How To Collect The New York Yankees

Collecting Baseball’s Most Storied Franchise

At Topps RIPPED, we’re taking a look at how to collect your favorite teams. If you’re new to the chase, check out our Team Collecting Primer. These profiles aren’t meant to be definitive guides, but they provide team collectors—and those just starting out—an idea of what to keep in mind when collecting each franchise.

Collecting New York Yankees cards offers endless opportunities, from Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle to Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge. Grail cards include Mantle’s 1952 Topps, Ruth’s Goudey, and Jeter’s rookies, but collectors can also enjoy affordable team sets, reprints, autos, and relics. With history and hype, Yankees collecting spans every era.

Article Index

• Yankees Lore
  • • Mickey Mantle
    • Babe Ruth
    • Lou Gehrig
    • Joe DiMaggio
• The Captain and The Judge
  • • Derek Jeter
    • Aaron Judge
• Collect Who and What You Love
  • • Anthony Rizzo
• Word on the Street
  • • Anthony Volpe
    • Austin Wells
• Capture the Quirks
  • • Oscar Gamble
• Down on the Farm
  • • George Lombard, Jr.
• Your Team, Your Way
• FAQs
• Where to Start
• Key Facts

Yankees Lore 

What’s unique about collecting the New York Yankees? Lifelong Yankees superfan and collector Sooz Lulgjuraj explains: “So much history. So many of the all-time greats are featured on cards dating back to Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and continuing through to modern times with Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge. You have so many different players from so many different decades that you can collect.”

Indeed, when it comes to grail cards in The Hobby, the Yankees are their very own Mount Rushmore. There’s the grandaddy of them all, the 1952 Topps Baseball #311 Mickey Mantle, which holds the record for most expensive card ever sold at $12.6 million. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig’s 1933 Goudey cards and Joe DiMaggio’s 1941 Play Ball card are among the most iconic cards ever made.

While these cards are in a different stratosphere, there are myriad ways to collect Yankee legends through more accessible vintage cards, reprints, commemorations, and new releases. Mantle, Ruth, and Gehrig all appear in 2025 Topps Baseball Series 1.

The Captain and The Judge

In the modern era, the two most collected Yankees are Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge. Lulgjuraj, a Jeter supercollector, has over 3,000 cards. She prefers early Jeter (1992–1996) and loves his 1993 Topps Inaugural Florida Marlins rookie variation card, calling it: “Baby Jeter.”

Judge, meanwhile, has taken the torch. His 2013 Bowman Chrome Superfractor sold for $324,000, while his 2017 Topps rookies are modern grails. For affordable options, collectors can turn to Stadium Club for fun imagery.

Collect Who and What You Love

Lulgjuraj reminds collectors: “Always collect what resonates with you.” For her, that’s Anthony Rizzo. She goes after his autos and relics, noting, “When it comes to jersey cards, it has to have a pinstripe”.

Word on the Street

Team collecting is a great way to engage with other collectors and fans of your favorite team. Get a sense of what people in The Hobby are thinking and who’s getting buzz while building a network for your collection.

Lulgjuraj spends a lot of time talking to other collectors. “Anthony Volpe’s the next guy, but there’s also Austin Wells. I’m in Yankee chat groups and people love Austin Wells,” she said. The 25-year-old catcher got his rookie card in 2024 Topps Baseball Series 2 and could make for an exciting rainbow to chase. A PSA 10 2024 Topps Baseball Series 2 Austin Wells RC numbered to 50 sold for $125 in October 2024.

Capture the Quirks

The Yankees recently dropped their ban on beards, so bearded Yankees cards could be coming soon!. But, while you’re at it, go chasing for those Yankee cards of the past that capture players with mustaches, like 1976 Topps Traded #374 Oscar Gamble.

Down on the Farm

It’s a well-known fact, and a hard truth for Yankee collectors, that early cards of the team’s prospects often come at a premium. It makes sense, as the club’s overwhelming popularity and place in the history of The Hobby makes it extremely appealing to figure out who’s next. 19-year-old Shortstop George Lombard Jr. made a splash early in Spring Training, and The Hobby responded, with his Bowman cards becoming hot items to chase. Five of the top six sales of Lombard Jr. cards have come this March alone, ranging from $2,425 – $6,750.

Your Team, Your Way

Books could be written on Yankees cards. From Mantle grails to Judge autos, from quirky cards to future stars, the possibilities are endless. What matters most is collecting your team, your way, ultimately finding your own way to show off in pinstripes.

Products to Start Your Yankee Collection

• Topps Baseball Series 1, Series 2, and Update Series – The flagship yearly releases featuring Yankees stars, rookies, and team cards
• Bowman Baseball, Draft, and Chrome – The go-to product for Yankees prospects and rookie cards, often their very first appearance on cardboard
• Topps NOW – Daily print-on-demand cards that capture key Yankee highlights, milestones, and memorable moments as the season unfolds

FAQs

• What are the most valuable Yankees cards to collect?
  • Mantle’s 1952 Topps, Ruth and Gehrig’s 1933 Goudey cards, 1941 Play Ball’s Joe DiMaggio, and Jeter rookies headline grails, while Judge rookies and autos dominate the current era.
    
• What’s a good entry point for Yankees collectors?
  • Affordable sets, such as Topps Baseball Series 1 and Series 2, along with reprint inserts, provide access to Yankees history without the need for grail-level prices.
• Are Derek Jeter rookie cards still in demand?
  • Yes. Jeter’s 1993 Topps and short prints (SP) rookies remain staples, with collectors also chasing variations.
• Which modern Yankee is the biggest chase?
  • Aaron Judge is The Hobby’s superstar Yankee, though collectors are also buzzing about Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells.
• Why are Yankees prospects so expensive?
  • The team’s history and popularity inflate demand. Prospects like Lombard Jr. command high prices early in their careers.

Key Facts

• Yankees have 27 World Series titles—the most in MLB
• Mantle’s 1952 Topps sold for $12.6M (Hobby record)
• Judge rookies are six-figure sales items
• Rising stars and prospects like Volpe, Wells, and Lombard Jr. are hot

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