“Did my mother throw out a $12.6 million Mickey Mantle card?!” - MLB fans flummoxed after record valuation of Mickey Mantle card a week ago, share stories of losing their versions of the card

Legendary New York Yankee Mickey Mantle’s 1952 rookie baseball card sold for an astonishing $12,600,000 on August 28, according to a press release from Heritage Auctions.

The card was issued by the collectible company Topps in 1952. The auction house claims that as a result of the sale, the card is now the most expensive sports collectible ever.

Mickey Mantle’s baseball card has been sold.

Chris Ivy, the director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions, said in a statement that he had high hopes for this card.

“We always knew this card would shatter records and expectations. But that doesn’t make it any less of a thrill,” Ivy said.

Mantle’s card broke the earlier-year record of $9.3 million set by the jersey Diego Maradona wore when he scored the "Hand of God" goal in the 1986 World Cup.

"1952 Mickey Mantle Card Sells For Record $12.6 Million At Auction" - Forbes

Per Chris Ivy, the card is beautiful and intact and has been well-maintained for 70 years.

“It’s almost perfectly centered top to bottom and left to right. It’s got four sharp corners. The color is beautiful. The fact that it remained in this condition for 70 years, prior to being graded, is truly a miracle.”

Fans are astonished by such a sales value, and many are sharing stories about how they unknowingly threw away or lost their versions of card.

“Did my mother throw out a $12.6 million Mickey Mantle card?!”

A Twitter user wrote a hilarious comment saying he now needs to hold onto his Pokemon cards.

"Whoa I better hold onto my Pokémon cards pack I just got from Chik fil A. I remember when the FL Marlins were signing baseball cards, but there weren’t many people there in Newberry/Gainesville. Mickey Mantle, famous, but that’s more money than expected, it seems.” – D Bee

Other stories came from those who had attached Mantle’s rookie card to the spokes of their bicycles.

Mickey Mantle’s amazing baseball journey

Mantle, who made his MLB debut in 1951, played his entire career with the New York Yankees. Many consider Mantle to be the best switch hitter in baseball history and one of the game's top players and sluggers.

Mantle was an All-Star for 16 seasons and was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Despite his success on the field, Mantle's personal life was marked by adversity and turmoil, including a well-publicized battle with alcoholism that ultimately resulted in liver cancer. He passed away in 1995.