The graceful stride of long ago has been replaced by the guiding hand of an aide. We all wind up in that arena someday, if we’re lucky. But when those legs were toned and those arms could turn a fastball into a missle…
It’s those memories that send collectors in search of vintage Willie Mays cards on eBay or scouring the tables at a card show for more.
In his familiar number 24, Mays amazed baseball fans with dazzling catches and tape measure home runs. A career .302 hitter, Mays hit 660 home runs and drove in more than 1900 runs during his 22 year career. He was an icon to New York Giants fans in the 1950s and San Francisco backers once the team moved west in 1958.
Mays won 12 Gold Gloves as an outfielder during his time with the Giants, tying him for the most ever with Roberto Clemente. Mays’ wizardry in the outfield, turned in a career fielding averaging of .981, to go along with 195 assists from center field.
In 1972, Mays was traded to the New York Mets, bringing his career full circle. In his last two seasons with the Mets, Mays registered as the oldest regular position player in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, his best hitting years were behind him, although his fielding percentage was still on par with what he had produced years earlier.
His gorgeous 1951 Bowman rookie card is considered among the greatest of all post-War issues. While Mays rookie cards can be found pretty regularly, near mint and better examples aren’t as plentiful and have been rocketing upward in step with other vintage Hall of Famers. A graded NM/MT 8 that you could have bought for under $10,000 five years ago cost one recent bidder $51,875.
Mays was a constant for Topps, once the company produced his 1952 rookie card (#261). He became fast friends with Topps executive Sy Berger, who watched him perform his magic at the Polo Grounds as the bubble gum card maker was becoming a major player in the 
bubble gum card business.
He regularly appeared in Topps sets from 1952-1973, both as the primary subject, on In Action and multi-player cards and, of course, on some star-packed League Leader cards during his prime.
There are several Mays’ cards that won’t break the bank, but collectors should expect to spend a more substantial amount to obtain some of the best Mays’ cards available.
Both were sensational but Mays’ Bowman rookie card has long lagged behind that of fellow 1951 rookie Mickey Mantle. Currently, Mays rookie cards in near mint (7) grades usually sell for less than half of what Mantle’s rookie cards so. Does that mean Mays rookies are undervalued? Quite possibly. However, there are others to consider, too.
In honor of his 1951 debut season, here’s the list of the 51 hottest Willie Mays cards on eBay right now.
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1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig #160 PSA 7
42 bids - Price: $18,988.00 - Watchers: 152
Item #154534647996
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1952 Topps Willie Mays #261 PSA 4 VGEX
23 bids - Price: $6,345.00 - Watchers: 75
Item #403005597092
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1955 Topps SETBREAK Willie Mays #194 PSA 8 NM-MT
21 bids - Price: $4,250.00 - Watchers: 67
Item #353581832668
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Willie Mays Rookie 1951 Bowman #305 PSA 6
9 bids - Price: $17,000.00 - Watchers: 61
Item #133822785870
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1952 TOPPS WILLIE MAYS #261 PSA 1
21 bids - Price: $1,025.01 - Watchers: 57
Item #154533402093
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1954 Bowman WILLIE MAYS #89 PSA Grade 5 EX-Cond "No Reserve INVEST"
14 bids - Price: $255.00 - Watchers: 52
Item #194250661406
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∎ 1956 TOPPS baseball card WILLIE MAYS #130 **PHENOMENAL CARD**
17 bids - Price: $462.00 - Watchers: 51
Item #164963875022
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1959 Topps Willie Mays #50 PSA 8 NM-MT (PWCC-A)
85 bids - Price: $2,176.00 - Watchers: 51
Item #353581833493
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1964 Topps Willie Mays HOF PSA 8
13 bids - Price: $652.50 - Watchers: 48
Item #304072636615
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1955 Topps #194 Willie Mays New York Giants HOF PSA 5 EX
25 bids - Price: $440.00 - Watchers: 47
Item #384288491981
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1964 Topps Willie Mays #150 PSA 9 MINT (PWCC-E)
25 bids - Price: $3,805.00 - Watchers: 47
Item #144119875885
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1959 Topps Willie Mays Baseball Card #50 PSA 3
19 bids - Price: $115.50 - Watchers: 46
Item #324718361528
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∎ 1958 TOPPS baseball card WILLIE MAYS #5 **SPECTACULAR CARD**
36 bids - Price: $182.50 - Watchers: 43
Item #384280575667
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WILLIE MAYS-KEN GRIFFEY JR 2021 TOPPS DIAMOND ICONS DUAL RELIC BOOK MACH #02/10
13 bids - Price: $76.00 - Watchers: 43
Item #294277321387
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∎ 1960 TOPPS baseball card WILLIE MAYS #200 **AMAZING CARD**
16 bids - Price: $128.50 - Watchers: 42
Item #384280614145
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1955 TOPPS WILLIE MAYS #194 BASEBALL CARD SUPER NICE
8 bids - Price: $51.00 - Watchers: 41
Item #255062072939
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1955 Bowman Willie Mays #184 PSA 4 Beautiful Card
12 bids - Price: $197.50 - Watchers: 40
Item #114893940222
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1961 Topps Willie Mays #150 PSA 9 MINT
31 bids - Price: $3,400.00 - Watchers: 40
Item #144119865172
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1954 Topps #90 Willie Mays New York Giants HOF PSA 4.5 VG-EX+
10 bids - Price: $134.50 - Watchers: 38
Item #373656484737
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1960 TOPPS WILLIE MAYS #200 BASEBALL CARD
28 bids - Price: $91.00 - Watchers: 37
Item #313602056113
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1959 Topps #50 Willie Mays PSA 8 Giants Perfectly Centered
23 bids - Price: $535.00 - Watchers: 37
Item #294286344533
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1973 Topps #1 Hank Aaron / Babe Ruth / Willie Mays - All-Time HR L PSA 8 - NM/MT
9 bids - Price: $199.50 - Watchers: 35
Item #234094464124
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1956 Topps #130 Willie Mays New York Giants HOF Gray Back PSA 6 EX-MT
22 bids - Price: $260.00 - Watchers: 34
Item #384288491078
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1959 Topps Willie Mays #50 Nice Clean Card SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
17 bids - Price: $31.00 - Watchers: 33
Item #154533375618
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2017 BOWMAN BEST JO ADELL ROOKIE REFRACTOR AUTO
7 bids - Price: $19.00 - Watchers: 32
Item #334080436841
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KEN GRIFFEY JR WILLIE MAYS 2021 Diamond Icons Jumbo Jersey Bat Relic Book / 5
20 bids - Price: $122.50 - Watchers: 32
Item #224539686153
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1965 Topps #250 Willie Mays PSA 6 - Great Card
15 bids - Price: $112.50 - Watchers: 32
Item #304075561468
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1969 Topps #190 Willie Mays PSA 6 - Great Card
15 bids - Price: $82.00 - Watchers: 32
Item #304075576671
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1968 TOPPS BASEBALL SET BREAK 50 WILLIE MAYS GIANTS NM+
8 bids - Price: $90.09 - Watchers: 32
Item #174848576972
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1972 Topps Willie Mays #49 PSA 8 NM-MT HOF GIANTS
19 bids - Price: $172.50 - Watchers: 31
Item #154530742272
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1962 Topps Mickey Mantle & Willie Mays MANAGER'S DREAM #18 PSA 7 NRMT
31 bids - Price: $473.00 - Watchers: 31
Item #403005636890
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1960 Topps Willie Mays #200 SGC 60 EX HOF
24 bids - Price: $117.50 - Watchers: 30
Item #265230854090
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1956 TOPPS #130 WILLIE MAYS PSA 4 VG-EX
10 bids - Price: $177.50 - Watchers: 30
Item #274872390977
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1954 Topps Willie Mays #90 PSA 3 VG
9 bids - Price: $310.00 - Watchers: 30
Item #403005606373
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2019 Leaf Ultimate WILLIAMS/RUTH/MIZE/MANTLE/MAYS/MUSIAL 8X PATCHES #4/6 SSP *KB
34 bids - Price: $218.50 - Watchers: 29
Item #334080771395
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1967 Topps Set Break #200 Willie Mays SGC 5 EX
10 bids - Price: $69.00 - Watchers: 29
Item #324715991790
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Willie Mays HOF Signed 1997 Topps 1964 Retro AUTO Giants PSA 9 PSA/DNA
9 bids - Price: $201.50 - Watchers: 29
Item #384286193593
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1973 Topps #305 Willie Mays Mets PSA 9 Mint
20 bids - Price: $530.00 - Watchers: 29
Item #224543140639
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2019 Leaf ITG TROUT/MANTLE/GRIFFEY/WILLIAMS/MAYS/MUSIAL 8X PATCHES #1/3 SSP *KB
20 bids - Price: $125.00 - Watchers: 28
Item #234093791946
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1972 TOPPS #49 WILLIE MAYS PSA 8 NM-MT
38 bids - Price: $250.99 - Watchers: 28
Item #284376384141
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1954 Topps Willie Mays HOF #90 New York Giants EX
15 bids - Price: $145.00 - Watchers: 28
Item #284376268617
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1971 Topps #600 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants HOF PSA 7 NM
26 bids - Price: $171.50 - Watchers: 28
Item #373654602446
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2005 Willie Mays Playoff Prime Cuts Timeline Auto BGS 9.5 Gem Mint Giants /50
13 bids - Price: $255.00 - Watchers: 28
Item #353585080044
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1972 Topps Set Break # 49 Willie Mays NM-MT OR BETTER *GMCARDS*
18 bids - Price: $91.00 - Watchers: 27
Item #384277672572
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1977-79 Sportscaster Card Collection 600+ Cards-Ali, Bruce Lee, Unitas, Olympics
16 bids - Price: $114.50 - Watchers: 27
Item #304072796692
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1966 Topps #1 Willie Mays PSA 3 VG
9 bids - Price: $56.55 - Watchers: 26
Item #324708806773
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Topps Baseball 1964 Giants Willie Mays San Francisco Giants
7 bids - Price: $6.25 - Watchers: 26
Item #174851929612
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1964 Topps #150 Willie Mays PSA 6 - Centered!
11 bids - Price: $184.01 - Watchers: 25
Item #304072720517
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1956 Topps WILLIE MAYS #130 Low Grade HOF vintage Baseball Card *Creased*
18 bids - Price: $49.00 - Watchers: 25
Item #184943350963
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1996 Topps Commemerative Willie Mays #150 Autographed
4 bids - Price: $15.59 - Watchers: 25
Item #284378585088
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