He’s been gone for 30 years, but he’s still hitting it out of the park.
Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle, who died in 1995, is ranked first when it comes to the value of memorabilia sold over the last 50 years at Heritage Auctions, with a staggering $162,241,529.64 in earnings.
Mantle items included 16,319 lots of baseball cards, signed bats and baseballs, and assorted other valuables, according to the auction house which has seen the 10 highest-earning ballplayers earn a collective $553 million.
The most expensive Mantle item was his 1952 Topps card, which sold for $12.6 million in 2022, the second-most expensive sports card ever sold.
“His cards, story, and era check every box for collectors. And when you combine that with sheer volume, it creates a market force we’ve never seen before,” said Chris Ivy, Heritage’s director of sports auctions.
The greatest Yankee — Babe Ruth — was second in memorabilia sales at $131,321,504.51.
The highest-priced Ruth piece was the “Called Shot” jersey he wore during Game 3 of the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field in Chicago, when he famously made a pointing gesture before hitting a home run, one of baseball’s most iconic moments.
The uniform top sold for $24.12 million in 2024, the most expensive sports collectible ever sold.
Top 10 earners in Heritage Auctions’ history:
- Mickey Mantle — $162,241,529.64 (16,319 lots)
- Babe Ruth — $131,321,504.51 (6,944 lots)
- Ty Cobb — $49,315,187.16 (3,786 lots)
- Willie Mays — $42,102,350.70 (6,420 lots)
- Lou Gehrig — $38,360,967.48 (2,702 lots)
- Jackie Robinson — $36,957,341.09 (2,364 lots)
- Roberto Clemente — $29,436,834.90 (4,177 lots)
- Honus Wagner — $24,177,326.38 (1,322 lots)
- Sandy Koufax — $21,595,111.45 (3,499 lots)
- Hank Aaron — $18,173,887.25 (3,033 lots)
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