SPEED FREAK CORNERSTONES »

1992 Upper Deck Deion Sanders #SP3

“Prime

Time’s Two”

His 1989 Score Football rookie card is a bit plain, and his 1989 Topps Baseball rookie isn't much better. It would take a few years for a card company to adequately capture the true versatility of “Neon Deion” and a bit of the speed that made “Prime” so special. Speaking of “sp”ecial, this was only the third Upper Deck SP card following Michael Jordan, Nolan Ryan, and Rickey Henderson. Gem Mint versions of the dual Deion go for around $300.

1990 Score Bo Jackson #697

Like Deion's rookie cards, capturing Bo's essence on cardboard was impossible until manufacturers used a little creativity. That would come in 1990 alongside one of the most iconic cards of the early 1990s with Jackson featured shirtless, abs glistening, football pads draped over his chest, and a baseball bat hung over his back. Also, like the Sanders SP card, this one goes for around $300 as a PSA 10.

1966 Philadelphia Bob Hayes #58

"Bullet" Bob Hayes was already deemed the "World’s Fastest Human" before he stepped foot in a Dallas Cowboys uniform. The franchise had taken a flyer on the flyer, who’d won the 100-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Hayes, known more for his track exploits than his untested football talents, made an immediate splash with the Cowboys and topped the 1000-yard mark in his first two seasons—scoring 12 and 13 touchdowns. He remains the only player in NFL history to win an Olympic gold medal, as well as a Super Bowl ring, and his 1966 Philadelphia rookie card is coveted by Cowboys fans. No PSA 9 copies — of which there are fewer than 10 examples — have come up for auction since 2017.

1980 Topps Rickey Henderson #482

As a ten-time All-Star between 1980 and 1991, a two-time World Series champion and the 1990 American League MVP, Henderson is one of the most legendary speed demons of all time. The “Man of Steal” remains the all-time stolen bases king and Major League Baseball's career runs leader. His Topps rookie card is one of the toughest grades in the hobby—of more than 30,000 graded by PSA, just 26 PSA 10 examples exist. There's a reason they sell for six figures.

1962 Topps Lou Brock #387 Star Rookie

Like his fellow speedster Henderson, Brock was a trailblazer on the basepaths. And like Henderson, his Topps rookie card is almost an impossible grade. Just 3,645 copies of the card have been graded, with only two PSA 10s and 30 PSA 9s. The only known auction for a PSA 10 version went for $32,545 in 2012 and could possibly command double or triple that now.

T206 Sweet Caporal 150/30 Ty Cobb

Portrait – Green

Brock and then Henderson erased Cobb from the all-time steals record book, but the Detroit Tigers legend still holds the record for stealing home 54 times. Known for his blazing speed on the field, as well as his nasty streak off it, the Georgia Peach was also baseball's hit king until Pete Rose surpassed him in 1985. Several of his PSA-graded cards from the early 20th century sell for more than five figures, including a 1911 T–206 card with a PSA 6 grade, which commanded nearly $110,000 at an auction in 2022.

2009 Panini National Treasures

Stephen Curry #5

Autograph Jersey Century Platinum

He may have lost a step from his prodigious peak, but don't tell Curry that. He remains one of basketball’s fastest players and one who would be voted “Most Likely to Make Dizzy.” And speaking of dizzy, his rarefied air hit a new high with the $1.08 million sale of one of his most coveted RPAs.

1996 Topps Chrome Allen Iverson #171 Refractor

What Iverson lacked in size he more than made up for in speed and heart. He was never the fastest player in the NBA, but few could make it coast-tocoast quicker than AI. As he improved and matured in his illustrious career, he began using his speed more creatively. His Topps Chrome Refractor rookie card remains at the top of Iverson collectors' lists, and Gem Mint versions have sold for more than $50,000.

2015 Upper Deck The Cup Connor McDavid #197 Autograph Patch

Among the litany of awards he's won — in what is quickly becoming an overfilled trophy case — “McJesus” is a three-time winner of the NHL All-Star Skills Competition Fastest Skater event. He'd probably trade all three for one Stanley Cup, but he'll get there—probably a few times. McDavid took his game to a new level this year by smashing his career highs with 153 points and 64 goals. It was one of the best offensive seasons in NHL history. He has long been the apple of collectors' eyes, with highly graded versions of his Upper Deck The Cup RPA rookie cards selling for six figures.

1958 Topps Bobby Hull #66

The “Golden Jet” was a legend as much for the speed of his shot as the speed of his skates—two traits that served him well during a decorated career that spanned nearly two dozen years and included two MVPs, three scoring titles, 10 First Team All-Star nods and a Stanley Cup in 1961. On one of the great vintage hockey cards, a young fresh-faced Hull, not yet 20, grins and stares towards a fateful future. Scarce PSA 8 versions of the Topps card have sold for more than $50,000, but with his death earlier this year, fans and hockey historians have been re-exploring his career.

2018 Panini Kaboom! Kylian Mbappé #KM

As one of the current generation’s emerging world soccer icons, Kylian Mbappé is considered one of the game's true gazelles. It's one thing to have speed on the pitch but it's another to have controlled speed, and if Mbappé has one thing, it's body control. His cards have taken off into the ether, especially his first Kaboom! card.

2008 Sports Illustrated for Kids Usain Bolt #294

As an eleven-time World Champion and eight-time Olympic gold medalist, Bolt remains the world record holder in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. Bolt's Sports Illustrated for Kids has been graded 320 times, with 10 Gem Mint versions. Prices climbed to otherworldly heights during the pandemic-era card boom, selling for more than $20,000 in March 2021 before settling to $8,100 with the last sale in August 2021.

2012 Topps USA Olympics Allyson Felix #66 Autograph – Silver

In addition to being the most decorated woman in Olympic track and field history, Felix is also the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history with 11 total medals from five consecutive Olympic Games. For such a significant athlete, her cards are remarkably cheap.

2004 Leaf Rookies & Stars Michael Phelps Fans of the Game

Autographed

The Olympian of all Olympians, Phelps was to water what Bolt and Felix were to land. Phelps is simply the most successful Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals, including 23 gold. He has been captured on cardboard for years, but his autographed card from Donruss/ Leaf's popular Fans of the Game set remains a favorite. PSA 10 copies have sold for more than $2,000.