they think of a Great Bambino card. It comes from the iconic 1933 Goudey set, the first mainstream set to ever sell cards in packs with bubblegum.

1930s Runner Up: 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144

1940s: 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson #79 Rookie Card

Universal Population Count: 2,892

Highest Sale Price: $588,000 (Signed)

Why is this Card so Iconic? As the only universally recognized rookie card of Jackie Robinson, this card represents his 1947 Rookie of the Year season and the integration of Major League Baseball. Therefore, this card represents the beginning of the Civil Rights movement in professional sports. Some have compared the bold color design to a high-end painting.

1940s Runner Up: 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige

1950s: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle

Universal Population Count: 2,966

Highest Sale Price: $12,600,000

Why is this Card so Iconic? It is considered the Holy Grail of modern baseball cards. Even though this is not Mantle’s rookie (that would be his 1951 Bowman card), this is definitely the best card of the Mick.

The card's rarity is tied to the fact that in 1960 Topps executive Sy Berger famously loaded hundreds of cases onto a boat and dumped cases of 1952 Topps cards into the Atlantic Ocean.

1950s Runner Up: 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie Card