All Vintage Cards Mid Cap Value Baseball Portfolio
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The All Vintage Cards Mid Cap Baseball Portfolio is a collection of ten โMid-Capโ (or mid-tier priced) cards that we think have solid long-term investment potential.ย
As we discussed in our introduction piece, we are launching three portfolios for each major sportโLarge Cap, Mid Cap, and Small Cap.
For those not familiar with the lexicon, this corresponds to mutual fund portfolios in the investment world.ย Mid Cap within the investment space equates to a portfolio of the equity marketโs companies that are smaller than the worldโs largest companies, although bigger than smaller size or Small Cap companies.ย
For this All Vintage Cards Mid Cap Value Portfolio we have selected ten cards, each with a value between $1000 to $3000.ย ย
Note that these selections are based on what we perceive as โrelativeโ value in the marketplace, meaning that we think these cards offer a good value versus other comparative cards.ย
I will also note that this information is not investment advice, nor are we making any promises in relation to future performance.ย Please use your own judgment and budget when accounting for any acquisitions of cards in this portfolio.ย
Please also see ourย All Vintage Cards Small Cap Valueย andย All Vintage Cards Large Cap Valueย portfolios.ย
1888 Allen & Ginter (N28) Mike โKingโ Kelly
Estimated Cost โ Good Condition: $2000
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย ย The Allen & Ginter set of 1888 is one of the first and more popular 19th century sets. ย This classic card of hall-of-famer Mike โKingโ Kelly, one of the most feared hitters of his time, is one of the best looking pre-war cards. ย
Current PSA Population: Kellyโs card has been graded 156 times by PSA. ย At $2000, to own one of the earliest and best baseball playerโs first cards, it almost seems too good to be true. ย Not to mention the card is now over 130 years old. ย Itโs not getting any younger!
1887 N28 Allen & Ginter #27 King Kelly HOF \\\[Baseball\\\] PSA 7 NM 22
 | $29,664.00 End Date: Monday Jan-19-2026 15:30:10 EST Buy It on eBay for only: $29,664.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1887 Allen & Ginter N28 Mike King Kelly SGC 1 - Amazing Eye Appeal No Creases
 | $4,650.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $4,650.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1888 N28 Allen & Ginter Mike Kelly Baseball PSA 5.5
 | $13,650.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $13,650.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1906 Fan Craze โย Honus Wagner
Estimated Cost โ Poor Condition: $1500
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย Many vintage collectors arenโt familiar with the Fan Craze cards, but I think they are probably one of the more underrated vintage pre-war issues. ย The cards were issued by the Cincinnati Fan Craze Co in 1906 and actually pre-date the ever popular T206 white border set by three years.
Current PSA Population: PSA has graded only 36 copies, so the possibility of finding one under the $1500 mark may be somewhat of a stretch, and if you were to do so, it would probably have to be in pretty bad condition. ย
1906 Fan Craze A.L. Connie Mack PSA 8 NM-MT Baseball Card Manager Team Owner
 | $1,500.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1904 Fan Craze Pocket Edition of the National Game Box Cards Board Instructions
 | $650.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $650.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1904 Pre-War Antique Baseball Parlor Game Fan Craze Playing Cards & Game Board
 | $2,850.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,850.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1909 T206 White Borders Walter Johnson (Portrait)
Estimated Cost โ Poor/Fair: $1800ย
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: ย Walter Johnson cards are slightly underappreciated relative to the big names such as Cobb, Wagner, Mantle and Ruth.ย ย His T206 Portrait card is one that I think has great long term potential.ย ย
Current PSA Population:ย Nearly 900 in PSA Populationโnot scarce by any means, but a landmark card, with a striking portrait. ย If you can snag this Johnson portrait for $2000 or under in fair to good condition, I think youโd be making a wise investment. ย
1909 Sweet Caporal T206 Walter Johnson Portrait Washington Senators HOF SGC A
 | $1,199.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,199.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1909-11 T206 Walter Johnson Portrait Sweet Caporal Ser. 150 Fact. 25 SGC 2 GOOD
 | $3,674.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $3,674.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
T 206 PSA Walter Johnson Piedmont 150 PSA 4
 | $7,700.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $7,700.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1909 T206 White Borders Nap Lajoie (Portrait)
Estimated Cost โ VG: $1300
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย Like Walter Johnson, Nap Lajoie tends to get put into the second tier of all-time baseball stars. Lajoie however was one of the best to play the game, and his T206 Portrait card remains one of the most popular HOF cards from the White Borders set. ย
Current PSA Population:ย PSA has graded over 850 graded copies of his T206 Portrait card, so not necessarily scarce, but given the widespread demand for T206 cards, I would consider it to be a worthy long term investment.ย ย
T206 Nap Lajoie Portrait Cleveland SGC 5 Piedmont Back
 | $3,975.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $3,975.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
T206 Hindu Brown Nap Lajoie (Portrait) SGC 1 - Cleveland - HOF
 | $2,500.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
T206 Piedmont 350 Nap Lajoie Portrait PSA 5 Cleveland 15308
 | $4,899.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $4,899.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1909 American Caramel (E90-1) โ Cy Young
Estimated Cost โ Poor/Fair- $2800
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย Now, here I am recommending one of the more available cards from the first American Caramel set;ย ย yet still when we look at the populationโ114 cards graded by PSA, itโs a much harder to find card versus many of the tobacco issues from the same era (yes even the T206 Cy Young Portrait card)
Current PSA Population:ย First, when we look at scarcity,ย only 100 of the Cy Young cards from the set have been graded by PSA. ย Compare this to an average of around 700 any of the Cy Young cards from the T206 set and we can see that the card is a lot scarcer.ย ย
1909-11 American Caramel - E90-1 Cy Young Red Sox Poor Authentic SGC
 | $1,799.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,799.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1909-11 CY YOUNG AMERICAN CARAMEL CO E90-1 BOSTON SGC 1.5 CARD-585
 | $20,000.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $20,000.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1909-11 American Caramel - E90-1 Cy Young
 | $2,500.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1911 T3 Turkey Red โ Walter Johnson
Estimated Cost โ Good Condition: $2000
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย ย What I found to be the most appealing feature of the set is the fact that the images (for the most part) are identical to their T206 counterparts, yet in a beautiful over-sized lithograph. The cards are actually scarcer than the T206 and T205 cards, and in my opinion undervalued comparatively. ย
Current PSA Population:ย Only 80 copies have been graded by PSA, equating to roughly 1/10 the population of the more popular T206 cards.ย
1911 T3 Turkey Red #99 Walter Johnson HOF \\\[Checklist back\\\] PSA 5
 | $54,126.50 End Date: Monday Jan-19-2026 15:17:58 EST Buy It on eBay for only: $54,126.50 Buy It Now on eBay |
T3 Turkey Red Walter Johnson Turkey Red Back PSA 3 12652
 | $8,229.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $8,229.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
T3 Turkey Red Checklist Back (offer) Walter Johnson SGC 20 1.5 Washington pinhol
 | $4,488.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $4,488.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1921 Exhibits Ty Cobb
Estimated Cost โ Poor to Fair Condition: $1800
I like the investment potential of the early Exhibit cards, especially this Cobb example from the 1921 set.
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย Exhibit cards are like the sleeping giant that I think hasnโt quite woken up yet. ย Thereโs a lot of opportunity for value with Exhibit cards. ย (Be sure to see our comprehensive piece on Exhibits for more ideas). The Cobb Exhibits card from the 1921 issue, is a beauty and features Cobb at his best, finishing off what was likely another hit for the Georgia Peach. ย
Current PSA Population:ย PSA has only graded 50 of these. ย Shhh..donโt tell anyone how undervalued this is! ย
Ty Cobb 1921 Exhibits HOF Detroit Tigers PSA 1 (MK) PR
 | $2,000.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,000.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
Ty Cobb 1921 Exhibits HOF Detroit Tigers SGC 1 Newly Graded Centered Rare Beauty
 | $1,193.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,193.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1921 Exhibits Ty Cobb PSA 2 Detroit HOF Looks Better!
 | $3,389.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $3,389.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1935 Goudey 4-1 Babe Ruth
Estimated Cost โ Poor/Fair Condition: $1900
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย With the โ33 and Ruth Goudeyโs slightly out of reach, the 1935 Goudey offers a slightly more affordable option that should continue to grow in value over time. ย The 1935 Goudey set represented a shift in style for Goudey, as the cards feature four players on the front of the card. ย The Ruth card actually uses the image of Ruth from the 1933 Goudey set and is his last official baseball card as a member of the Boston Braves. ย
Current PSA Population:ย PSA has graded 207 versions of the Ruth Goudey, thus while not scarce, the limited amount of graded cards makes for an excellent long term investment. ย Cards in Poor/Fair condition can often be found for $2000 or less, but improvements in grades might cost you as this card has become quite popular among vintage collectors.
1935 Goudey 4-in-1 R321 Babe Ruth, Rabbit Maranville #1J SGC 1 *Centered*
 | $2,500.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1935 Goudey 4-in-1 R321 #3A Babe Ruth Rabbit Maranville Brandt McManus SGC AA
 | $2,149.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $2,149.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
1935 Goudey 4-in-1 - R321 Babe Ruth, Rabbit Maranville, Ed Brandt #3A
 | $4,000.00 End Date: Sunday Jan-18-2026 18:32:07 EST Buy It on eBay for only: $4,000.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1949 Bowman Satchel Paige
Estimated Cost โ Poor/Fair Condition: $1900
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio:ย Satchel Paigeโs rookie cards are considered to be his 1949 Leaf and 1949 Bowman cards. ย There were no cards issued for Paige during his twenty-one year stint in the Negro Leagues; thus the two 1949 cards that were released during the later stages of his career were his first official baseball cards.ย ย
Current PSA Population: This one is a bit easier to find than the 1949 Leaf card. ย PSA has graded over 900 copies, giving it about 7x the supply as compared to Paigeโs Leaf card.ย A lower grade 1949 Bowman Paige card in Poor condition sells for nearly $2000. Mid grade copies of the card range from $3000 to $6000, all the way up to over $20,000+ for one in Near Mint condition. ย There have only been nine PSA 9 copies of the 49 Bowman Paige, thus, leading to a value of close to $50,000.
๐ฅLeroy Satchel Paige 1949 Bowman #224 Cleveland HOF Rookie SGC 7 NM - Only 22 ^
 | $13,500.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $13,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1949 Bowman #224 Satchel Paige PSA 1.5 MBA SILVER DIAMOND CENTERED
 | $6,501.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $6,501.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1949 Bowman #224 Satchel Paige PSA 1.5 MBA GOLD DIAMOND CENTERED & UNDER GRADED
 | $7,501.00 Buy It on eBay for only: $7,501.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1949 Leaf Ted Williams
Estimated Cost โ Good Condition: $1000
Why We Selected It For The Portfolio: ย The 1949 Leaf Ted Williams card shows the โSplendid Splinterโ in his classic batting pose. ย I love this card and think that it should only increase in value over time.ย ย
Current PSA Population: ย Close to 1200 copies of the Leaf Williams have been graded by PSA, so not necessarily rare, but itโs a high demand cards, and should continue to appreciate as collectors keep bidding up the values of Leaf cards.ย
1948 Leaf #76 Ted Williams Red Sox SGC 2 Freshly Graded Centered Looks Nicer HOF
 | $2,876.00 End Date: Sunday Jan-18-2026 17:10:26 EST Buy It on eBay for only: $2,876.00 Buy It Now on eBay |
1948 LEAF #76 TED WILLIAMS PSA 2
 | $1,113.00 (28 bids) End Date: Friday Jan-16-2026 16:09:00 EST Bid |
1948-49 Leaf Gum Co. #76 Ted Williams SGC 1 Well Centered Nice Color
 | $1,199.99 Buy It on eBay for only: $1,199.99 Buy It Now on eBay |
