Cards
Lefty legend Steve Carlton finally getting some card love
If your baseball fandom goes back a few decades, then you likely remember watching Steve Carlton. In fact, the Hall of Fame left-handed hurler actually pitched for decades, starting with his rookie season in 1965 and extending to 1988.
In that time, he won four Cy Young awards and had six 20-win seasons—including 1972, when he had a spectacular 27-10 season and 1.97 ERA for the last-place Phillies. Eight years later, he led the Phils to their first World Series championship, winning both of his Fall Classic starts vs. Kansas City and striking out 17 in 15 innings.
All told, Carlton compiled a 329-244 record in his career, fashioned a 3.22 ERA, completed 254 games and tossed 55 shutouts. As such, it shouldn’t be surprising to see a top-condition Carlton rookie card, from Topps’ 1965 set, finally show up on our Top 10 chart. In this case, it’s an SGC 10 specimen that’s perfectly centered and devoid of flaws and hiccups.
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Listed on eBay in April by Westshore Sports Cards, it started with an opening bid of $48,999 and then sat quietly for its full 10-day auction. At that point, a late-minute bid sent the card to its winning price of $49,099.
Carlton rookies with a 10 grade are rare. To put it in perspective, PSA has logged only seven such specimens in its registry, with one of them soaring to around $90,000.
If you’re looking to add a first-year Carlton card to your collection, there are slightly lesser-condition examples for far lower prices. On eBay in recent months, we’ve seen a PSA 8.5 rookie sell for $1,813 and an SGC 8.5-grade sell for $1,400. Plus, a PSA 8 went for $1,000 and a dozen different Carlton rookies graded 7 got away for prices between $440 and $500.
Carlton was accompanied on his rookie card by Fritz Ackley. A right-handed pitcher, Ackley was already 28 when he appeared with Carlton on his 1965 rookie. In five games with the White Sox in 1963 and 1964, he posted a perfect 1-0 record. However, he never made it back to the bigs, though he did pitch two more AAA seasons.
Carlton, interestingly, didn’t make the cut for Topps' 1966 set, but he returned in 1967 and remained a Topps standard throughout his career. Here’s a sampling of prices paid for various Carlton classics on eBay in 2026:
• 1967 Topps graded PSA 9: $2,113
• 1968 Topps graded PSA 8: $510 on three bids. (Note: A PSA 10 example brought $3,500 in a Buy It Now deal.)
• 1971 Topps graded PSA 8: $411 on 25 bids.
• 1973 Topps graded PSA 9: $456 on two bids.
• 1974 Topps Deckle Edge: $550 on two bids.
• 1975 Topps graded PSA 9: $203 on 39 bids. (Note: A PSA 10 specimen fetched $8,495 in a Buy It Now deal.)
• 1977 Topps graded PSA 10: $1,450 on two bids.
• 1979 Topps graded PSA 10: $1,034 on 43 bids.
TOP 10 CHART
Top 10 card sales on eBay:
TOP 10 CHART
1. $104,188 on 86 bids: 2025-26 Topps Finest Stephen Curry Superfractor, #1/1 (PSA 9)
2. $55,100 on 86 bids: 2000 Fleer Ultra Tom Brady Platinum Medallion Edition, #14/25 (PSA 10)
3. $51,677 on 64 bids: 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Rookie Ticket, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
4. $51,655 on 7 bids: 1909 T206 Piedmont Christy Mathewson “white cap” variation (PSA 8)
5. $51,212 on 59 bids: 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani, auto (BGS 9.5, auto 10)
6. $50,198 on 63 bids: 2020 Topps Chrome UEFA Champions League Soccer Jude Bellingham Superfractor, #1/1 (PSA 9)
7. $49,099 on 2 bids: 1965 Topps Steve Carlton (SGC 10)
8. $47,877 on 33 bids: 1997-98 Fleer Metal Universe Tim Duncan Precious Metal Gems, #67/100 (PSA 7.5)
9. $47,400 on 66 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (BGS 9.5)
10. $44,899 on 57 bids: 2013-14 Panini Flawless Greats Kobe Bryant, #17/25, auto, dual patch (ungraded)
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
The next 10 sales on eBay:
• $42,001 on 84 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (BGS 9.5)
• $41,189 on 89 bids: 2025 Topps MVP Collection Shohei Ohtani Foilfractor, #1/1, auto (ungraded)
• $39,535 on 59 bids: 2024-25 Upper Deck The Cup Macklin Celebrini Rookie Auto Patch, #24/99 (ungraded)
• $38,655 on 86 bids: 2009-10 Topps Basketball sealed hobby box
• $38,004 on 56 bids: 1984 Star Michael Jordan #101 (PSA 4)
• $37,600 on 53 bids: 2017 Topps Transcendent Aaron Judge, #1/1, auto (BGS 10, Auto 10)
• $37,100 on 68 bids: 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
• $37,022 on 84 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
• $35,700 on 6 bids: 2025-26 Topps Now Kon Knueppel Draft Orange Foil, #10/25, auto (PSA 10)
• $35,100 on 34 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
