1955 Bowman Mickey Mantle Card
This year Bowman again had exclusive rights to Mickey Mantle Baseball cards. The book value of this card goes for about $800. This card Shows Mickey bat in hand, gazing out across Yankee stadium. In the background we can see the rest of the field. This card is set horizontally. It is sometimes referred to as a “television set”. Any collector knows the value of this rare card. On the back of this card read the stats of Mickey for his third season with the Yankees. That year Mickey had a .300 batting average and had 163 hits. That same year he led the league in strikeouts, with 107.This card comes from the last series made by Bowman. The Bowman Gum Company was purchased by Topps later in the year. The modern “television set” design of these cards has given them a cult group of fans who have grown to appreciate the unique design. Color TV’s were still rare in homes at this time so that made the novelty of the card even stronger.
This unique dark brown border has also made it more susceptible to damage though, and mint and near mint cards are extremely rare to today. Another interesting fact about the ’55 Mantle card is that it features an incorrect birthdate on the back, this was an accidental printing error. This misprint does not greatly increase the value but it does make it unique among Mantle cards and it’s a quirk that has been much discussed among Mantle memorabilia collectors.
This card carries a pretty respectable value and it is rising every year. An rare mint or near mint can fetch as much as 500 dollars and an autographed card in top condition can sell for 2-3 thousand dollars. The pricepoint of this card makes it a little more accessible to the average collector and it is a great entry point for those who want to own a 1950’s era Mickey Mantle card. It carries special weight with those who specialize in Bowman cards as well.