I always found it curios that while the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card #311 is the most valuable sports card of all time that the 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Card #253 featured here printed a year earlier but somehow less valuable.
The 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle "rookie card" (#253) is considered one of the most valuable and sought-after baseball cards of all time. It was issued as part of the 1951 Bowman baseball card set, which was one of the first major baseball card sets to be released after World War II and it was also issued in color. The card features a color illustration of Mickey Mantle, who was a highly-touted rookie for the New York Yankees at the time.
Mantle had joined the Yankees in 1951, and was expected to be the heir to the great Joe DiMaggio. He did not disappoint, hitting .267 with 13 home runs and 65 RBIs in his rookie season. He quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young players in the game, and his 1951 Bowman card became a highly sought-after item among collectors.
However, the 1951 Bowman set was not as popular as the 1952 Topps set, which was the first major set to be issued in color and also had a larger number of cards. Additionally, the 1951 Bowman card was printed on a lower quality paper stock than the 1952 Topps card, making the 1951 Bowman cards more prone to wear and tear over time. Nevertheless, the 1951 Bowman Mantle card is still considered a classic and highly valuable piece of baseball memorabilia.
It is important to note that the term "rookie card" is somewhat of a misnomer, since Mantle had already played in the major leagues before the 1951 Bowman card was released. His first card was issued by the 1951 Bowman set, but it's not his first official card.
Allegedly, The record sales price for a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle card (#253) is not publicly available, as the some sales of high-end sports cards are often private transactions between buyers and sellers. However, it is widely considered to be one of the most valuable and sought-after baseball cards of all time, with prices regularly reaching into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
In 2020, it was reported that a 1951 Bowman Mantle card in near-mint condition sold for $2.8 million in a private sale. And in 2021, another one reportedly sold for $5.2 million in a private sale. I found a publicly available sale with Mantle’s 1951 Bowman rookie card selling for $3.19 million at Memory Lane Inc in Dec 2022. It was one of just nine PSA MINT 9 copies in existence.
However, the 1951 Bowman set was not as popular as the 1952 Topps set, which was the first major set to be issued in color and also had a larger number of cards. Additionally, the 1951 Bowman card was printed on a lower quality paper stock than the 1952 Topps card, making the 1951 Bowman cards more prone to wear and tear over time. Nevertheless, the 1951 Bowman Mantle card is still considered a classic and highly valuable piece of baseball memorabilia.
I also think it is a great looking card!
