Yankees Legend Mickey Mantle Rookie Card from 1952 Sells for $1.4M at Auction

A rookie Mickey Mantle trading card sold for $1.353 million on Sunday via Goldin Auctions as the market for the former New York Yankees slugger's memorabilia continues to surge. 

It is the second-highest price for the card in the given grade.

The 1952 Topps card is certified near-mint to mint condition and features an autograph from Mantle as well.

The back of the card touts Mantle as "Joe DiMaggio's successor," though he was splitting time between the Yankees and their farm club in Kansas City. Mantle's first full season with the Yankees in 1952 kicked off a run of 14 consecutive years with an All-Star nod.

Here's how Goldin described the lot:

"The 1952 Topps production was the largest set of its day, not only in the quantity of cards included, but also in terms of those cards’ physical dimensions. The issue’s flagship entry (which hailed from the release's sought-after "High Numbers" segment), was Card #311, picturing a young, blonde-haired and blue-eyed rising star of the Yankees organization. And, though this promising phenom suffered a serious injury early in his career, he still played in more than 2,000 games and finished his career with an impressive .298 batting average, while compiling in excess of 1,500 RBI's and rapping out 2,400-plus hits.

"Graded NM-MT 8 by PSA. Hall of Famer, in his Topps Rookie Card appearance. Among more than 1,700 copies recorded in PSA's census reporting, just fourteen examples (fewer than one percent) have been placed at a higher, unqualified tier. This is, without a doubt, the most famous and popular gum card of Mickey Mantle ever issued, and it marks Topps’ first depiction of the Yankee legend. In its portrayal, deep, rich portrait colors blaze against an intense and lustrous azure background."

A bid $200,000 kicked off the auction, and the price eventually skyrocketed for the card capturing the Hall of Famer.