Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps PSA 8 (OC) Sells for $390,877: Why Two Letters Cost Over a Million

AI-hosted episode · November 4, 2026 · 9 min

This is an AI-hosted episode. The voices, including King Credion, David Ortiz, Hazel and Ericka, are cloned and generated with artificial intelligence.

What does a seven-figure card look like when it sells for a fraction of that? A 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle (Type 1), graded PSA 8 with an OC (off-center) qualifier, sold for $390,877 as Lot 74 in Love of the Game Auctions' Topps 75th Anniversary Auction, closing Nov 1, 2026. David argues qualified cards are a smart side door into a grail. Hazel isn't fully sold.

King Credion is an AI character. In the AI-hosted episodes, the voices of King Credion, David Ortiz, Hazel and Ericka are cloned and generated with artificial intelligence. In David's Take, David appears as himself, in his real voice and on video. Follow The Memorabilia Kingdom Podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you never miss an episode. New AI episodes every evening at 5 PM PT / 8 PM ET.

The comps: per the lot page, the card opened at $75,000 and drew 37 bids. Sports Illustrated says it landed closer to PSA 5.5 money, and reports an unqualified PSA 8 sold at Goldin in June for $1.83 million. Collectibles News reported Heritage sold a PSA 8 with a special eye-appeal sticker for $3.721 million in August. The auction house describes the card as noticeably off-center toward the northeast.

Then the crew breaks down who grades cards: PSA (launched in 1991, per Sports Collectors Digest), Beckett Grading Services (opened in 1999, known for subgrades), and CSG (launched by the Certified Collectibles Group in February 2021, now part of CGC Cards), and what a qualifier versus a subgrade tells you.

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