Top 5 Signed Vintage Baseball Cards

The sports card market places enormous weight on grades from companies like PSA, SGC and Beckett. This has been the case even though these grades ultimately reflect the opinion of a third-party evaluator judging corners, edges, surface, and centering. Small numerical differences often result in massive price gaps between cards, despite the cards themselves being fundamentally the same.

An autograph, on the other hand, is not an opinion. Either the player physically signed the card or did not. That distinction is permanent, verifiable, and historically meaningful.

A card signed by Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, or Roberto Clemente was actually handled by that player, often decades ago, in a moment that can never be repeated. While an unsigned card may be cleaner or better centered, it lacks the human connection that turns a collectible into a truly special and unique piece of memorabilia.

Many iconic vintage cards are relatively common in unsigned form but become extraordinarily rare once signed. The iconic 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle (gray back) has been graded 8,605 times by PSA. PSA has authenticated only 40 autographed copies of this card.

5,589 of the iconic 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card have been graded by PSA, but only 23 autographed copies have been authenticated. 1,447 of the classic 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #92 have been graded by PSA, but only 8 autographed copies of this card have been authenticated by the same company.

When rarity is viewed through that lens, it becomes difficult to argue that a higher-grade unsigned card should consistently command a premium over a signed example. The market is just beginning to recognize this imbalance, and the data increasingly supports it.

Below are the five most valuable vintage baseball on-card autograph cards of all time (there is only one card for each player on the list). Each card is expensive, but seems to be a bargain when comparing each card to a high-grade, unsigned copy.

5. Signed 1925 Exhibits Henry “Lou” Gehrig Rookie PSA Authentic, Auto 8

Sold For: $216,000

PSA Population Count of this Card with an Auto: 4

For Comparison: An unsigned 1925 Exhibits Henry “Lou” Gehrig Rookie PSA 6 MK sold for $782,400 on February 1st, 2021. This card (unsigned) has a PSA population count of 31 with no other copies receiving a PSA 6 or higher.

4. Signed 1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folder Ty Cobb / G.Moriarty "Ty Cobb Steals Third" PSA Auto 9

Sold For: $300,000

PSA Population Count of this Card with an Auto: 1

For Comparison: An unsigned 1912 T202 Hassan Triple Folder Ty Cobb / G.Moriarty “Ty Cobb Steals Third” PSA 8 sold for $17,165 on August 24th, 2022. This card (unsigned) has a PSA population count of 81 with no other copies receiving a PSA 8 or higher.

3. Signed 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA 2, Auto 7

Sold For: $585,600

PSA Population Count of this Card with an Auto: 6

For Comparison: An unsigned 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA 8.5 sold for $1,065,000 on August 19th, 2023. This card (unsigned) has a PSA population count of 1,378 with 31 copies receiving a PSA 8. Four copies have been graded higher.

2. Signed 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson Rookie #79 PSA Authentic, Auto 8

Sold For: $588,000

PSA Population Count of this Card with an Auto: 3

For Comparison: An unsigned 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson PSA 8 sold for $468,000 on February 26th, 2022. This card (unsigned) has a PSA population count of 1,580 with 40 copies receiving a PSA 8. Seven copies have been graded higher.

1. Signed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA 5.5, Auto 8

Mickey Mantle Signed 1952 Topps — Card Ladder

Sold For: $1,067,500

PSA Population Count of this Card with an Auto: 17

For Comparison: An unsigned 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 9 sold for $5,200,000 on January 14th, 2021. This card (unsigned) has a PSA population count of 1,671 with 6 copies receiving a PSA 9. Three copies have been graded higher.

Other Notable Vintage Baseball On-Card Autograph Sales:

Willie Mays: Signed 1951 Bowman Willie Mays #305 PSA 4, Auto 8 sold for $126,000 on March 23, 2024.

Satchel Paige: Signed 1953 Topps #220 PSA 5 Auto 9 sold for $27,364 on November 18, 2023.

Roberto Clemente: Signed 1955 Topps #164 PSA 4.5 Auto 7 sold for 162,000 on February 25, 2023.

Ted Williams: Signed 1939 Play Ball #92 PSA 3 Auto 10 sold for $78,000 on February 27, 2021.

Mickey Mantle: A Signed 1952 Topps #311 PSA 3, Auto 10 sold for $793,006 on December 17, 2024.

Babe Ruth: Signed 1933 Sport Kings #2 PSA Authentic Auto 9 sold for $471,042 on October 26, 2024.

Jackie Robinson: Signed 1949 Bowman #50 PSA EX 5, Auto 10 sold for $384,000 on August 23, 2024.

Ty Cobb: Signed 1909–11 T206 Piedmont (Portrait Green) PSA 1 sold for $228,000 on August 20, 2021.