1961 Topps Dice Game Mickey Mantle Topps issued a dice game for two players in 1961, which included eighteen cards unique to the game. Very few full collections are known to exist -- down in the single digits. A good or better condition Mantle from this series is valued at $50,000 to $100,000

1914 Boston Garter Color Ty Cobb From the same collection as the valuable Joe Jackson card, this issue of "The Georgia Peach" commands values of $70,000 to $100,000

1914 Texas Tommy E224 Joe Jackson Depicting Jackson during his tenure with the Cleveland Naps, this rare card's value ranges from $60,000 to $120,000

1888 G and B Chewing Gum Co E223 Albert G. Spalding Spalding was president of the Chicago club when the E223 series was produced. The legendary 253-65 pitcher was one of the most influential people in the organization and rules of professional baseball for a long time after his retirement, and left his mark on sports for future generations in the legacy of the A.G. Spalding sports company (make of, among other things, Spalding balls in numerous sports.) Valuations range from $60,00 to $120,000

1887 Mike Kelly "Four Base Hits" Inarguably the biggest name in baseball of his generation, Mike "King" Kelly was the first professional baseball player to publish an autobiography and was nationally known as a player and manager (his last team was even named after him: the Cincinnati Kelly's Killers!) This card is rare and its history currently lost -- it is unclear even the issuer of the card, let alone its series or circulation. Current valuations range from $60,00 to $120,000

1914 Boston Garter Color Joe Jackson Part of a free promotional campaign that included pictures of twelve different baseball players, the Boston Garter Jackson is a rarity valued from $90,000 to $120,000

1910 Old Mill T210 Joe Jackson One of very few cards of "Shoeless Joe" and the only tobacco card of him, this card depicts the infamous legend as a rookie for New Orleans. Only ten are known to exist; values range from $100,000 to $200,000

1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner Commemorating one of baseball's greatest legends, the American Tobacco Company Wagner card was pulled from production early -- reasons vary, but most dear to our hearts is that Wagner himself did not want kids buying cigarettes to get his card. Fewer than 200 are known to have been printed and confirmed population today is far lower. The single most expensive baseball card auction ever was for the famous "Gretzky Wagner," which sold in 2007 for $2.8 million. Good condition T206 Wagners are valued between $250,000 and $350,000

1914 Balitmore News Babe Ruth Issued by the Baltimore News newspaper when Ruth was a relatively unknown minor league player, he was featured alongside his teammates from the Orioles. Only ten of these Babe Ruth "rookie" cards are known to exist, and they are considered by far the most desireable Babe Ruth baseball cards. Current valuations range from $250,000 to $ 500,000

Owning any of these legendary cards may be a dream for a collector, or a strategy for an investor. Surely the chance to make a fortune is at best on par with the idea of spending a little alone time with a classic card, taking in not only the legend of the star it commemorates but the legacy of the thrill of a childhood favorite finding its way across generations to your hands.