In 1952, a Mickey Mantle baseball card could be bought as part of a wax-wrapped packet for only a penny or a nickel. Seventy years later, one of those cards sold for $12.6 million at auction, setting a new record for sports memorabilia. The 1952 Topps card had already attracted collectors before the record sale. In 1991, Anthony Giordano bought one for $50,000 at a baseball card show at Madison Square Garden. According to The New York Times, the card was eventually graded Mint+ 9.5 out of 10, with its condition described as exceptional. Its value then rose far beyond its original price.
1952 Baseball card becomes most expensive ever sold
The 2022 auction marked a major milestone for the card. The $12.6 million result made it the first sports item to sell at auction for eight figures. It also surpassed the previous record of $9.3 million, which had been set earlier in 2022 by the jersey worn by Diego Maradona when he scored the goal known as the “Hand of God” during the 1986 World Cup.Chris Ivy said, “We always knew this card would shatter records and expectations,” while adding that the achievement remained a thrill. The sale also came as the sports collectable market was experiencing strong growth, particularly since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The article noted that baseball cards can carry a sense of nostalgia, while collectors and others had increasingly begun viewing them as valuable assets.
Mickey Mantle card preserved for 70 years
The card’s condition was a major part of its appeal. Heritage Auctions said Sportscard Guaranty Corporation had graded it “Mint+ 9.5” out of 10. The grading organisation authenticates and grades trading cards, and Ivy described the card as almost perfectly centred, with four sharp corners and beautiful colour.Ivy also highlighted the extraordinary preservation of the card, saying, “The fact that it remained in this condition for 70 years, before being graded, is truly a miracle.” The combination of its condition and its subject, Mickey Mantle, helped distinguish the card when it eventually came to auction.
Who owned the 1952 baseball card
Before reaching its $12.6 million auction price, the card had been owned by Anthony Giordano, the president of a recycling and solid waste business in New Jersey. According to Heritage Auctions, the buyer was an anonymous baseball fan from Rye, New York. Giordano said he had bought the card in 1991 while attending a Father’s Day baseball card show at Madison Square Garden with his son.Giordano paid $50,000 for the card in 1991, which was then a record price for that particular card. He and his son had been searching for a 1952 Mantle card, but had not found one they wanted until then. Recalling the purchase, Giordano said, “When we saw the price on this card, we knew it had to be something special.” More than three decades later, that $50,000 purchase was part of a $12.6 million auction sale.
