A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card is worth tens of thousands in decent condition. This card can easily go into the hundreds of thousands as the condition gets higher, and in the most pristine graded examples they can be worth millions. The May 12-14 Catalog Auction by Heritage Auctions has four examples of this iconic cards up for grabs.
Each card is a different level of collector. A low grade example seems as if it is constantly being lifted by each high grade sale at a higher and higher price. This is the most valuable and recognizable gum card of the post war era. Could this be a collector’s last chance to buy in? Or will prices eventually peak and come down? That answer will be known in time.
Collectors Dashboard evaluates collectibles as an alternative asset class. The same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds is being used to buy high-end collectibles. True sports collectors and hobbyists have a passion to own a Topps ’52 Mantle card for quite a long time. The investor class in collectibles is solely buying an asset to sell at a later date for a profit. This keeps collectors and investors in a constant battle for who can win in auctions.
Here are the four available.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 SGC EX/NM+ 6.5 with an estimate of $120,000.00+ and a current bid of $97,500.00. (Image by Heritage Auctions) Heritage’s writeup said:
“This lucky survivor rates among the best we’ve encountered at this grade, with bright colors, crisp registration and sharp corners. We assume it is a slight easterly shift in centering that has restricted a climb into the top ten percent of the population, making this an appealing target for those seeking a very clean specimen south of a million dollars.”
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 PSA VG-EX 4 with an estimate of $60,000.00+ and a current bid of $40,000.00.
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 SGC VG/EX 4 with an estimate of $50,000.00+ and a current bid of $36,000.00. labeled as “Slightly off-center, with typical corner wear but otherwise a beautiful specimen”
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 BVG GD-VG 2.5 with an estimate of $16,000.00+ and a current bid of $28,000.00.
