A game-worn Mickey Mantle jersey from 1958 is currently up for auction and has already surpassed the most recent Mantle jersey record by over $1 million. As of Wednesday afternoon, the New York Yankees item has a bid of $3,250,000 at Heritage Auctions.
For now, the record is still held by the last jersey the 20-time All Star wore during his time with the Yankees, which sold in February 2020 for just under $2.2 million.
The iconic jersey up for auction now was worn by Mantle during the home opener of the season in which the Yankees got revenge against the Milwaukee Braves in the 1958 World Series. In 1957, Mantle won a second consecutive MVP award, but the Braves bested his team on the biggest stage. However, the Yankees bounced back the following year as Mantle earned his fifth ring.
The jersey comes with documentation linking it to at least seven photo matches. According to the auction house, it is just one button short of 100% original and unaltered condition. SGC has given it a Superior/Superior-Excellent (S/SE) designation, which is the equivalent of a 9.5/10 numerical grade.
Although the jersey shows clear signs of being worn, the item description says this one has no staining, moth holes or other damage common to flannel of vintage jerseys.
Heritage Auctions director of sports auctions Chris Ivy explained that vintage jerseys are a lot more rare than modern ones because players used to only get four jerseys per season -- two home and two road. Teams would typically send the MLB game-worn jerseys to the minor leagues and they would be altered for another player to wear. They would be worn until they were falling apart and then thrown in the trash.
"It's rare to see an all-original Yankees jersey from that era," Ivy told CBS Sports. " ... To have a 1950s era all-original Mickey Mantle pinstripes jersey that is photo-matched to several games is very scarce.
Last year, Heritage Auctions also helped set the record for the world's most valuable sports collectible by selling a 1952 Topps Mantle card for $12.6 million. That one had a 9.5 grade from grader SGC, and they currently have another one of those cards up for auction with a 9 grade. As of Wednesday afternoon, the bid is at $2,400,000.
Mantle memorabilia has been hot lately. Earlier this month, his 1955 Yankees American League Championship ring went up for auction at Goldin and became the first of his rings to ever have been put up for sale.
