Move over Honus Wagner, there’s a new King of Collectibles when it comes to sports cards. Following a month-long bidding war, the “finest known example” of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle was sold at auction for a record setting $12.6M including buyer’s premium.
The card, a 9.5 Mint+ graded card from SGC is believed to be the highest graded 1952 Mantle card in existence. It also comes complete with a backstory that’s become almost as legendary as the card itself.
According to collectibles folklore, Alan Rosen, known by many as “Mr. Mint” purchased the card, along with 5,500 others from the estate of an old Topps truck driver who had passed away. Amongst the haul, which he paid $125,000 to acquire, were roughly 75 Mantle cards, along with hundreds of pristine condition cards from the 1952 set, long considered one of the most desirable baseball years in sports card history.
The total value of all the cards purchased by Mr. Mint in the 80’s will likely never be known, but it’s widely believed to be the most lucrative find in sports collectibles history. Fast forward to 1991, and Rosen went on to sell this particular copy of the card for $50,000 to Anthony Giordano who held onto it ever since.
The record setting figure nearly doubles the previous high water mark, set earlier this month by a T206 Honus Wagner card which sold for $7.25M. But the sale isn’t just a record breaker in the sports card industry, it’s also now officially the most expensive sports item, card, or piece of memorabilia ever sold.
In a prepared statement, Chris Ivy, Heritage Auctions director of sports auctions remarked “This card is arguably the finest-condition example of the most iconic post-war card in the world…That grade, plus the fact it has documented provenance from the most storied find in hobby history, puts this card in a category of its own.”
The sale marks the third time in the last year that a new record for most expensive sports card has been set. It also marks the first time any sports card has hit the 8 figure mark on the open market.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: J.G. Taylor Spink.