1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Baseball Card

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In 1991, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Baseball Card was purchased for $50,000 — a record price at the time. Called the “finest example of the most iconic post-war baseball card in the world,” it’s now set to smash the world record for the highest price ever paid for an article of sports memorabilia when it makes its auction debut on August 27.

The mint condition card — it’s been graded a mint+ 9.5  — is expected to fetch more than $10 million at auction. The current record belongs to a 1909 Honus Wagner card that sold for $6.6 million last August. While the current bid sits at a mere $5.25 million, with a month still to go, the price is expected to skyrocket.

So, what makes this baseball card so valuable? “It bears the finest qualities any 1952 Topps can possess: perfect centering, registration and four sharp corners,” says Chris Ivy, Heritage’s Director of Sports Auctions. “That this Mantle rookie card remained in this condition for 70 years is a true miracle.”

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