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Not Pokémon or Magic: The most expensive card ever belongs to a baseball player and costs more than a mansion in Miami
The 1952 Topps Mantle rookie card sold for $12.6 million, becoming the most expensive sports collectible ever auctioned.
Move over Pikachu and Black Lotus: Mickey Mantle hit a home run in the collectibles world. In August 2022, a mint-condition 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card sold for a jaw-dropping $12.6 million at Heritage Auctions, eclipsing the value of even the rarest Pokémon and Magic cards.
Why this card is the GOAT of collectibles
- Graded Mint+ 9.5 by Sportscard Guaranty Corporation, the finest known example of its kind
- Part of the legendary “1952 Topps Baseball Card Find,” discovered in an attic in the 1980s
- Originally purchased for $50,000 in 1991 by collector Anthony Giordano, who kept it ungraded for 30 years
- Surpassed the previous record held by the T206 Honus Wagner card ($6.6 million) and even Maradona’s “Hand of God” jersey ($9.3 million)
Mickey Mantle: the man behind the card
- Played his entire career with the New York Yankees
- Named American League MVP in 1956, 1957, and 1962
- Appeared in 20 MLB All-Star Games
- Inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974
How it compares to other iconic cards
| Card | Sale Price | Year Sold | Grading | Auction House |
| Topps Mickey Mantle (1952) | $12.6 million | 2022 | Mint+ 9.5 | Heritage Auctions |
| Pikachu Illustrator | $5.275 million | 2021 | PSA 10 | Goldin Auctions |
| Magic: The Gathering “One Ring” | $2 million | 2023 | PSA 9 | Post Malone purchase |
| T206 Honus Wagner | $7.25 million | 2022 | SGC 3 | Goldin Auctions |
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