A couple browsing an oversized Topps baseball-card coffee-table book at a local garage sale made an unexpected discovery when they found a rare photograph of a young Mickey Mantle tucked inside. The photograph, later authenticated by PSA/DNA as a Type 2 print, captured Mantle during spring training early in his rookie season and became the source image for his iconic 1951 Bowman rookie card. The couple also found an image of Joe DiMaggio inside the same book, according to Heritage Auctions, which later offered the Mantle photograph for sale. The photograph was sold on December 20, 2025, during Heritage's Winter Sports Catalogue Auction, fetching $20,740. Its value was not simply tied to Mantle's fame. Details in the photograph, including his No. 6 uniform and the bat belonging to teammate Joe Collins, help place the image at a specific point in the young player's career.
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