The top sports cards of 2024 include everything from Rookie Superfractors to Logoman Patch cards and vintage gems

Though the market for sports cards has taken a dip in the last year, there were still some historic and significant sales in 2024.

Records continue to be broken by the hobby’s all-time greats, led by legends like The Babe, Michael Jordan, Willie Mays, Wilt Chamberlain, and Wayne Gretzky. And they were joined by new stars and cards, led by baseball’s newest mega-star.

Also See: Top 40 online card sales of 2024 

Here’s a look at 10 of the top card sales of 2024:

Sale Price: $2.9 million (Goldin)

Also See: Top Michael Jordan cards to collect 

The perfect 1/1 card, which had never surfaced or been offered publicly, set a record for Michael Jordan cards. It’s his first signed Logoman card in a Chicago Bulls uniform and comes from one of the most significant NBA sets in hobby history.

It features Jordan in his home white uniform and includes a game-worn uniform patch of the NBA logo, plus his autograph in blue ink.

The previous record for a Jordan card was a 1997-98 Upper Deck Game-Used Jersey Auto that Goldin reported selling for $2.7 million in 2021.

Sale Price: $2.5 million (Heritage Auctions)

Also See: Top hobby headlines of 2024 

In one of the most amazing finds of the year, a sealed, unopened case of the famous set that features the iconic Gretzky rookie card was found at the home of a hockey card collector in Canada.

It is believed to be the only unopened case of the 1979 OPC set to surface in the 21^st century.

The case of the hobby’s premier hockey set contains 16 boxes with 48 wax packs per box, with 14 cards in each pack, for a total of 10,752 cards. Heritage estimated it could include as many as 27 Gretzky rookie cards.

The case originally sold for $3.75 million, but the original buyer reneged on the purchase, forcing Heritage to put it back on the auction block. It sold in December for $2.5 million. 

Sale Price: $1.6 million (Fanatics)

The first big, high-end vintage card offered at auction by Fanatics was the highest grade of one of Ruth’s most coveted cards.

It is one of only three PSA 8.5 versions, with none graded higher. The grade is higher than the 1933 Goudey Ruth card (PSA 8) currently displayed in the Smithsonian Museum.

The anonymous seller of the “Red Ruth” was only the second owner. A Yankees fan, he originally purchased it from a family whose grandfather owned it for decades, along with a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #53 (“Yellow Ruth”).

Sale Price: $1.7 million (Goldin)

One of the hobby’s most iconic basketball cards, from one of the hobby’s most valuable sets, was found in a grocery store in Crosby, Minn., where it was stored in a cabinet for more than 60 years.

The seven-figure private sale by Goldin is a record for the Chamberlain rookie and is believed to be a record for vintage (pre-1980) basketball cards.

Sale Price: $390,935 (REA)

Also See: Baseball legend Willie Mays had powerful impact on game, hobby 

Nearly two months after his death, Willie Mays’ iconic rookie card fittingly made headlines, selling for six figures at Robert Edward Auctions.

Graded PSA 8.5, it set a record for the card in any grade—a bargain for one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Sale Price: $336,000 (Fanatics/Sotheby’s)

Fanatics and Sotheby’s joined forces in September for the inaugural “Holy Grails” Auction, a groundbreaking event that showcased 33 of the hobby’s most coveted cards.

Fresh off his 50^th home run and historic 50/50 season, Shohei Ohtani’s rookie card was one of the top sellers, setting a record for Ohtani cards.

Sale Price: $360,000 (Fanatics/Sotheby’s)

De La Cruz cards have been surging since he made his MLB debut last year. His 2022 Bowman 1^st card was one of the biggest surprises of the “Holy Grails” Auction.

The coveted rookie card attracted 79 bids and sold for a whopping $360,000, shattering the previous record of $116,534 for the same card.

Sale Price: $173,389 (Memory Lane)

Also See: Bird vs. Magic thrilled fans with NBA's greatest rivalry 

It is rare to find a rookie card that features two of the greatest basketball players of all time, much less a third Hall of Famer.

Especially signed by all three legends.

The Magic Johnson/Larry Bird rookie card, which also features NBA legend Julius Erving, is signed by all three players and graded PSA 9 with a 10 auto. It sold for $173,389, a record for the grade, at Memory Lane Inc.

Sale Price: $54,000 (REA)

Also See: Top Jerry West cards to collect 

Two weeks after his death, the rookie card of NBA legend Jerry West also set records, a fitting tribute to the player whose image highlights the NBA logo.

A Gem-Mint rookie, one of only two graded PSA 10, sold for a record $54,000 at REA.

Sale Price: $78,000 (PWCC)

Also See: Caitlin Clark making big impact on card market, hobby 

Even before she reached the WNBA, Caitlin Clark’s rookie card shattered the record for women’s basketball, selling for seven times the previous top seller (Diana Taurasi, $11,500).

When Panini released its first WNBA cards in May, Clark sold out quickly, with a 1/1 parallel going for $10,000.

Clark cards continued to soar throughout her rookie season, a good sign for women’s sports and the hobby. Her 2024 The National VIP Gold Vinyl Prizm rookie recently sold for $24,000.