(New York) A decades-old Mickey Mantle baseball card could break records when it goes up for auction next month.
The 1952 collector’s item features one of baseball’s most famous and charismatic legends, and is widely considered to be one of the few in mint condition.
The card is estimated to be worth $10 million when the two-day auction begins on August 27. The record is 6.6 million for a 1909 Honus Wagner card, which sold at auction a year ago, months after another 70-year-old Mantle card fetched 5.2 million.
Whatever the final price of this rare Mantle Rookie of the Year card, it will be a big profit for the current owner, a New Jersey waste management contractor who bought it for $50,000 at a fair in New York in 1991.
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“Every time he appeared on home plate, the crowd went wild, the screams were heard. And he never let you down… He had that aura around him, cardholder Anthony Giordano said of Mantle, who spent his entire career with the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1968. Whether you’re from the New York area or not, or a Yankees fan, it was always Mickey Mantle who was in the spotlight. »
PHOTO FILE PRESS Mickey Mantle, May 1955
An ambidextrous hitter, “the Mick” won the Triple Crown in 1956, was named the three-time American League MVP, and seven-time World Series champion. The Hall of Famer, who died in 1995, has always had a humble attitude on the court. When he hit a home run, he used to run around the bases with his head down.
“I felt the pitcher felt bad enough without me showing him running around base,” Mantle explained earlier.
As for the baseball card, its rarity lives up to the mythical reputation of its subject.
“The quality of the map is critical,” said Derek Grady, vice president of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions, which runs the auction. Four sharp angles, the brightness and color are obvious. »
PHOTO LM OTERO, ASSOCIATED PRESS Vice President of Sports Auctions for Heritage Auctions, Derek Grady
Grady added that the collectibles market is experiencing a renaissance, noting that cards that are “the creme de la creme, the best of the best, are still selling despite the current economy” and that Mantle, “the king” of baseball cards, “always did well.” »
Giordano, 75, said it was time to give the Mantle card a new home.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he said. My boys and I have had the cards for over 30 years and we like it. We like to show it to everyone close to me – friends and relatives – and I think it’s time for someone else. »
Prior to the start of the auction, the card will be on display in Atlantic City Wednesday through Sunday during the National Sports Collectors Convention and at Heritage Auctions’ New York office the following week.
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