Some sports cards can be worth eight-figure amounts, but which are the most valuable sports cards? And how can you get them? Such expensive cards aren’t common on card rip sites, but you might get some valuable cards.
From autographed Kobe Bryant cards worth up to $12 million, to rare rookie cards, and vintage finds, we’re going to get into all the juicy details about expensive sports cards. We’ll tell you how to rip open virtual packs online, and how to decide whether you should sell the cards, or wait for the value to go up.
Can you believe that the most valuable basketball cards have sold for several million dollars? You might be wondering how that’s possible, and the answer is that it’s a simple case of supply and demand. Older cards which have survived from the early 20th century are likely to be much rarer than modern cards, making them more valuable. Older cards may also have been printed in smaller runs, so there are simply fewer of them to go around. Nowadays, modern cards are often printed in limited quantities or special versions, to create the rarity.
Cards featuring legendary sports stars like Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, or Babe Ruth are certain to be in high-demand, so they hold high long-term value. What’s more is that a player’s first card (the rookie card) is likely to be even more sought-after, pushing up the price as time goes on. Cards preserved in mint condition are also usually worth exponentially more than cards with frayed edges or rips.
Card rip sites offer an online way to open packs of sports cards, rather than having to purchase the packs and do it physically. This modern method gives you access to all sorts of cards, for example some of the most valuable baseball cards, which you might not have been able to get otherwise. And the virtual packs retain the excitement of blindly ripping open card packs, without knowing what’s inside.
There’s a good variety of card rip sites out there, and they’re only getting more and more popular as this form of online entertainment continues to take off. Before you sign up, it’s important to do your research, so that you can find a site that’s safe and offers a good selection of sports cards. Then, follow these steps to get going:
Once you’ve opened the pack, you’ll see if you’ve gotten one of the most valuable sports cards, or a more common item.
Ripping packs of sports cards online is similar enough to ripping physical packs: you can either keep the cards, sell them, or trade them. Here’s how it works in the online world:
Card rip sites give you the option to receive a physical version of the card that you’ve revealed online. All you need to do is provide your shipping address (and usually pay a small fee) and you’ll get the card in the mail. This may take several working days, or even a week.
Most people choose to keep the cards in their virtual vault. The cards will be securely stored, and you can come back to them later to sell or trade them. This is especially useful if you think the value will increase over time.
Many online sports card rip sites allow you to instantly trade the card back, and you’ll get a decent percentage of the value of the card back. This can be up to 90% in some cases and could take the form of cash or site credits. Selling the card is a great option if you have something of high-value and you want to get a return quickly.
Two of the most expensive sports cards ever sold were the 2007 – 2008 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autograph featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and a Topps Mickey Mantle card from 1952. Each of these sold for over $12 million. And while that’s a huge amount of money, there have been other cards which have come close. It’s not just sports cards that go for this amount either – the most valuable Pokemon cards can also fetch upwards of $16 million. We’ve put together a list of valuable sports cards for you here:
| Card | Year | Estimated Price |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autograph featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant | 2007 – 2008 | $12,932,000 |
| Topps Mickey Mantle | 1952 | $12,600,000 |
| T206 Honus Wagner | 1909 – 1911 | $7,250,000 |
| Baltimore News Babe Ruth | 1914 | $7,200,000 |
| Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autographs LeBron James | 2003 | $5,200,000 |
Depending on what you’re willing to spend though, there are some cards worth a good few thousand dollars available at card rip sites. Based on a card packs of $10,000 or more, here are a few of the value cards that we came across during our research:
| Card | Year | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|
| Signature Dual Authentic Signature Kobe Bryant/Michael Jordan | 2004 | $140,000 |
| Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs Shohei Ohtani | 2018 | $115,000 |
| Panini Flawless Rookie Dual Patch Autographs Platinum Joe Burrow | 2020 | $80,000 |
| Topps Chrome 1983 Topps #83T-6 Shohei Ohtani | 2018 | $75,000 |
| Bowman Rookie Autographs Chrome #SO Shohei Ohtani | 2018 | $61,000 |
Before you start ripping open those packs, there are a few things you’ll want to do to make sure you have the best possible chance of getting a high value card.
New card rip sites crop up all the time and some are better than others. Use our reviews to compare the sites and make sure you check the types of cards they have available (for example baseball and basketball cards) and the prices of the packs.
Most card rip sites have a breakdown of what could possibly be in the pack. Sometimes, you’ll see a percentage chance of getting a card of a specific value. Use this information to decide if you want to buy a specific pack or not.
This process is the same whether you’re deciding what Yugioh cards are worth it, which Pokemon cards to look for, or how to tell if a sports card is valuable. While you can’t influence whether or not you’ll get a specific card, you can decide what you want to do with it afterwards. If you’re up to speed on the cards, you can try to estimate their future value, to see if you should sell or trade them, or hold onto them.
While we’d all love to come across a sports card worth a few million, it’s highly unlikely. If you’re buying a pack for $15 or the virtual currency equivalent, chances are the card will be worth about $10 to $20.
The most valuable sports cards are hard to come by, but they’re worth the effort. While cards that sell for millions of dollars don’t come around often, card rip sites can be home to valuable cards nonetheless. When you buy a card pack, it’s likely that the cards inside will have a slightly lower value than what you paid, but it’s also possible that you’ll come out with some valuable cards. Before you give it a try, you need to understand how card rips work, how the value of cards increases or decreases, and know when to trade or keep a card. Once you have this nailed, you can get started with trying to hunt down the most valuable sports cards.
While most card rip sites generally require you to purchase your card packs using cash or virtual currencies, there are some chances to get free packs. For example, some sites might offer a free rip as part of a welcome package or as a loyalty offer.
At present, the most expensive sports card ever was the 2007 – 2008 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autograph featuring Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. It sold for over $12 million in August 2012.
Historical scarcity means that vintage cards are worth collecting (for example items from the 1950s), but modern rookie cards, autographed cards, and special editions can also be valuable.
