Mickey Mantle's worn-down 1952 Topps card sells for exorbitant $20,000 on eBay
In the world of baseball card collecting, a Mickey Mantle piece would certainly create the most buzz. After all, the most expensive memorabilia ever sold was a pristine 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that fetched north of $12 million in 2022.
This card, however, is not in pristine condition whatsoever. The card is worn down, stained, and even taped on the side. Nonetheless, it still fetched around $20,000 on eBay.
"This completely destroyed, stained and taped Mickey Mantle 1952 card just sold for $20,502." — Darren Rovell
The card was given a grade of 1 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), which is the largest card-grading service on the planet. A grade of 1 means that the card remains authentic but has exhibited signs of being worn out.
Surprisingly, the $20,000 successful bid on the card is around the fair trade value of a card rated 1 by PSA. It can be hypothesized that the true value of an object is the cost one is willing to shell out for it, no matter how expensive it is, even for a taped-up '52 Mantle.
Mickey Mantle card sold for $12.6 million
On August 28, 2022, a 1952 Topps Mantle card with an SGC grade of 9.5 dubbed the "Finest Known Example" was sold at an auction for $12.6 million. The bidding, run by Heritage Auctions, blew all other sports memorabilia out of the water in terms of price sold. The card became the most expensive sports relic in history.
"A mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card has sold for $12.6 million, blasting into the record books as the most ever paid for sports memorabilia in a market that has grown exponentially more lucrative in recent years." — Associated Press
The card has the same series as the one that fetched $20,000 on eBay — a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle No. 311. In contrast, the one that fetched $12.6 million was in pristine condition.
The sporting relic became the most expensive ever sold after it surpassed the $9.3 million tag on the jersey worn by soccer legend Diego Maradona in the 1986 FIFA World Cup against England.
In terms of baseball memorabilia, it eclipsed Honus Wagner's T206 card issued by the American Tobacco Company, which fetched $6.6 million in 2021.