Some of the most valuable pieces in the hobby are not cards. They are the photos the cards were made from. This year, the original photograph Topps used for the 1952 Mickey Mantle card sold privately for $3 million. That got a lot of collectors asking the same thing. What is a Type 1 photo, and is it worth chasing?
What Is a Type 1 Photo?
A Type 1 photo is a first-generation print developed from the original negative within about two years of when the picture was taken. PSA sorts photos into four types. Type 2 also comes from the original negative, but was printed more than two years later. Types 3 and 4 come from a duplicate negative or a wire transmission, either within two years or after.
The “Type” system was created in the 2005 book “A Portrait of Baseball Photography,” and PSA has held the exclusive license to this system since 2007.
Why Are They Valuable?
Type 1 is the most desirable category because of its age and originality. These prints sit closest to the moment itself. Many were the source images for cards, magazines and newspapers.
This is not a condition grade. The type tells you what the photo is, not how it looks. The subject still matters most. PSA notes that a Type 3 photo of Mickey Mantle may be worth considerably more than a Type 1 of a common player from the 1920s.
Which Are the Most Valuable?
Mantle sits on top. The photo used for the 1952 Topps card sold for $3 million in a private sale brokered by Hunt Auctions. That set a record for a PSA-authenticated Type 1, and PSA has authenticated only three Type 1 copies of the image.
A 1910 Type 1 original photo of Charles Conlon’s famous “Cobb Sliding” image sold at Goldin in October 2026 for $945,500, a record for the highest public sale of a PSA-graded Type 1 photo. The 8×10 shows Cobb sliding into third base at Hilltop Park on July 23, 1910, and is described as the finest of only two PSA-certified Type 1 examples.
The second-highest public auction mark belongs to another Mantle. The photo behind his 1951 Bowman rookie card sold for $843,750 in April 2024.
Other big sales:
- Michael Jordan, Nike Air Jordan first ad campaign: a signed and inscribed Type 1 original from November 1984, shot by photographer Chuck Kuhn. Only two PSA-certified examples are known. It carries PSA/DNA and JSA autograph authentication and sold at Goldin for $528,937.10.
- Ty Cobb, Cracker Jack source photo: this circa 1910-12 original photo was used for his 1914-15 Cracker Jack card. It’s a PSA/DNA Type 1 and sold for $516,000 at Heritage in August 2022.
- Michael Jordan, first NBA game: this Type 1 photo from his October 1984 debut sold privately at Goldin for $225,000, topping the previous Jordan photo record of $175,000. Goldin’s Khyber Oser said only three Type 1 examples from the debut had surfaced publicly as of the earlier $175,000 sale.
- Joe Namath, 1965 Topps rookie photo: sold for $197,640 at Goldin’s November Elite Auction in December 2023. That was a record for Type 1 football photos. PSA authenticator Henry Yee called it the most important football Type 1 in the hobby.
- Joe Rosenthal, Iwo Jima flag raising: a signed and inscribed Type 1 print sold at Goldin for $103,090, the most expensive wartime image ever sold. It’s one of only three Type 1 Iwo Jima photos PSA has authenticated, and the only signed one.
Who Grades Them?
PSA is the main name. Each photo is examined for its era, given a Type 1 to Type 4 classification, and sealed in a tamper-evident holder. An autograph is a separate submission, which is why signed photos, like the Jordan ad shot, can carry a PSA/DNA certification. Collectors rely on Type classification because telling a true original from a later print by eye is hard.
Beckett has offered original photograph authentication and grading since 2009, with an optional numerical grade. As mentioned above, the Type system itself is licensed to PSA.
Final Thoughts
Know the image before you buy. Check recent sales for that exact photo. A Type 1 label helps, but it does not make a common image rare. Get a second opinion on anything expensive.
There is still room to grow. Oser has called non-sport Type 1 photos the next frontier, and Yee has said true originals remain undervalued compared to other parts of the hobby. Focus on photos tied to key cards and moments, and the market will tell you the rest.
Images: Hunt Auctions, PSAcard.com
GRADEx Staff
This story is a team effort. Our writers, editors, and hobby experts worked together, researching and reporting to bring you this piece.
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