Best Willie Mays Baseball Cards

Willie Mays is a decorated former center fielder who spent most of his career with the New York/San Francisco Giants. As well as being a 24-time All-Star, Mays won two NL MVP awards and was a World Series champion in 1954.

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Willie Mays Rookie Season Stats: 121 games | .274 avg. | 20 HR | 7 SB | 68 RBIs

A legend in the sport, Willie Mays has some of the most valuable cards in the hobby. Here’s everything you need to know about the best Willie Mays baseball cards (three top options), a checklist, and an investment outlook for the near future.

The Best Willie Mays Baseball Cards

 

1952 Willie Mays Topps #261

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Part of the stellar 1952 Topps set that helped to modernize the hobby, Mays’ card is one of the rarer options you’ll find. Released with the fifth 1952 Topps set (251-310), cards from the “semi-high” series are rarer than those that came before, though slightly more plentiful than the likes of Mickey Mantle.

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As it’s over half a century old, cards will typically suffer from poor centering, which somewhat lowers the average grade. It might not be his official rookie (which came a year earlier), but it’s his first Topps option, making it a coveted card for collectors.

1954 Willie Mays Bowman #89

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Released a few seasons later in 1954, this Bowman card is from the same year Mays won a World Series ring after returning to the Giants. He won the NL MVP award and the Hickok Belt in 1954, adding additional value.

The 1954 Bowman card features Mays in an iconic image, shedding off his tough persona with a smile as he poses for an image with a bat in hand. PSA 8’s and above are what you should be looking for, as over 2,000 graded copies are available.

 

1956 Willie Mays Topps #130

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The final card to make a list, his 1956 Topps, has a landscape design and is relatively affordable due to the increased number of cards still available. (It’s estimated that roughly 5,000 graded copies are on the market.)

As well as a large image of Mays, there’s an illustration of him making it to a base on the right-hand side. It’s great if you’re looking to grab a piece of sporting history, matching the nostalgia of the others discussed in the list, thanks to a strong design. There are two different versions, coming in the form of either gray back or white back. The white-backed version is the rarer of the two.

 

Most Valuable Willie Mays Baseball Card

The most expensive Willie Mays baseball card is the 1952 Topps Willie RC #261, followed by the 1951 Bowman RC #305.

The value of Willie Mays baseball cards is priced accurately and should see a steady rise year in year out with no major spikes (up or down) in the foreseeable future.

If you want advice on buying a Willie Mays rookie card, please email us at advice@goldcardauctions.com or visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/goldcardauctions.

 

Checklist

We’ve prepared a complete list of Willie Mays baseball cards, spanning over 50 years. From the first Bowman and Topps offerings, to Heritage versions from the 2000’s, here it is in full:

• 1951 Bowman Willie Mays #305 (Rookie Card) 
• 1952 Bowman Willie Mays #218 
• 1952 Topps Willie Mays #261 
• 1953 Topps Willie Mays #244 
• 1954 Bowman Willie Mays #89 
• 1954 Topps Willie Mays #90 
• 1955 Bowman Willie Mays #184 
• 1955 Topps Willie Mays #194 
• 1956 Topps Willie Mays #130 
• 1956 Topps Pins
• 1957 Topps Willie Mays #10 
• 1958 Topps Willie Mays #436 (Rival Fence Busters) 
• 1958 Topps Willie Mays #486 
• 1958 Topps Willie Mays #5 
• 1958 Packard-Bell 
• 1959 Bazooka Willie Mays #15 
• 1959 Topps Willie Mays #317
• 1959 Topps Willie Mays #464 (Mays’ Catch Makes Series History) 
• 1959 Topps Willie Mays #50 
• 1959 Topps #563 (All-Star) 1960 Bazooka Willie Mays #13
• 1960 Topps Willie Mays #200 
• 1960 Topps Tattoos Willie Mays #34
• 1960 Topps Willie Mays #564 (All-Star) 
• 1960 Topps Willie Mays #7 (Master & Mentor) 
• 1960 Topps Tattoos Willie Mays #93 (Autographed Ball) 
• 1960 MacGregor Sporting Goods 
• 1961 Post Cereal – Hand Cut / Box Willie Mays #145 
• 1961 Post Cereal – Perforated / Company Willie Mays #145 
• 1961 Topps Willie Mays #150 
• 1961 Bazooka Willie Mays #23 
• 1961 Topps Willie Mays #41 (NL 1960 Batting Leaders) 
• 1961 Topps Willie Mays #482 
• 1961 Topps Willie Mays #579 
• 1962 Topps Willie Mays #18 (Managers’ Dream) 
• 1962 Topps Willie Mays #300
• 1962 Bazooka Willie Mays #38 
• 1962 Topps Willie Mays #395 (All-Star Card) 
• 1962 Topps Willie Mays #54 (1961 NL Home Run Leaders) 
• 1963 Bazooka Willie Mays #12 
• 1963 Topps Willie Mays #138 
• 1963 Topps Willie Mays #3 (1962 NL Home Run Leaders) 
• 1963 Topps Willie Mays #300
• 1963 Fleer Willie Mays #5 
• 1964 Bazooka Willie Mays #12 
• 1964 Topps Willie Mays #150 
• 1964 Topps Willie Mays #306 (Giant Gunners) 
• 1964 Topps Willie Mays #423 (Tops in NL) 
• 1964 Topps Willie Mays #9 (1963 NL Home Run Leaders) 
• 1965 Bazooka Willie Mays #12 
• 1965 Topps Willie Mays #250 
• 1965 Topps Willie Mays #4 (NL Home Run Leaders) 
• 1965 Topps Willie Mays #6 (NL RBI Leaders) 
• 1965 MacGregor Sporting Goods 
• 1966 Topps Willie Mays #1
• 1966 Bazooka Willie Mays #16 
• 1966 Topps Willie Mays #215 (NL 1965 Batting Leaders) 
• 1966 Topps Willie Mays #217 (NL 1965 Home Run Leaders) 
• 1966 Topps Willie Mays #219 (NL 1965 RBI Leaders) 
• 1967 Bazooka Willie Mays #16 
• 1967 Topps Willie Mays #191 (Checklist Card) 
• 1967 Topps Willie Mays #200 
• 1967 Topps Willie Mays #244 (NL Home Run Leaders) 
• 1967 Topps Willie Mays #250 
• 1967 Topps Willie Mays #423 (Fence Busters) 
• 1968 Bazooka Willie Mays #14 
• 1968 Topps Willie Mays #490 (Super Stars) 
• 1968 Topps Willie Mays #50 
• 1969 O-Pee-Chee Deckle Willie Mays #16 
• 1969 Topps Willie Mays #190 
• 1970 Kellogg’s Willie Mays #12 
• 1970 Topps Willie Mays #600 
• 1971 Kellogg’s Willie Mays #10 
• 1971 Bazooka Willie Mays #47 
• 1971 Topps Willie Mays #600 
• 1972 Topps #49 
• 1972 O-Pee-Chee #49 
• 1972 Topps #50 
• 1972 O-Pee-Chee #50 1972 Kellogg’s #54 
• 1973 Topps Candy Lids 
• 1977 TCMA Renata Galasso (1977-1984, Galasso Greats) #245 
• 1977 TCMA Renata Galasso (1977-1984, Galasso Greats) #8 
• 1980 Laughlin 300/400/500 #10 
• 1981 TCMA 1962 San Francisco Giants #8 
• 1982 Cracker Jack #13 
• 1982 TCMA Greatest Sluggers #43 
• 1982 TCMA Greatest Hitters #6 
• 1982 Kmart Most Valuable Players #8 
• 1984 O’Connell & Son Ink Series 1 #20 
• 1985 Woolworth Willie Mays #26 
• 1986 Topps #403 (Turn Back the Clock) 
• 1986 Sportflics Rookies Willie Mays #46 
• 1986 Sportflics Decade Greats Willie Mays #50 
• 1987 O’Connell & Son Ink Series 4 Willie Mays #131 
• 1987 Kmart Baseball’s Stars of the Decades #8 
• 1987 Hygrade Baseball’s All-Time Greats 
• 1988 O’Connell & Son Ink Series 5 Willie Mays #165 
• 1988 Pacific Legends #24 
• 1988 Michael Paraskevas Willie Mays #7 
• 1989 Bowman Tiffany Inserts 
• 1989 Bowman Inserts 
• 1990 Score: The MVPs Willie Mays #24 
• 1991 Swell Baseball Greats Willie Mays #106 
• 1991 O’Connell & Son Ink Series 7 Willie Mays #216 
• 1991 Topps Archives #244 1991 Wiz Willie Mays #255 
• 1992 Action Packed All-Star Gallery (24k Gold Inserts) #14 
• 1992 Action Packed All-Star Gallery Series 1 Willie Mays #14 
• 1992 Action Packed Promos 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes Willie Mays #137 
• 1993 Action Packed Amoco / Coke #14 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #149 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #150 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #151 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #163 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #163 
• 1993 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #91 
• 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #10 
• 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #117 
• 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #150 
• 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #166 
• 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes Willie Mays #17 
• 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes #24 
• 2004 Topps Heritage Flashbacks Willie Mays #F5 
• 2004 Topps Chrome Handle With Care Willie Mays #HCR-WM 
• 2004 Topps Heritage Then and Now Willie Mays #TN1 
• 2004 Topps Heritage Real One Autograph Willie Mays #WM 
• 2004 Topps Heritage Grandstand Glory #WM 
• 2004 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Autograph #WM 
• 2004 Topps Bazooka One-Liners Willie Mays #WM 
• 2004 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Willie Mays #WM 
• 2004 Topps World Series Highlights Autographs Series 1 #WS-WM 
• 2004 Topps World Series Highlights Series 1 #WS-WM

 

Willie Mays Baseball Cards: Buyers Guide and Investment Outlook 

Mays’ name holds a lot of weight for baseball card collectors, with several high-rated options from the 1950s and ’60s. It makes sense, considering he’s arguably the most outstanding center fielder in Major League Baseball history.

Willie Mays Baseball Cards For Sale on eBay

From an investment perspective, it’s clear that you should be looking for older cards if you want the best potential ROI. Few will match the value of his RC from 1951 or the 1952 Topps, but other undervalued options have the most potential to keep increasing in value as Mays enters his 90th year.

How much is a signed Willie Mays baseball card worth?

A signed Willie Mays baseball card will usually sell for 20% to 40% more than the base price of the card in question. Please email us at value@goldcardauctions.com for an estimated value.

What is the most expensive Willie Mays Baseball Card?

The most expensive Willie Mays baseball card is the legendary 1952 Topps Willie Mays Baseball Card #261.