In a stunning display of the sports memorabilia market’s vitality, a mint condition Mickey Mantle baseball card shattered records by selling for $12.6 million. This sale not only highlights the card’s impeccable condition and the legendary status of its subject but also underscores the booming interest in sports collectibles.

The Mantle card, dating from 1952 and considered one of the finest examples of its kind, eclipsed previous records, including a $9.3 million jersey worn by Diego Maradona and a $7.25 million Honus Wagner card. The surge in prices reflects a broader trend where even items once thought to be mere attic clutter are now fetching astonishing sums.

Experts attribute this market boom to a combination of factors, including a search for inflation hedges and a pandemic-fueled return to childhood hobbies. With the sports memorabilia market’s value skyrocketing from an estimated $5.4 billion in 2018 to $26 billion in 2021, it’s clear that collectibles are becoming a serious investment avenue.

The auction of the Mantle card was a highlight in a sale that saw a total of $28 million in sports collectibles change hands. This event not only marked a financial windfall for the card’s seller, a New Jersey waste management entrepreneur who had purchased the card for $50,000 in 1991, but also signaled sports memorabilia’s arrival as a significant player in the investment world.

As the market continues to grow, driven in part by the advent of digital collectibles or NFTs, the allure of sports cards and memorabilia is only expected to increase. This Mantle card sale exemplifies the potential for these items to be not just collectibles, but valuable pieces of history that rival traditional investment options.