Topps trading cards has auctioned off a non-fungible token (%NFT) of the storied 1952 baseball card of New York Yankees legend %MickeyMantle for 175 %Ethereum ($ETH) that is worth $471,000 U.S.
The sale finds itself among the largest-ever in the sports NFT landscape, topping sales of $230,000 U.S. and $210,000 U.S. for limited edition LeBron James collectibles.
The Mickey Mantle NFT is officially licensed by Major League Baseball (%MLB) and sold in cooperation with the Mantle estate, with the winning bidder also being granted a 30-minute interview with Mickey Mantle’s two sons, Danny and David Mantle.
The physical cards the NFT is based on remain some of the most coveted in the baseball card market, with current prices ranging from $30,000 U.S. to as much as $250,000 U.S., depending on their graded condition.
Topps has been an active player in the NFT market dating back to April of last year (2021), when it launched its first series of digital baseball collectibles. The trading card company moved its NFT marketplace to the %AvalancheBlockchain in August last year.
Topps was acquired by sports merchandising giant Fanatics for $500 million U.S. this January. Fanatics, which announced Thursday a $1.5 billion U.S. funding round at a $27 billion U.S. valuation, is also the owner of baseball NFT marketplace %CandyDigital, which advertised the Mickey Mantle sale to its users in the weeks leading up to the auction this past weekend.