The baseball trading card boom was many, many years ago, and the cultural significance that those cards had at their heyday is likely lost on today’s generation. Sentiment isn’t always one of those things that translates well over time.
So, let’s put it in terms that are easier to understand: A 1952 Mickey Mantle card from Topps sold for $2.88 million, second only to the record price of $3.12 million for a 1909 Honus Wagner card.
Interestingly, the card was sold by former NFL lineman Evan Mathis, who was a two-time Pro Bowler during stints with the Philadelphia Eagles and a Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos. He moonlights as a baseball card collector, and with an added $2.88 million, he’ll certainly be able to continue collecting and diversify his portfolio.
The 1952 Mantle card is one of the rare rookie-year baseball cards (which tend to be the most valuable cards) and it came at the right time to initiate a cultural boom in baseball trading cards -- it’s right up there with the Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card from Upper Deck.
