1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA NM-MT 8
If a single item could encapsulate the entirety of sports card collecting, that card would be the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle.
This simple piece of 2-⅝” x 3-¾” cardboard’s combination of an iconoclastic subject, a legendary franchise, a debut set, a dash of mythology, and a demand that seems to always be just out of the reach of the supply – all covered in a thick layer of nostalgia – has created a siren song that extends beyond the reaches of the hobby and permeates popular culture.
Key Deal Points
Valuation Analysis
“There will never be enough “NM-MT 8” 1952 Topps Mantles in the hobby to satisfy collector demand for what is arguably the most desirable baseball card ever made. These special pieces have generally found solid, impenetrable homes, where bragging rights are more important than dollars.”
– Sotheby’s
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle, nicknamed “The Mick”, was the linchpin of the New York Yankees epic dynasty during the 1950s and early 1960s. He won 7 World Series Championships, 3 Most Valuable Player awards and was selected to 20 All-Star games. His journey from humble origins to centerfielder for the New York Yankees is the stuff of the American Dream.
Mantle was a classic five-tool player who possessed almost supernatural power that led to a bevy of tape measure home runs, including a 560-foot home run that remains the longest in baseball history. Mantle finished his career with 536 home runs, 1,676 runs scored, 1,509 RBI, 1,733 walks and a .298 batting average, and was selected as a first ballot Hall of Famer and member of Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team.
