Rare 1952 Mickey Mantle Baseball Card Expected To Break Price Record At Auction

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A Mickey Mantle rookie card is expected to set a price record when it is auctioned today in New York.

The Topps rookie baseball card is one of thousands of pieces of sports memorabilia being sold by Heritage Auctions.

Director of Sports Memorabilia Chris Ivy says the 1952 card is near-mint and is one of the most-recognizable pop culture symbols in the world. According to Ivy, there are only 11 other cards that are a grade higher in condition.

"This same card would have sold between $150,000 to $200,000 two to three years ago," Ivy told 1010 WINS.

In December, Dallas-owned Heritage Auctions sold a similar 1952 Micky Mantle card at auction for around $500,000, setting a new record for the collectible, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reported.

According to CBS Dallas/Fort Worth, the card is part of a 407-piece set from Topps, distributed through 1952. Since Mantle's card was considered a "rookie" card at the time, it wasn't released during the 1952 baseball season, leaving only a handful of cards in circulation.