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Another iconic Mickey Mantle card attracting big dollars
Mickey Mantle is a regular in this space, and the discussion is often around his iconic Topps debut — the 1952 classic that’s practically synonymous with the hobby — or his 1951 Bowman, his true rookie card. But any card is a great card if it features Mantle.
Consider his 1963 Topps card.
Issued 60 years ago this spring, the card gives collectors a close-up view of The Magnificent Yankee (as Mantle was anointed by announcer Mel Allen). The pinstriped power hitter is gazing off to his right, that distinctive Yankee Stadium facade behind him. An inset photo in a circular frame gives us a view of the Bronx Bomber in a right-handed batting pose.
Also See: All Things Mantle
That spring, Mantle was suddenly 31 years old and had been playing through a variety of injuries. Yet he was still productive. The prior year, 1962, he was limited to 123 games but still hit 30 homers, drove in 89 runs and batted .321. Oh, and he was the AL MVP as well, his third such honor.
We mention Mantle’s ’63 card on one hand because of its 60th anniversary. On the other hand, it’s timely: A Near-Mint specimen of the classic sold on eBay in February for an impressive $50,421. Graded PSA 9, it drew 31 bids.
We’ve actually seen 9-grade 1963 Mantle cards sell for even higher prices. After languishing (if you could call it that) in the $10,000-to-$20,000 range throughout the 2010s, it caught fire during the hobby’s Covid-era boom. In 2021, three major auction houses sold PSA 9-grade 1963 Mantle cards for prices between $69,000 and $75,000. In 2022, Heritage Auctions sold a PSA 9 for $81,000, while another PSA 9 specimen reached $90,000 at auction. Whew!
Looking for a more budget-friendly ’63 Mantle? Drop your target to a 3 or 4 grade and you can win one for less than $400, based on recent eBay listings. We’ve also seen 5- and 6-grade examples go for prices between $500 and $750.
Here's our most recently Online Auctioneer Top 10 Chart:
TOP 10 CHART
1. $130,102 on 57 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 10)
2. $66,000 on 87 bids: 2020 Panini Illusions Tom Brady (CG 10)
3. $50,421 on 31 bids: 1963 Topps Mickey Mantle (PSA 9)
4. $44,008 on 62 bids: 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Rookie Ticket, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
5. $40,188 on 82 bids: 2017 Panini Flawless Patrick Mahomes II, #2/25, auto patch (BG 9.5, auto 10)
6. $38,876 on 68 bids: 2017 Panini National Treasures Patrick Mahomes II Holo Silver, #5/25, auto (BGS 8.5)
7. $36,203 on 98 bids: 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson (PSA 7)
8. $34,997 on 94 bids: 2000 Leaf Limited Tom Brady, #178/350 (PSA 10)
9. $28,600 on 35 bids: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle (PSA 1)
10. $27,100 on 58 bids: 2003-04 Topps Chrome LeBron James Black Refractor, #/500 (BGS 9)
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