Dear Reader, Thank you very much for your interest in my new book, THE MICKEY MANTLE BASEBALL CARD COLLECTOR’S GUIDE. To say it’s been a labor of love would be a major understatement. The book is the culmination of nearly 60 years of collecting Mickey Mantle cards and memorabilia. Looking through all the pictures is a thrill even for me. Memories of the stories behind the cards warm my heart, and I am filled with great satisfaction (and a little shock) seeing the amazing increase in value of the cards over the years. In my research for the book, I had the good fortune to connect with other longtime collectors and Mantle fans. They were unfailingly helpful and friendly. A better bunch of people I could never hope to meet – and I’m not just saying that because we share the same passion. The other great thrill for me was getting to know The Mick’s two surviving sons – David and Danny – both of whom kindly contributed forewords to the book which you will find in the sampler, and both of whom expressed such happiness and gratitude for my putting together the book. Hearing that from the sons of my idol was like hitting a walk-off homer in the World Series! But the thing I am most proud of about the book is I really feel it has something for everyone—whether you are an avid card collector looking for the latest auction results, someone just starting out who wants to learn the market, a fan of “The Mick” who just enjoys looking at vintage color pictures of Mantle, or maybe just someone who is nostalgic for the days of powdered bubble gum. I would love to hear from you about your thoughts on the book, and with any questions you might have about Mantle cards and memorabilia. After 60 years, I do know a thing or two about them, and never get tired of sharing my experiences with anyone who is interested. Feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] if you’d like to “chat” a bit. I’d love to hear from you! Thank you again very much for your interest in THE MICKEY MANTLE BASEBALL CARD COLLECTOR’S GUIDE. Bill Wilen June, 2017 The Mickey Mantle Baseball Card Collector’s Guide By William Wilen David (L) and Danny (R) Mantle. viii Foreword by David Mantle Like a boy getting his first dog, that memory stays with him forever. Like that first pack of baseball cards we opened each spring, we can almost still smell the powdery pink gum. My father making the majors was one of the great pinnacles he reached in his career. The year was 1951, and seeing his face on his first card, he really knew his hard work and devotion had paid off. To me, proof that my dad had really made it, more than when he signed his first contract or they gave him his first uniform, was when he appeared on his first baseball card. My dad played 18 years through a lot of pain, on the field and off. He was like a God to his fans and to us, and he was supposed to live forever as he does in all of his cards. They represent his career and his life, and in that way he will live forever, as he does in our hearts. A picture on the front of a piece of cardboard and stats on the back, for all the kids to run and buy that pack of cards, all hoping to get the cards of their hero, hop- ing someday to be the hero the kids are looking for. My dad had 18 years of that pleasure and honor. The Mantle family and I hope you enjoy this book about my dad’s career and his cards, and hope it brings you some of the happiness the cards did way back when, or even now. They brought us much happiness over the years, and still do even now, years after my dad’s death, when he seems to be more popular than ever. He will be remembered forever and his cards cherished, and this book will help us preserve those wonderful memories. —David Mantle, June 2016 ix Foreword by Danny Mantle Growing up the youngest of four boys, I couldn’t wait for spring to come around, knowing that Topps would send us boxes of new cards for that year. Personally, my favorite part about getting the cards was chewing that old wax gum that came in the packs. At the time, I didn’t recognize the other teams’ players on the cards, but the ones in a Yankees uniform I knew like they were family. In our minds, they were just the guys that we would see every year at spring training. In hindsight, putting those cards in our bicycle spokes probably was not the great- est idea, but at the time it was the cool thing to do. Fortunately, I did manage to hang onto a couple of my favorite cards, namely the 1960 card from the year I was born, and one that I got later in life, the 1956 card, because that was my dad’s greatest season, and one of the greatest any player ever had in baseball history. Being asked to do the foreword for this book is an honor that brings back won- derful memories from my childhood with my brothers. Bill Wilen has compiled a wonderful book, filled with many, many cards, some that I had no idea even existed. Besides the iconic Topps cards, there are cards from other countries and from com- panies that I have never seen. My dad was amazed by how popular his cards were when he did signings at card shows. I am sure he would be extremely impressed by Bill’s extensive research and dedication to putting together this book. The Mantle family is truly thankful for the opportunity to be a part of it. —Danny Mantle, June 2016 x Collecting Mickey Mantle Baseball Cards In the 1950s and 1960s, kids ran to their neighborhood stores to purchase baseball cards. They cost about a penny a piece and came with bubble gum. Who can forget the smell and feel of those powdery pink sticks? Everyone sought their favorite players, and knew in their head which ones they had and which ones they needed. No one, it is safe to say, knew how valuable some of those classic old cards would become, and no player’s cards from that era are as valuable as Mickey Mantle cards. The last original Mickey Mantle cards were produced more than 45 years ago, in 1969. Yet the interest in them, and the demand for high-quality Mantle cards, is greater than ever. Collecting Mickey Mantle cards has become a popular pur- suit unto itself within the card collecting hobby. Owners of Mantle cards are own- ers of valuable property. Investors in those cards have been realizing great prof- its, and demand for the cards and associated memorabilia continues to grow. Today there are three main sources for Mickey Mantle baseball cards: 1. Internet Auction Houses. Generally these houses issue catalogs with the cards for sale by internet bidding. Heritage Auctions, Memory Lane, Inc., Huggins & Scott, Mile High Auctions, Legendary Auctions, Greg Bussineau Auctions, Robert Edwards Auctions, Goodwin & Co., Goldin Auctions, SCP Auctions, and Superior Sports Auctions are the primary auction houses dealing in Mickey Mantle base- ball cards. 2. eBay. Since 2007, eBay has become the primary source for obtaining Mickey Mantle baseball cards. Approximately one-half of the 1951-1969 Mantle card auc- tion results cataloged in this book are from eBay. 3. Card Conventions. The National Sports Collectors Convention has been held annually since 1980. The 2016 convention was held from August 3-7, 2016 at the Atlantic City Convention Center in Atlantic City, NJ. Other conventions are held in cities across the United States throughout the year. A complete list of conven- tions for 2016 may be found at http://sportscollectorsdigest.com/showcalendar. Current values of Mickey Mantle baseball cards are best determined by reference to The 6th Edition of the The Standard Catalog of Vintage Baseball Cards (SCV), by Krause Publications (September 2016). According to SCV, Mickey Mantle’s baseball cards are the most valuable of modern day cards by a wide margin. The chart at the end of this section compares the SCV Near Mint Condition value of a wide sampling Mantle cards from 1951-1969 to the SCV Near Mint Condition value of the next most valuable player’s card by year. From 1951- 1961, Mantle’s cards are more valuable than any other card in the set each year, with only one exception. In fact, they are from 130% to 1,380% higher in value than the next highest-valued card. 3 The Mickey Mantle Baseball Card Collector’s Guide From 1962-1969, Mantle’s primary cards are exceeded in value by another card in the set on only seven occasions. During Mantle’s career as a major leaguer, his card is the most valuable of the set more than all other players combined, and it’s not even close. The most valuable Mickey Mantle baseball card is the 1952 Topps #311, Mantle’s first card with Topps. As a rookie card, it was a rare “high number” card that didn’t reach the Topps’ distributers until after the baseball season was over. Only a few of the cards were distributed to stores in the northeastern United States and Canada.