When it comes to legendary names in the hobby, Mickey Mantle sits at the top of the mountain.
For generations of collectors, The Mick has been the face of baseball cards—a larger-than-life figure whose cardboard legacy has only grown more iconic over time.
His iconic cards continue to dominate high-end auctions, setting records and anchoring some of the greatest collections in the world.
Here’s a look at the 10 most expensive Mickey Mantle baseball cards ever sold.
The 10 Most Valuable Mantle Cards Based On Record Auction Sales
Each card appears only once on the list, based on its highest recorded sale, even if multiple copies could rank in the top 10.
*The list is based on previous auction sales prices according to Market Movers*
10. 1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle #202
Record Sale: PSA 9 – $375,484 – October 2021
With its instantly recognizable wooden TV-set design, 1955 Bowman has a love-it-or-hate-it place in the hobby—but when it comes to Mantle, even quirky designs fetch huge prices.
It’s Mantle’s final Bowman card from his playing days, given that the ‘55 set was the last original Bowman release, with the manufacturer being bought by Topps.
The brown border makes chipping a common problem, and high-graded copies are scarce. The record sale is for one of the few PSA 9 graded copies, but a handful of PSA 10s do exist.
9. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle #135
Record Sale: PSA 10 – $382,400 – August 2016
The 1956 Topps set is beloved for its clean layout and dual image design, and it also marks Mantle’s return to the Topps brand after not featuring in the ‘54 and ‘55 Topps baseball sets.
Due to the card stock used by Topps for the release, cards have printing variations—white-back versions and gray-back versions. While the front of card designs are identical, the color on the back changes.
For Mantle, the white-back version is rarer and more valuable, but the record sale is for a PSA 10 graded copy of the gray-back version. A PSA 10 copy of either version would likely sell for far higher today.
8. 1961 Topps Dice Game Mickey Mantle
Record Sale: PSA 1 – $396,000 – July 2022
This one is all about rarity. The 1961 Topps Dice Game cards are believed to be a test issue that were never officially released to the public.
A few examples of the 18-card set managed to make it out of the Topps factory, and only a few copies of the Mantle card are on grading records—it’s one of his rarest cards.
Given the extreme scarcity, even this PSA 1 graded copy sold for big money.
7. 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle #82
Record Sale: PSA 9 – $396,000 – July 2019
One of Mantle’s earliest and most important cards—his second Topps release, from the 1953 set. The painted portrait card design remains very popular today.
High-graded copies are in short supply. The red nameplate is prone to chipping, and the card is notoriously tough to find well-centered.
A PSA 9 graded version holds the record sale from 2019, but a couple of PSA 10s are on record—if one of those were to sell today, it would likely break the current high comfortably.
6. 1953 Bowman Mickey Mantle #59
Record Sale: PSA 9 – $473,794 – October 2021
The 1953 Bowman design is known for its striking simplicity—no text, no borders, just a crystal-clear color photo of Mantle in action.
It’s a highly sought-after card, with limited supply in top condition—centering issues are a common problem for this one.
A PSA 9 graded copy holds the record sale, but there is a PSA 10 on record.
5. 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle #280
Record Sale: PSA 10 – $510,000 – February 2023
This card has the added significance of being Mantle’s final Topps release before his retirement as a Major League ballplayer.
The ‘68 Topps Mantle features another unique and instantly recognizable design—the burlap-style borders used in the set are either loved or hated, but most would happily own a copy of this Mantle card.
Centering problems are a common issue with this one, so top-graded copies are tough to find.
4. 1952 Bowman Mickey Mantle #101
Record Sale: PSA 9 – $540,000 – April 2022
Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Bowman card is one of his earliest and most sought-after—it’s also one of the best-looking Mantle cards.
There’s no doubt that this one gets overshadowed by the Topps counterpart from the same year, but it offers collectors an alternative while still being a significant option.
While the record sale is for a rare PSA 9, a couple of higher-graded versions do exist.
3. 1969 Topps Mickey Mantle #500
Record Sale: PSA 9 – $933,484 – December 2022
Mickey Mantle has both a standard version of his 1969 Topps card, with his last name in yellow, and a variation version, which has his last name in white.
While the difference between the two versions is minimal, the ‘white letters’ card is far rarer and much more valuable.
Very few ‘white letters’ cards have achieved the highest grades, so those copies command a large premium.
2. 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253
Record Sale: PSA 9 – $3,192,000 – December 2022
Here’s a Mantle card that’s unsurprisingly broken the 7-figure barrier, and actually sold for multiple millions of dollars before.
Many consider it to be the true Mickey Mantle rookie card, given it’s his first. It’s a beauty of a card and one of the most important in the hobby.
It often suffers from poor centering, print lines, and wax stains along the reverse.
A PSA 9 graded copy holds the record sale, but there is a PSA 10 copy, which would likely sell for far more.
1. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311
Record Sale: SGC 9.5 – $12,600,000 – August 2022
The iconic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card—not only the Mick’s most expensive card ever but also the most expensive sports card ever sold.
It isn’t his true rookie, but it’s his first Topps card, from arguably the greatest Topps baseball release of all time, and for many it’s the holy grail.
It became the first card to ever cross into 8-figure territory when this incredible SGC 9.5 graded copy sold in 2022—none are graded higher by SGC, but there are a few PSA 10s out there.
Even if it doesn’t remain the most expensive sports card of all time forever, its status is cemented as one of the most important and sought-after cards ever released.
