The Most Valuable Sports Memorabilia and Collectibles You Could Have Hiding In Your Attic

Maker: Topps
Original Price: $0.01*
Worth Today: $5.2 Million*

‘The Mick,’ Mickey Mantle played 18 seasons of professional ball, all for the Bronx Bombers, the New York Yankees. Mantle won 7 World Series championships as a member of the juggernaut Yankees teams of the 50s and 60s and was an all-star an unprecedented 20x.

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card @DavidSeideman /Twitter

The Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle card is essential for a few reasons. 1952 was the first full season Mantle played, and it was the inaugural year of the Topps’ involvement in the trading card industry. When also considering the comparatively low number of these cards still floating around, the value of Mantle’s sophomore card might actually top the value of his rookie card.

Maker: Nike
Original Price: $100*
Worth Today: $10.09 Million

‘His Airness’ is undoubtedly the greatest player to step foot on an NBA court. He was an All-Star in 14 of the 15 seasons he played. He won 10 scoring titles, the 84-85 Rookie of the Year award, took home 5 league MVP awards, 6 Championship titles in 6 tries, and won Finals MVP all 6 times. 

Michael Jordan 1998 Jersey @hooplifenews /Twitter

Even in defeat, MJ’s game-worn apparel is worth a fortune. On September 15, 2022, the jersey basketball’s G.O.A.T. wore during the Bulls’ Game 1 loss to Utah in the ’98 Finals sold for just over $10 million. That’s just a tad more than the $100 an official Bulls’ Nike jersey would have cost in 1998.

Maker: Unknown
Original Price: $50*
Worth Today: $10,000+

As much as baseball fans despised the orange and yellow rainbows that accentuated the Houston Astros’ shoulders in the 80s, vintage jerseys are making a comeback, with some of the historically “ugly” patterns getting a second life. When it comes to the Astros of the 80s, one man comes to mind, Hall of Fame pitcher and baseball’s all-time strikeout leader Nolan Ryan.

PolyesterUnis/Twitter.com

Not that it needed a reason other than being worn by Ryan himself, but the Nolan Ryan game-worn jersey that sold for more than $10,000 was from the 1981 season in which the “Ryan Express” led the league with a 1.69 ERA.

Maker: Le Coq Sportif
Original Price: Unknown
Worth Today: $9.28 Million*

Diego Maradona is a name familiar to soccer fans, young and old. His accomplishments are numerous, his fans infinite, and his performance at the 1986 World Cup legendary. “El Pipe de Oro” scored 5 times in the tournament, including twice against England in the Quarters. One of which is the now-infamous “Hand of God” goal.

Diego Maradona 1986 Hand of God Shirt @sobczyktomasz78/Pinterest

Had instant replay existed at the time, the result of the match—and the tournament—might have been quite different. A loss to the Brits and Diego’s kit would have been just another souvenir. Instead, it’s the shirt that broke the hearts of English soccer fans worldwide, and it sold for $9.28 million in the spring of 2022.

Maker: Rawlings
Original Price: $7*
Worth Today: $1-$2 Million*

The 2022 baseball season contained a plethora of spectacular moments. Still, none was more incredible than Aaron Judge hitting his 62nd home run of the season to surpass Roger Maris’ mark of 61 long balls in a single season. Some will argue Maris’ record was already eclipsed by Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Barry Bonds, but the trio of stars’ careers is marred with PED-related controversy. As of yet, Judge’s is still clean.

Aaron Judge’s 62nd Home Run Ball @FOS /Twitter

It’s still unknown how much the ball is worth, but only because Cory Youmans—the fan who caught the ball—is yet to put it on the market. However, the lower range of the souvenirs cost has been valued at around $1 million.

Maker: Everlast
Original Price: Unknown
Worth Today: $20,000+*

He floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee on his way to becoming boxing’s World heavyweight champion and arguably one of the best fighters to put on the gloves. After taking part in rumbles in jungles and thrillas witnessed in Manilla, Ali had accumulated a stockpile of personal memorabilia worth a small fortune. 

Muhammad Ali Used Gloves And Robe @khalid19pubgacc/Twitter

Most of Ali’s things were donated to museums or the boxing Hall of Fame by Ali and his family. Occasionally, the items are put under the gavel for charity auctions and the such. A pair of gloves and a robe worn by “The Greatest” wouldn’t have much practical use, but they will cost more than a new Ford Focus.

Maker: Nike
Original Price: $250*
Worth Today: $480,000*

You can’t talk about sports memorabilia without including the 3x NFL MVP and 7x Super Bowl champion, the man many consider the greatest player ever to step on a football field, Thomas Edward Patrick Brady. Now in his mid-40s, TB12 is 3 years removed from his New England days, but collectors are still willing to pay a pretty penny for his gear.

Mike Ehrmann/

A jersey Brady wore during the 2020 season sold for just shy of half a million dollars on January 10, 2022. But it wasn’t just the jersey. Tom signed his name on the jersey, the stats from the game, and a reminder to all of his dominance, “SB LV MVP.”

Maker: PLB Sports
Original Price: $5*
Worth Today: $35*

After spending the prime years of his career proving himself in the Canadian Football League (CFL), 5 foot 10, 180 pound Doug Flutie made a triumphant return to the NFL in 1998 as a member of the Buffalo Bills, and he walked off with that year’s Comeback Player of the Year award.

Flutie Flakes ©r/photoshopbattles/Reddit

The undersized player took the Buffalo by storm in 1998, giving regular-day folks an “average Joe” to root for. Flutie’s popularity grew so large that PLB Sports created a breakfast cereal for him. Flutie Flakes were almost as beloved as the man himself. Boxes of the cereal flew off the shelves and were nearly impossible to find during Flutie’s remaining years as a Bill.

Maker: Bobble Dobble
Original Price: Free
Worth Today: $80*

Baseball’s ironman, Cal Ripken Jr., played 21 seasons in the big leagues, all for the Baltimore Orioles. He was named to 18 All-Star games, won the Rookie of the Year award in 1982, a World Series title in 1983, an MVP award in 1991, and the hearts of everyone who had anything to do with sports when he finally missed a game on September 19, 1998, after playing in 2,632 consecutive games. 

Cal Ripken Jr. Bobble Head Doll @Deborah Hunter Cottrill Dohm/Facebook

Major League Baseball honored Ripken’s achievement by organizing Cal Ripken Jr. bobblehead doll giveaways in several stadiums during Cal’s farewell tour. The dolls were free to fans but now sell for an average of about $80 each.

Maker: The Football Association
Original Price: N/A
Worth Today: $1 Million*

The sport of soccer as we know it has been played more or less the same since its rules were first established in 1863 by the founding members of The Football Association. Originally written by hand, the rule book is safely in the hands of the organization that penned them. 

@SheffieldFootballClub/Twitter.com

The most expensive piece of soccer memorabilia one can find is, in fact, a typed document containing the sport’s laws. After all, you can’t play a sport if no rules govern it.

Maker: Augusta National Golf Club
Original Price: $2.20*
Worth Today: $118,598*

Hundreds of golfers have participated in The Masters over the years, including legends of the sport, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods. But the first Masters’ golf tournament held at Augusta National Golf Club was way back in 1934 and won by Horton Smith—who also happened to win the tournament’s 3rd annual event. 

Horton Smith yardbarker/Twitter.com

A ticket to watch the prestigious golf tournament’s historic first rounds would have cost $2.20 in 1934. To own a piece of golf history, avid golf fans and collectors must pay close to $120,000 for an original ticket stub from the inaugural Masters.

Maker: Hillerich & Bradsby Co.
Original Price: Unknown
Worth Today: $1.08 Million*

Jackie Robinson’s impact on baseball is so large that it could never be repeated. For those who don’t know, Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the Major Leagues. He broke the color barrier in 1947 and, with it, helped break down the doors of inequality.

Adam Cuerden/Wikimedia Commons

Almost everything baseball-related that belonged to Jackie is either in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown or some millionaire’s private collection. In the spring of 2022, the bat Jackie used in the 1949 All-Star game sold for a little over $1 million. Some folks believe the sale price was due to the mid-season classic being played on Robinson’s home turf in Brooklyn.

Maker: American Tobacco Company
Original Price: Unknown
Worth Today: $6.6 Million*

No one knows for sure why it happened, but a minimal number of 1909-11 Honus Wagner American Tobacco Company baseball cards were produced, and even fewer still exist today. At last count, the number was around 50-75.

T206 Wagner Baseball Card @LeilaDunbar /Twitter

Some theorists believe Wagner wasn’t fond of promoting tobacco and cigarette use on cards meant for children. Others believe he wanted to be paid for the use of his image. Either way, the lack of copies has led to a massive $6.6 million price tag for an authentic copy of the 8x batting champ’s 1909-11 cards.

Maker: Unknown
Original Price: N/A
Worth Today: $479*

No quarterback/wide receiver tandem of the latter half of the 80s was more dominant or feared than the San Francisco 49ers duo of Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. The two connected on 386 passes for 6,710 yards and 67 touchdowns. While insane price tags have been put on some of Rice and Montana’s memorabilia, others have remained quite affordable.

Signed Photo Of Jerry Rice and Joe Montana @bleacherreport/Pinterest

49ers fans will be happy to find out they can own an authenticated autographed photo of NFL legends Jerry Rice and Joe Montana for under $500. What’s so great about the photo? You can see the camaraderie between the two stars.