1968 Topps Mickey Mantle #280 PSA Gem Mint 10. New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle could do it all. He had p...
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Description
1968 Topps Mickey Mantle #280 PSA Gem Mint 10. New York Yankees Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle could do it all. He had power at the plate (536 home runs), outstanding speed on the base paths (153 steals), and even a Gold Glove Award in center field (1962). His Hall of Fame career in pinstripes began in 1951 and ended, rather unexpectedly, in early 1969. In between Mickey had a fabulous run that included three A.L. MVP awards (1956, '57 and '62), a Triple Crown (1956), and seven World Series titles. As it turned out, the '68 season marked the final campaign for the man often referred to as "The Mick." His 18th year saw him launch 18 home runs and drive in 54 runs, which were both significant drops in production for the powerful switch-hitter. He made his retirement announcement less than six months later, on March 1, 1969, during the start of Spring Training. While his heart was still in the game, the signs of aging and lingering injuries were already there. Mickey was hanging up his spikes.Offered is a 1968 Topps card (#280) that shows the burly slugger offering a heroic batting pose with his preferred choice of lumber as he was embarking on his final go-round. This particular example, graded PSA Gem Mint 10, is in elite company as just 11 of the more than 17,000 submissions to the grading pioneer (0.06%) have earned the company's highest ranking. To put this into perspective, a $12.6 million result in Heritage Auctions' August 2022 Platinum Night auction made Mantle's much-talked about 1952 Topps issue, his very first Topps issue (#311), the most expensive baseball card in sports collectibles history. That card is the only MINT+ 9.5 entry in SGC's Population Report of 696 submissions (0.14%).
Here we present an ultra-limited PSA Gem Mint example from the opposite end of Mantle's stellar career. Like the 1962 set before it and the 1971 after it, the 1968 Topps Baseball issue utilized a "full bleed" design, bringing color all the way to every edge and corner rather than the standard white borders of the overwhelming bulk of its production. Virtually every 1968 Topps Baseball card has white spots at the corners at a minimum. But this presented specimen has somehow managed to evade not only this nearly ubiquitous condition fault, but also any other stumbles at the Topps plant such as colors, registration or centering. As the card that represents Mantle's swan song season, this immaculate example will be an outstanding acquisition for any astute collector. Graded PSA Gem Mint 10. Of the 17,213 examples currently found in the PSA Pop Report, this is one of only 11 cards graded GEM MINT.
Guide Value or Estimate: $300,000 - up.
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Auction Info
2025 October 17 - 19 Fall Sports Catalog Auction #50080 (go to Auction Home page)
Bidding Begins Approx.
September
26th
Friday
Auction Dates
October
17th-19th
Friday-Sunday
Proxy Bidding Begins Approx.
4 Days
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: N/A
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 112
Auction Type
Signature Internet Extended Bid: These Auctions are presented via catalog and online. Bidding is taken through our website or via phone. There are two phases of bidding during this type of auction: 1) Normal bidding: Bids are taken up until 10 PM CT the night the auction closes. 2) 30 Minute Ending: On a lot-by-lot basis, starting at 10:00 PM CT, any person who has bid on the lot previously may continue to bid on that lot until there are no more bids for 30 minutes. For example, if you bid on a lot during Normal Bidding, you could participate during Extended Bidding for that lot, but not on lots you did not bid on previously. If a bid was placed at 10:15, the new end time for that lot would become 10:45. If no other bids were placed before 10:45, the lot would close. If you are the high bidder on a lot, changing your bid will not extend the bidding during the 30 Minute Ending phase (only a bid from another bidder will extend bidding). If you are the only bidder at 10 PM, you will automatically win the lot at 10:30. Important: After normal bidding ends, you must be signed-on to the Heritage site to see the bidding option on lots where you qualify for extended bidding and you must be on an individual lot page to reflect the accurate time remaining for that particular lot.
Signature Internet Extended Bid: These Auctions are presented via catalog and online. Bidding is taken through our website or via phone. There are two phases of bidding during this type of auction: 1) Normal bidding: Bids are taken up until 10 PM CT the night the auction closes. 2) 30 Minute Ending: On a lot-by-lot basis, starting at 10:00 PM CT, any person who has bid on the lot previously may continue to bid on that lot until there are no more bids for 30 minutes. For example, if you bid on a lot during Normal Bidding, you could participate during Extended Bidding for that lot, but not on lots you did not bid on previously. If a bid was placed at 10:15, the new end time for that lot would become 10:45. If no other bids were placed before 10:45, the lot would close. If you are the high bidder on a lot, changing your bid will not extend the bidding during the 30 Minute Ending phase (only a bid from another bidder will extend bidding). If you are the only bidder at 10 PM, you will automatically win the lot at 10:30. Important: After normal bidding ends, you must be signed-on to the Heritage site to see the bidding option on lots where you qualify for extended bidding and you must be on an individual lot page to reflect the accurate time remaining for that particular lot.
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