Signed vintage cards have been on the rise in recent years, with autographed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards leading the way.
A new record for a card autographed by the Mick was established Saturday night when a signed 1952 Topps card, graded 5.5 with an autograph grade of 8, sold for $1,067,500.00, including buyer's premium, at Heritage Auctions.
The card is one of the 21 graded by PSA and does not appear in public sales records. It is one of the two highest in terms of condition grade.
The previous record for a signed 1952 Mantle was $793,000 for a card graded PSA 3/Auto 10.
RELATED STORIES:
- Mysterious uncut sheet featuring Mickey Mantle sells for $252k
- Near mint on front, torn on back: 1952 Mickey Mantle card sells for $45,750
- Faded, punctured and worn, 1952 Mickey Mantle card still fetches $16k
- Mantle, Jordan and Gretzky cards among PSA's most counterfeited submissions in 2024
Signed vintage collectors, often attracted to the category due to the rarity of the cards — for years it was considered near sacrilege to have an athlete besmirch one of their cards with a pen — might value various components differently.
In addition to the technical grades of condition and the autograph, many prefer ballpoint pen over Sharpie (the record-breaker was ballpoint; the upcoming card is Sharpie).
Others value the story behind it, such as Matt Cirulnick, who acquired what he believes to be the only example signed during Mantle's playing days.
Before Saturday's auction, the last PSA 5.5 example to sell publicly, sans auto, fetched $138,000.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.