Mickey Mantle Signed Memorabilia Guide
As a result of his investment value, collectibility and overall popularity, Mickey Mantle’s autograph is one of the most forged in the entire sports memorabilia market. Contributing to this is the fact that Mantle’s signature changed considerably from his playing days to the items signed post-retirement. When evaluating signature items, the age of the piece must be taken into account when matching items to autograph style.
Below you will find examples of what authentic Mickey Mantle autographs look like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company. Some of the trusted sources within the sports memorabilia market for authenticated Mickey Mantle autographs include the following companies: PSA, JSA, Upper Deck and Steiner. Click on any of the images below to view full-size photos.
What Is The Most Valuable Signature In The World
#1 George Washingtons Acts of Congress: $9.8 Million. The first place in this list of most expensive autographs belongs to George Washingtons personal copy of the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the First Congress. He signed the first page of this book which was put up for auction at Sothebys in 2012.
How Much Are Mantle Baseball Cards Worth
Mantle spent 18 seasons in the MLB, so fans saw a lot of Mantle baseball cards produced. As you may imagine, not all of them are worth as much. Value tends to depend on factors like condition, year, and overall scarcity. At the low end, the Mantle card produced for Red Heart Dog Food has an average value of around $4,250, reports PSA Collector.
From there, Mantle cards just get more expensive. Even cards from later in his career can fetch enormous sums. For instance, his 1969 Topps card may be worth as much as $40,000 if you have the rare variant with white borders. The same card with the more common yellow borders usually goes for around $8,500.
The majority of Mantles baseball cards have five-digit values ranging from $15,000 to $99,999. A few Mantle cards manage to break into six-digit territory. These include the 1953 Topps card, valued at $100,000, and the 1951 Bowman rookie card, which has a staggering value of $750,000.
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Mainstream Mickey Mantle Cards
First let’s take a look at Mantle’s key mainstream cards from Topps and Bowman before we talk about some of his oddball cards.
These are the ones that most collectors are familiar with.
There are 21 in total so putting together his “base” set can take some time…and money…
But, if you’re up for the challenge, it’s an extremely rewarding pursuit and his cards should remain in high demand for quite some time.
The Most Expensive Mantle Baseball Card Ever
JUST IN: The 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card has just sold for $2.88 million. It is the second highest price ever paid for a baseball card. #1 is $3.12 million paid for a T206 Honus.
Darren Rovell
The rarest and most expensive of Mantles cards is the 1952 card produced for Topps. Mantles first for Topps, it features a striking design with bright colors. Although the series of cards had two print runs, the manufacturer trashed a large amount of them, unwittingly driving up the scarcity.
As a result, this has become the single most valuable Mantle card by a long shot. In 2018, a 1952 Topps Mantle card sold for $2.88 million dollars, reports USA Today, making it the second most expensive baseball card ever sold. The most expensive was a 1909 Honus Wagner card that brought in $3.12 million in 2016.
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Topps Mickey Mantle #311
This is the grand-daddy of them all and, perhaps, the hobby’s most iconic card. The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle started the rookie card craze of the mid-1980s when collectors realized that vintage copies of the card were starting to command huge dollars. Many were seeing greater returns than traditional investment portfolios. Oddly enough, it’s not a rookie card as Bowman released one a year earlier. But it is the landmark card of one of the hobby’s most important sets. The legend has overtaken any labels that might be attached to it.
For years, baseball cards were produced in multiple series with the first being printed at the start of the season and later series closer to the end. Latter series were printed in smaller quantities as the focus of children turned to the start of football season and a return to school. Mantle’s card #311 was printed in a later series and, legend has it, that then Topps CEO, Sy Berger, dumped hundreds of unsold Topps cases into the Hudson River, forever sealing countless 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards in a watery tomb.
Score Mickey Mantle Autograph 7/2500
This 1991 Score is the ultimate Mickey Mantle signed baseball card. This autographed set was well received and very popular. Limited to 2,500 signed seven-card sets, collectors wanted certain key numbers, making numbers such as No. 1, No. 536 and even numbers such as 100, 200 and so on highly desirable. However, the single example everyone wanted was the corresponding jersey number signed card of The Mick. We present to you the No. 7/2500 signed card of the No. 7 card in the set. Double number 7! This numbering sequence is like the Mick hitting a home run from both sides of the plate in the same at bat! Well, that would be impossible, but obtaining this card is not impossible. This card has been graded in two ways, and then encapsulated by Beckett Grading Services. They have deemed the card to be MINT 9 and the stellar, dark blue Sharpie “Mickey Mantle” signature to be GEM MINT 10 in appearance. This is the ultimate signed Mickey Mantle baseball card.
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What Is The Value Of A Mickey Mantle Autograph
As of July, 2014, a Mickey Mantle autograph is worth anywhere between $300 to $50,000. There are many factors that go into estimating the value of both sports memorabilia and autographs. These include the signature condition, specific item signed and whether or not the item includes a letter of authenticity.
As of July, 2014, Mickey Mantle autographed items include baseball cards with printed signatures for $300 to $350, a New York Yankees autographed hat for close to $1,800 and an autographed baseball for $1,200.
According to Leila Dunbar of Leila Dunbar Appraisals and Consulting, a very expensive Mickey Mantle autograph was appraised in 2008. That year, the ball, signed by Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, was worth $30,000 to $50,000. The key to this items value was the condition of the signatures of all three players. Additionally, this is the only ball known to be signed by all three players.
Mickey Mantle Card Breaks Record As Sports Memorabilia Soar
NEW YORK A mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card sold for $12.6 million Sunday, blasting into the record books as the most ever paid for sports memorabilia in a market that has grown exponentially more lucrative in recent years.
The rare Mantle card eclipsed the record just posted a few months ago $9.3 million for the jersey worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the contentious Hand of God goal in soccers 1986 World Cup.
It easily surpassed the $7.25 million for a century-old Honus Wagner baseball card recently sold in a private sale.
And just last month, the heavyweight boxing belt reclaimed by Muhammad Ali during 1974s Rumble in the Jungle sold for nearly $6.2 million.
All are part of a booming market for sports collectibles.
Prices have risen not just for the rarest items, but also for pieces that might have been collecting dust in garages and attics. Many of those items make it onto consumer auction sites like eBay, while others are put up for bidding by auction houses.
Queen Elizabeth is featured on several currencies. Now what?
Some saw collectibles as a hedge against inflation over the past couple years, he said, while others rekindled childhood passions.
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Mickey Mantle Rookie Cards Checklist Gallery
Mickey Mantle’s rookie card is generally considered to be from 1951 Bowman Baseball. In that same year, Wheaties cereal issued a set of eight black and white premium photographs, one of which was Mantle. Despite not being his first card, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle deserves mention as well. Additionally, in 1952, the Tip-Top Bread Company issued a label bearing his likeness, which is quite collectible, as are his 1952 Star-Cal Decal and 1952 Berk Ross cards.
Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card
Estimated PSA 8 Value: $125,000
This is the true recognized Mickey Mantle rookie card despite his 1952 Topps issue being commonly misinterpreted as a rookie card.
I’ve always liked the look of this card with its horizontal layout, the artwork and the depiction of Mantle wearing number 6 as he did very early in his career.
Along with the Willie Mays rookie card, this is one of the keys in the set to own.
Interestingly, although it is his rookie card, this is one of those rare instances when a player’s rookie card is not necessarily his most expensive.
That distinction would go to his 1952 Topps card.
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Best Mickey Mantle Baseball Cards: The Ultimate Collectors Guide
If you collect Mickey Mantle baseball cards then you know one thing is for certain:
they aren’t cheap.
He was one of the most popular players of his era and an icon for one of the game’s all-time great franchises.
Mantle put up absolutely incredible numbers over his career…
And we’ll always wonder just how much better he might have been had he not suffered that fateful knee injury in the 1951 World Series.
Regardless, the Yankees icon and won the hearts of many fans. And that puts his baseball cards in very high demand.
And in this guide we’ll look at all his mainstream cards and some of my favorite oddball issues.
Let’s jump right in!
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Rare Mickey Mantle Card Sells For Record $126 Mln
Memorabilia from New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle is auctioned inNew York on December 8, 2003. REUTERS/Chip East CME/GAC
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The rare Mantle card, sold by Heritage Auctions, surpassed a record of $9.3 million set in May for the shirt worn by Diego Maradona, when he scored the contentious ‘Hand of God’ goal at the 1986 World Cup.
“An eight-figure auction result in the sports market was the stuff of fantasy just a decade ago,” Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage, said in a statement.
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“We always knew this card would shatter records and expectations. But that doesn’t make it any less of a thrill.”
The previous record for a sports card was $7.25 million, set this month by a century-old ‘T206’ Honus Wagner card in a private sale facilitated by collectibles marketplace Goldin.
Mantle, one of the best switch-hitters in baseball history, played his entire Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees from 1951-68 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
The record-breaking card, which has become the first sports item auctioned for eight figures, is from his rookie season and was issued by the collectible company Topps in 1952.
The card was brought to Heritage by Anthony Giordano, a waste management entrepreneur from New Jersey, who bought it for $50,000 in 1991.
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Mickey Mantle Autographed Baseball Card
Offered is a rare 1969, “yellow” lettering, Mickey Mantle hand-signed card.
1969 was the baseball legends last year playing in the MLB.
5% of the hammer price for this purchased package will be remitted to the benefiting charity upon successful fulfillment. Please be aware that this auction is not tax-deductible.
- This card is slabbed and certified by PSA/DNA.
- Cannot be returned or exchanged.
- Additional shipping charges may apply based upon the location of the winner.
The following Conditions of Sale and Terms of Guarantee, as amended by any posted notices or announcements during the auction and in addition to the Term of Use for Charitybuzz.com, are Charitybuzz, LLC and the Sellers entire agreement with the purchaser and any bidders relative to the property listed in this lot.
The Conditions of Sale, Terms of Guarantee, the glossary, if any, and all other contents of this lot are subject to amendment by us by the posting of such amendments on the Charitybuzz website . The property will be offered by us as agent for the Seller, unless the lot indicates otherwise.
All auction bidders and buy now purchasers understand that these Conditions of Sale set the terms and conditions upon which this lot is offered. Your participation through bidding, purchase and/or registration constitutes acknowledgement and agreement to be contractually bound by these terms and conditions, including agreement to pay the buyers premium, and all other fees and charges listed herein.
Mickey Mantles Baseball Legacy
The Yankees signed Mantle to his first minor league contract in 1949, shortly after he graduated from high school. The athlete spent his first minor-league year with the Class-D Independence Yankees, before moving up to Class-C team, the Joplin Miners, in 1950. He struggled defensively, but Mantles incredible batting skills became apparent in his sophomore season.
Mantle made his leap to the majors the next year. This began an 18-year career with the Yankees. Though he always struggled with injuries, it didnt stop him from racking up monster numbers. Mantle was undoubtedly a slugger, smacking as many as 52 home runs in the 1956 season and earning his first MVP.
Yet he also showed a surprising amount of finesse at the plate, averaging 163 hits per season. In other words, Mantle managed to get his bat on the ball often, leading to some exceptional batting averages in his career. For instance, during his 1956 MVP season, Mantle had a batting average of .353.
Mantle made 16 All-Star teams and earned three MVP awards . During his historic 1956 season, Mantle the AL batting champion earned a Triple Crown. Mantle was no defensive slouch either. In 1962, he won his sole Golden Glove Award.
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What Is The Rarest Autograph In Sports
One of the rarest sports autographs of all time is from Archibald Moonlight Graham. Only five of the baseball players autographs are known to exist, including a check signed in 1963 that sold for $3,000 at an auction in 2008 and a 1906 minor league postcard with his signature that sold for $5,000 in 2015.