baseball cards Archives

Dressed for Success: Mantle Jersey Sells for $4.6 Million

A year ago, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card stunned the sports collectible hobby, selling for a record $12.6 million. Now, 12 months later, two more pristine Mantle pieces combined to sell for more than $9 million in Heritage’s recent Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction.

A New York Yankees jersey worn by Mantle throughout the 1958 season sold for more than $4.6 million, while another 1952 Topps Mantle card sold for more than $4.5 million to top the auction event, which totaled more than $34 million in sales.

Mantle wore the jersey on April 18, 1958, at Yankee Stadium when he was presented with the 1957 AL MVP award, his second straight MVP. Mantle wore the jersey throughout the 1958 season, and though he didn’t win a third straight MVP, he had another outstanding season, leading the league with 42 home runs, 307 total bases, 129 walks, and 127 runs scored. Mantle played his entire career for the Yankees (1951–1968) and is considered one of the best players in baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Mantle died in 1995 at the age of 63.

1958 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees game-worn jersey front and back.

Photos: Courtesy Heritage Auctions

Topps Baseball Cards

The world’s most expensive “brick?” In 1952 a “brick” of 1952 Topps baseball cards—which contains eight 5-cent packs of five baseball cards and a stick of gum in each—would have cost you 40 cents. Early this year, the intact brick sold for $873,300. As you ponder this return on investment, know that this item was the subject of worldwide attention because as far as sports card rarities go, this Topps is tops. Experts speculate that the cards are likely from Topps’ first series. Pristine 1952 Topps cards are legendary among collectors for their historical and monetary value.

Mickey Mantle Card Kept in Basement Sells for $12.6 Million

Another reason to go through boxes before you donate: A 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie baseball card that used to be kept in a box in a basement sold August 28 for $12.6 million in a Heritage Auctions sale. That price more than doubles the record set last year when a rare Honus Wagner card sold for $6.6 million.

This card is especially valuable because of its nearly pristine condition. It has perfect centering, registration and four sharp corners. Mantle spent 17 years playing for the New York Yankees and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. The card is from his rookie season and was produced by trading card giant Topps.

The card’s owner bought it in 1991 for $50,000. Its original owner, a Topps employee, had kept it in a box in his basement for decades. The new owner kept it hidden away for 30 years before putting it in the auction.

Photo: Heritage Auctions, HA.com

Play Ball!

Dear Lee,

If it’s October, it must be World Series time! Even if you aren’t a baseball person, there’s plenty of sports memorabilia to attract collectors. I have been amazed at the prices that baseball and basketball cards have been getting in the past year. The crazy prices could be because people were stuck at home and bored. That meant cleaning or finding distractions. Suddenly my son’s box of old baseball cards is pulled out of a dusty corner in the attic and the old hobby is revived.

While reading the stories about record collecting card prices, I remember the clack, clack, clack of your bike. You put your baseball cards in the spokes of the wheels to get that great sound. Lee did this as well as a lot of other children! There was always a parade of decorated bikes at the end of the annual Memorial Day Parade. Every bike had cards (baseball or playing cards!) in the spokes. What a racket! But many of the bicyclists might regret destroying the noise-making cards when they hear about recent record card prices. Today, good condition is what gets high prices.

A Honus Wagner card, issued from 1909 to 1911, sold for $6.6 million in an online auction this summer, smashing the record price for a baseball card. Wagner was a legendary Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop who played his last major league game in 1917, and was one of the five members of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1936.

Major NBA sales included $1.85 million paid for an autographed 2003 LeBron James rookie card. A “perfect” Kobe Bryant rookie card auctioned for $1.795 million, making it one of the most expensive basketball cards ever sold.

If selling old collections, avoid throwing out potentially valuable items. When downsizing or helping with an estate, don’t throw away anything before you check its value. Open all boxes and go through every item. One comic book (also selling for amazing prices) may not be worth a lot of money, but check before chucking! Maybe you will find a winner! Collectibles that are rare, old, things with original finish, signatures, box, labels and instruction books have added value. Useful things like furniture or valuable items of gold or silver or precious stones or autographs of important people or beautiful paintings can sell for unexpectedly high prices.

I urge people to collect what they love. So, if you are a sports fan, find cards of your favorite players because you want them, not because you think they may fund your retirement.

And enjoy this year’s World Series! The boys of summer are back!

1933 Babe Ruth baseball card
Photo: Heritage Auctions

Rare Pokémon Cards Getting High Prices

Baseball cards have been breaking auction records with million dollar sales. Also getting high prices rare mint-condition Pokémon cards. Pokémon, short for “pocket monsters,” is a Japanese franchise that has been around for decades. It is a popular animated TV show in America since 1998 (released in Japan in 1996), a trading card game, the subject […]

Baseball Cards

Baseball cards have been printed since the 1880s, and billions of cards have been produced. The first cards were issued by tobacco companies, but by the 1920s tobacco companies were no longer using the cards as promotions. Candy and gum companies began issuing cards in the early twentieth century. Topps Chewing Gum Company started inserting […]

Factors Affecting A Baseball Card’s Value

Newer cards must be in near-perfect condition to have any value. Older cards in less-than-perfect condition sell, but those in excellent condition bring the best prices. Unopened packs of cards sell better than opened packs. Sometimes the cards have been stained by the bubble gum or packaging—an unwelcome, price-reducing surprise. One way to make sure […]

Don’t Trim a Baseball Card

By Michael Osacky

Trimming a card is the same thing as altering it. The value is essentially nill. Collectors do NOT want a trimmed card under any circumstance. The best investment I have ever made was to buy a ten cent ruler at Target. I know the dimensions for every baseball, football, and basketball card. If I believe a card to be trimmed, I simply take a measurement to determine.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, people glued their cards into scrapbooks. That is how they stored their cards. They would also hide the scrapbook somewhere in the home in case of a break-in. I have seen beautiful scrapbooks today with tobacco cards glued in. If I try and remove these cards, the entire back of the card may be removed. Therefore, glue also impacts value negatively.