Vintage Baseball Cards Certified by CGC Cards in Upcoming Hake’s Sale

CGC Cards™ recently graded a seldom-seen card featuring one of the most iconic MLB stars to ever play the game: Mickey Mantle. The rare collectible is a fan club card from the early years of the New York Yankees legend's pro career, and it is now being offered in the Hake's Premier Auction #239 sale on November 14-15. Bidding is already underway.

One of the top sports card lots in the sale is the 1952 Mickey Mantle Fan Club Membership Card graded CGC 2 (lot 585), with an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000. Mantle made his Yankees debut in 1951, and this extremely rare fan club card dates to just before Mantle began his second season in the big leagues, which is evident due to its March 17, 1952, issue date. According to the auction house, this is only the second example of the Mantle fan club card that it has ever seen, with this particular example being the only one of its type in the CGC Cards Population Report.

1952 Mickey Mantle Fan Club Membership Card graded CGC 2 Click images to enlarge.

Baseball fans who joined the Mickey Mantle Fan Club in the early 1950s received a Mantle button and this official membership card, which is made of stiff cardboard, has rounded edges and a blank back. It is thought that few survived, especially since the fan club supposedly only lasted two seasons from 1952 to 1953. While the card isn't as attractive as the famous 1952 Topps Mantle card, the fan club card is even rarer, making it a coveted collectible from The Mick's iconic MLB career.

A small-town kid who grew up in rural Oklahoma, Mantle took the Big Apple by storm soon after joining the New York Yankees. He became an overnight sensation in only his second MLB season in 1952, earning his first All-Star appearance while helping the Yanks win another World Series. Mantle retired in 1969 as the greatest switch-hitter to ever play the game. The Yankees legend won the Triple Crown in 1956, won American League MVP three times and helped his team win the World Series seven times in his iconic MLB career.

This auction also includes a similar card from another MLB legend that fans received as part of a magazine subscription in 1953. The 1953 Our Sports Magazine Sports Authority Card Jackie Robinson graded CGC 2.5 (lot 586) is another extremely rare collectible from the same submitter that sent in the Mantle fan club card. To learn more about this card, which also has an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000, click here.

Other CGC-certified highlights in the sale include:

• a 1910 E91-C American Caramel Walter Johnson graded CGC 3 (lot 615), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• an 1877-90 N172 Old Judge Jim O'Rourke - Bat in Right Hand at Side graded CGC 3 (lot 592), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a 1909-11 T206 Rube Waddell - Throwing - Piedmont 350 Fact. 25 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 608), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a 1909-11 T206 Joe Tinker - Bat on Shoulder - Piedmont 350-460 Fact. 25 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 610), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a 1909-11 Colgan's Chips Ty Cobb graded CGC 1.5 (lot 599), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• an 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions Tim Keefe graded CGC 1.5 (lot 595), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000

Estimates are provided by the auction house.