Willie Mays
Baseball · San Francisco Giants · Center field
Mays's two core cards are his 1951 Bowman #305 (his true rookie) and his 1952 Topps #261 (the iconic high-number card). The top of the market is thin: the 1951 Bowman's record sale was a PSA 8.5 at $390,935 in 2024, and no PSA 10 of either card has sold publicly. Mid-grade sales in 2026 (PSA 4 to 7 for the 1952 Topps and PSA 6 to 7 for the 1951 Bowman) are the most active comps.
Prices are recent sales we found on Oct 8, 2026 and refresh weekly while people are looking. Check the sold prices before you buy.
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- Flagship rookie
1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays Rookie
This is Mays's true rookie card and the most important card in his collection, and it is the only rookie card of his on the market.
No PSA 10 has been graded (PSA's population report shows none), and the highest graded copies are PSA 9s. Recent 2026 Heritage sales were PSA 6 to 6.5 at about $31,700 to $47,600. The $390,935 top sale was a PSA 8.5 at REA in 2024. Sources differ on the grade of the July 2026 $47,580 sale.
$390,935
top recent sale
- Flagship rookie
1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays Rookie (high number)
This is the best-known Mays card and the one most collectors picture first, shown in his Giants uniform, and it is the card buyers chase in every grade.
Only one PSA 10 is known to exist, and no public sale of it turned up. The top sale is a PSA 9 at Heritage in May 2016. Recent eBay sales in June and July 2026 were graded PSA 4 to 4.5 or SGC 4.5, at about $8,800 to $11,000. Raw sales were not clearly ungraded.
$478,000
top recent sale
- Autograph
1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays Rookie signed (PSA/DNA auto)
A signed rookie card carries a premium because it combines his rookie with a verified autograph, and buyers pay more for an authenticated signature on the card.
Thin market. I found no confirmed sold price. A Heritage listing graded PSA Poor 1 with a PSA/DNA auto 10 had offers reaching $35,000 in August 2026, but those offers are not sales.
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no recent sale found
- Other
1954 Topps #90 Willie Mays
This is a widely collected Mays base card from his 1954 MVP season, and it is the second most sought-after card in his main set run after the 1952 Topps.
Ungraded eBay sales in June and July 2026 were around $300 to $350, but condition varies. A PSA 8 sold at Heritage for $10,370 in February 2026, and I did not find a confirmed PSA 10 sale.
$325
raw, recent sale
Top sale $10,370