Basketball Cards Are Now More Valuable Than Baseball Cards, Here’s Why
The market has spoken in 2025, and for the first time in decades, basketball cards have taken the crown over baseball as the most valuable cards in the hobby. Collectors are crowding around slabs of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, while the next wave of rookies fuels fresh hype.
Baseball cards have dominated since the early 20th century, with names like Honus Wagner and Mickey Mantle carrying legendary status. But the numbers don’t lie. According to Card Ladder data, basketball has accounted for more than half of the top 50 card sales so far in 2025, overtaking baseball, which historically owned that territory. Online sales also hit a record-breaking $400 million in August alone, the highest month ever tracked.
Record-Breaking Sales
The turning point came in August when Heritage Auctions hammered down the 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Dual Logoman card featuring Jordan and Bryant for $12.93 million. The price made headlines worldwide and officially pushed baseball off the top spot. The 1952 Topps Mantle, long considered the most iconic card in sports, had previously set the bar at $12.6 million, but the Dual Logoman now stands as the hobby’s biggest prize.
It wasn’t an isolated sale. Collectors chasing the best of the modern and ultra-modern eras have propelled cards tied to names like LeBron and Luka Doncic into multi-million-dollar territory. Even outside of basketball, Messi’s Panini Mega Cracks rookie PSA 10 has soared to $1.5 million this year.
Still, basketball dominates the leaderboard. In 2025 alone, 33 of the top 50 recorded sales have been basketball cards, while baseball trails behind with 13.
Why Basketball Surged Ahead
Basketball’s advantage comes down to reach and relevance. The NBA isn’t just an American league anymore; it’s a global product. Fans in China, France, and Africa buy jerseys, stream games, and now, bid on cards. Victor Wembanyama’s rise as a global phenom has only fueled this international wave, with his rookie cards already commanding staggering numbers despite being fresh on the market. That worldwide demand adds layers of competition that baseball simply doesn’t match.
The structure of basketball cards also plays into their appeal. Collectors want rarity, and modern basketball releases lean rely on numbered parallels, autographs, and memorabilia patches. A low-print rookie patch autograph has built-in scarcity, which makes it more desirable than many mass-produced baseball rookies.
On top of that, grading has given the market a sharper edge. PSA 10 and BGS Gem Mint labels can multiply a card’s value, and basketball collectors have been especially aggressive about grading their high-end pieces. Baseball has plenty of graded grails, too, but the wave of modern basketball submissions has kept the spotlight firmly on the NBA side of the hobby.
The Staying Power of Legends
Modern stars fuel hype, but legends keep the foundation strong. Jordan remains the gold standard. His 1986 Fleer rookie has become a rite of passage for serious collectors, and his 1990s inserts like Scoring Kings and “Cut Above” continue to climb in value. According to Card Ladder, Jordan’s card market dipped with the rest of the hobby in 2022–23 but rebounded faster and harder than most players. As of mid-2025, his cards are approaching all-time highs again.
Bryant’s legacy has also grown since his retirement, and his key rookies and patch autos are now considered blue-chip cards. LeBron occupies a similar spot, with his 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite RPA still one of the most coveted modern cards ever made. These players provide stability in a market that often reacts to hot streaks or headlines. Collectors know a great LeBron card will always hold value in a way a rising baseball prospect may not.
Baseball’s Place in the Market
Image via Reddit/Ecstatic_Might_8734
All this is not to say baseball has disappeared. The 1952 Topps Mantle, the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner, and the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth remain holy grails for vintage collectors. They continue to sell for millions and dominate conversations about history and rarity.
Moreover, baseball still owns 125 of the top 250 recorded sales since 2020, compared to basketball’s 120. The gap is nearly closed, though. Part of the slowdown in baseball comes from availability. Iconic cards like the Mantle and Wagner are so rare in high grades that they simply don’t come to auction often.
Collectors can’t buy what isn’t on the market. Meanwhile, basketball continues to churn out modern grails each year, and those cards find their way into auctions, private sales, and online platforms with regularity. The sheer volume of basketball sales keeps it in the spotlight.
The Global Collector Shift
The hobby is no longer a small American pastime. Online marketplaces like eBay and Whatnot, plus international grading submissions, have made basketball the face of sports cards for a new generation.
Data shows that modern and ultra-modern cards account for 173 of the 300 top sales between 2020 and 2025. Sports cards are still about nostalgia, but they’ve also become serious investments, at least for now, dominated by the NBA.