A convincing argument can be made that no athlete in history has been more impactful on the hobby than Mickey Mantle.
In large part, this can be chalked up to his second-year 1952 Topps card, among the most valuable in the world, as well as the most well-known, and the subject of countless collector wish lists.
But Mantle’s 1969 Topps card, which features the entirety of his 18-year career in statistics on the back, is a somewhat unsuspecting entry onto the list of key cards featuring the “Commerce Comet.”
Despite playing his final season in 1968 — announcing his retirement on March 1, 1969, saying in a press conference, “I can’t play anymore. I don’t hit the ball when I need to. I can’t steal when I need to. I can’t score from second when I need to” — Mantle still appeared in Topps’ 1969 set.
While Mantle’s final career card would likely have become a hit regardless, it’s the rarity of the “White Letters” variations that has driven copies to astonishing heights.
It is not known why some cards from the set were printed with white lettering instead of the intended yellow, however it is clear the cards featuring the player name in white is far rarer — around eight times as scarce than the yellow counterpart.
Heritage will sell a PSA 9 copy of the White Letter Mantle this weekend, providing a pre-sale estimate of $1 million. It is one of four to receive a grade of PSA 9 with just one higher. There have been 65 copies of the Yellow Letter variant graded PSA 9.
The current record for a 1969 Topps Mantle card came in December 2022, when a White Letter copy in a PSA 9 sold for $933,484.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.