Top 5 Most Valuable Joe DiMaggio Cards

In 1969, Major League Baseball celebrated its 100th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the media voted for the greatest living baseball player. Joe DiMaggio finished ahead of Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, and every other superstar alive in 1969.

At the time, the result was not controversial. “The Yankee Clipper” was considered baseball's best player to almost all who watched him play. His legend was such that even rival Ted Williams conceded that DiMaggio was the better all-around player.

That reputation was forged during an era of Yankees dominance. Despite losing three prime seasons to World War II, DiMaggio appeared in ten World Series over a 13-year career and won nine championships. He anchored one of the most successful dynasties in sports history.

Joe DiMaggio Career — Bombers_Coverage on Instagram

The combination of winning, consistency, and mystique continues to define how he is remembered today. It is also why his most important baseball cards command such high prices.

While he may not possess mainstream popularity on the level of Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio remains a titan in the hobby. When his premier cards hit the market, collectors are quick to pay a premium. Below are the best and most valuable Joe DiMaggio baseball cards of all time.

Honorable Mention- 1939 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio #26 PSA 9: $132,000

PSA 9 Population: 13

Total Population: 2,646

Card Info: This is the first major baseball card of DiMaggio. “The Yankee Clipper” appeared on a few oddball cards prior to 1939, (like the 1933 Zeenut) but the 1939 Play Ball DiMaggio is his first mainstream card that was widely distributed in the United States. Some collectors consider this DiMaggio’s true rookie card for this reason.

Set Info: The card was issued by Gum, Inc. (which would later become Bowman) as part of their first ever baseball card set. Some collectors find the black and white design boring compared to the colorful Goudey sets of the mid-1930s. Other collectors like the classic and uncluttered design. The 1939 Play Ball set contains the iconic Ted Williams rookie card as well.

5. Signed 1936 World Wide Gum Joe DiMaggio #51, PSA 3: $203,330

Joe DiMaggio World Wide Gum — Card Ladder

Population with Autograph: 1

Total Population (Unsigned): 40

Card Info: This is likely the only signed copy of the 1936 World Wide Gum Joe DiMaggio card in existence. (Up until recently, baseball collectors were very much against getting their baseball cards autographed, as it was believed that a signature was ruining a card. This is why population counts of signed vintage cards are so low.)

Like the 1939 Play Ball DiMaggio card, this one is also considered by some collectors as the true DiMaggio rookie because it is the first card that features “Joltin Joe” as a New York Yankee. The back of the card refers to the Yankee legend by one of his lesser known nicknames: “Deadpan Joe.”

Set Info: The back of the card is also unique because the biography is printed in both English and French. This is because the card was manufactured by the World Wide Gum Company, a Canadian company that mirrored American Goudey sets. The limited Canadian distribution of the set means the cards are extremely rare and valuable.

4. 1933 PCL Zeenut Joe DiMaggio E137 (Batting with Coupon), PSA 5: $240,000

PSA Population: 14

Card Info: This is the first actual card of Joltin’ Joe. DiMaggio's name is spelled incorrectly as "DeMaggio," but it is still one of the rarest and most historically significant collectibles in the hobby. It is a minor league baseball card that that features the legend in his San Francisco Seals uniform.

Set Info: These minor league baseball cards were originally issued with a coupon attached to the bottom, which could be redeemed for prizes. Only about 2% of Zeenut cards still have this coupon intact because most were removed by children in the 1930s. The 1933–1936 Zeenut cards cover multiple years because the manufacturer, Collins-McCarthy, used the exact same card design and player photographs for four consecutive sets.

2 (Tie). 1937 O-Pee-Chee Joe DiMaggio A-118 SGC 9: $288,000

SGC Population: 8

Total Population: 45

Card Info: This is another card issued from Canada that is extremely rare. It was issued in the year after DiMaggio's rookie season, so it is not usually considered a rookie card. Due to the fragile, die-cut design of this card, a high grade like this one is almost unheard of.

Set Info: O-Pee-Chee, a Canadian gum company, often released sets mirroring American issues. This set in 1937 had a unique design though. The unique nature of this card designed allowed collectors to fold the cards back so it could stand up on its own. Like the World Wide Gum cards, the back of these cards were in English and French.

2 (Tie). 1938 Goudey Joe DiMaggio #274 PSA 9: $288,000

PSA 9 Population: 13

Total Population: 500

Card Info: This is one of Joltin' Joe's most iconic and recognizable cards. Like his 1939 Play Ball, 1936 World Wide Gum, and 1933 Zeenut card, this 1938 Goudey is recognized by some to be DiMaggio's true rookie card. (There is no definitive answer when it comes to DiMaggio’s rookie designation). Collectors either love or hate the cartoonish design of this card.

Set Info: The "Heads Up" set consists of 48 cards, with only 24 players featured. Each player has two cards in the set, including DiMaggio. The cards are numbered from #241 to #288, picking up where the popular 1933 Goudey set's numbering left off. This suggests it was intended to be a continuation of the classic 1933 Goudey set. Other legends in the set include Bob Feller, Hank Greenberg, and Jimmie Foxx. The set was very scarce with low production numbers and limited national distribution, which is why some don't consider this DiMaggio's first mainstream card.

1. 1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio #71 PSA 10: $750,000

PSA 10 Population: 1

Total Population: 1,674

Card Info: This is the most popular and iconic Joe DiMaggio card. This is because of the beautiful design and color of this card and the fact that the legendary 56-game hitting streak happened in 1941. This card is a high numbered short print, meaning it is scarcer than the lower numbered cards in the set. Only one PSA 10 exists of this card. Five PSA 9s of this card exist and two SGC 8.5s.

Set Info: Unlike the black-and-white 1939 and 1940 Play Ball sets, the 1941 cards featured colorful photographs of the players. It is the only major trading card set to simultaneously feature all three DiMaggio brothers: Joe(#71), Vince (#61), and Dom (#63). The set is highly sought after in part because it is the last "pre-war set," and it has immense star power with DiMaggio, Ted Williams (#14), Hank Greenberg (#18), Jimmie Foxx (#13), and Mel Ott (#8).