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The most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia ever sold.
Memorabilia and collectibles have long been a pastime in the world of sports. Cards, game-worn jerseys, signed contracts, shoes, and equipment have gone for millions over the years.
But what are the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia ever sold? We’ve identified 11 of the priciest items purchased on record, and the seven- to eight-figure values that accompany.
Each are worth more than Tom Brady’s yacht!
In 2021, the Super Bowl winning quarterback traded his Wajer 55S for a larger, more luxurious 77-footer priced at $6 million. Each of these sports collectibles are valued higher, some by a rather large margin.
The 11 Most Expensive Pieces Of Sports Memorabilia
These items range across all sports leagues, from MLB to NBA to The Olympics. The priciest collectible might never be touched as it’s nearly double that of the next closest piece.
Here, we’ll list each of these items with historical significance and date purchased, while adding a few adjusted values to provide an idea of what they might go for today. I’ll start with No. 12 and work up to the most expensive collectible ever sold.
Kobe Bryant 1996-97 Lakers jersey
Bryant is the all-time leading scorer in Los Angeles franchise history. He racked up 33,643 points across two decades with the team.
His career started in ’96-’97, donning his No. 8 jersey which he wore up through 2006. In 2025, that uniform piece sold for $7 million at an auction conducted by Sotheby’s.
His rookie year was by far his least productive, which shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise. With that being said, it was our first formal introduction to Bryant as a pro.
He’d go onto win five titles and play in 18 All-Star games. This is his most expensive jersey, but it’s not the priciest item featuring the Hall of Famer.
Babe Ruth 1914 rookie card
In December of 2023, this 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth sold for $7.2 million. Today, that purchase total would be adjusted to $7.6 million given inflation.
It is the slugger’s first true sports card, featuring the Great Bambino as a pitcher for the minor-league Baltimore Orioles.
Ruth played in just five games that year at the big-league level with Boston. He’d go onto become one of the greatest home run hitters of all-time, still ranking third on the MLB’s list with 714 bombs.
The card is now valued closer to $6 million based on a more recent sale, but that initial purchase remains the highest for a Ruth card and the fourth highest for any sports card ever sold.
Honus Wagner 1909 T206 card
There have been a few different high-priced sales of the rare T-206 card featuring Honus Wagner. This is the most expensive of the set.
In August of 2022, Goldin Auctions brokered a private deal in which the card was purchased for $7.25 million. Today, that purchase price would be adjusted to $8.6 million.
Wagner is one of baseball’s first great stars, playing for the Pirates between 1900-1917. He won the World Series in the ’09 season while hitting .339 with 100 RBIs.
Wagner was an eight-time batting champ and was one of the first five players elected into the MLB Hall of Fame.
Lionel Messi 2022 World Cup game-worn shirts
Messi is widely considered one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game. In 2022, he led Team Argentina to a World Cup championship.
A set of six game-worn jerseys from the tournament sold for $7.8 million in December of 2023 at an auction organized by Sotheby’s. These shirts were donned in the first halves of Argentina’s group play matches, where the squad’s title run began.
While that purchase price is high, it is not the most expensive piece of soccer memorabilia ever sold. In fact, another fellow Argentinian takes the cake.
Michael Jordan “Dynasty Collection” sneakers
The “Dynasty Collection” consists of six single Air Jordan sneakers worn by the NBA superstar during his six championship-clinching games. The set sold for $8.032 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2024.
The shoes are the third-most expensive piece of sports memorabilia in the Michael Jordan collection. The set includes the Air Jordan VI (1991), Air Jordan VII (1992), Air Jordan VIII (1993), Air Jordan XI (1996), Air Jordan XII (1997) and Air Jordan XIV (1998). The Air Jordan VI, VIII, XI and XII sneakers are also autographed by Jordan.
Jordan is arguably the top player in professional basketball history. The Hall of Famer secured 14 All-Star invites, 10 scoring titles, and five MVPs to go along with his six league championships.
The Olympic Games Manifesto
This an original, hand-written collectible authored by Pierre du Coubertin in the early 1890s. It details his vision for sports to serve as a means to greater peace and understanding among the peoples of the world.
De Coubertin wrote the 14-page manifesto in a bid to relaunch the Olympics, accompanied by a speech at the Sorbonne University in Paris. At an auction held by Sotheby’s in 2019, it sold for $8.8 million – a record at the time.
Today, that purchase price might be closer to $11.5 million given inflation. Two years after writing the manifesto, De Coubertin founded the IOC. The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Athens.
Diego Maradona “Hand of God” jersey
This piece of sports memorabilia is mired in controversy. During a 1986 World Cup match between Argentina and England, Diego Maradona found the back of the net.
The ball ricocheted off the soccer star’s hand, a detail that went unnoticed by the referee. English players pleaded their case to the officiating crew to no avail. They’d lose, 2-1.
Argentina would take full advantage, winning the tournament a few games later. Maradona’s moment forever lives on in FIFA history.
His game-worn jersey sold for $9.3 million in 2022 during a Sotheby’s auction, less than two years after his passing.
Michael Jordan 1998 Finals-worn jersey
The 1998 NBA season represented a series of lasts for the basketball great. It was Jordan’s final championship. It was his last season in Chicago. He briefly retired from the league at the end of the year.
As a result, this Finals-worn piece of memorabilia is one of the priciest in the MJ collection, and the sports world in general.
In September of 2022, the jersey sold for $10.1 million in an auction held by Sotheby’s. Surprisingly, this uniform was worn in a Game 1 loss to the Jazz.
The Bulls would overcome the early setback to win a title.
Mickey Mantle 1952 card
This 1952 Topps card featuring Mickey Mantle was the first sports card to sell for eight figures. It remains the most expensive baseball card ever purchased and the priciest sports card featuring a single player.
The price was $12.6 million in August of 2022, a number that would be adjusted to $13.8 million today. It nearly doubled the total of the previous record holder.
Mantle was a second-year player in 1952 though this represented his introduction to the MLB for a number of viewers. The outfielder hit .311 with 23 homers. He was named an All-Star while helping the Yankees win a World Series championship.
Mantle would go onto a Hall of Fame career, smacking 536 home runs while winning three MVPs, a Triple Crown, and seven league titles.
Kobe Bryant/Michael Jordan 2007-08 dual-signed card
In August of 2025, the Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card featuring Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan sold for $12.93 million.
It is the most expensive sports card on record and the second-priciest piece of sports memorabilia ever purchased.
The Jordan/Bryant card was sold via Heritage Auctions with Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, collector Matt Allen, and entrepreneur Paul Warshaw joining forces to make the offer.
Considered the “Holy Grail” of sports card collectibles, it is labeled one-of-one. Despite grading out at just a six, its rarity allowed it to receive such a lofty price tag.
The card is signed by both players and possesses jersey-worn patches from each era.
Babe Ruth “Called Shot” jersey
On October 1, 1932, the New York Yankees travelled to Wrigley Field for a World Series contest against the Chicago Cubs. Ruth went yard in the first inning. A few frames later, he’d hit the most memorable home run in baseball history.
With the score tied 4-4, the Sultan of Swat shook two fingers towards the warning track. He hit the next pitch almost 500 feet over centerfield wall.
While there’s some controversy as to whether he actually called the shot, the story has been confirmed by former teammate Lou Gehrig. The Yankees swept the Cubs in four games.
His World Series-worn jersey, from Game 3, sold for $24.12 million in the summer of 2024. It is the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia on record, nearly doubling that of the previously mentioned Kobe/MJ Logoman card.