What happened.
On October 8, 2026, a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA VG-EX 4 (cert #76573334) sold on Goldin for $244,000. Sports Card Investor reported it as the most expensive sale ever for a PSA 4 copy of the card.
We independently confirmed the $244,000 result and the October 8 date through Card Ladder’s sale records, and we could not find any published PSA 4 sale above it. The recent trail supports the record: PSA 4 copies sold for $108,000 (REA, March 2025), $132,000 (April 2026), and $156,000 (Fanatics Collect, June 2026) before this one.
Why it matters.
Record sales at the top of the grade ladder get the headlines — the $12.6 million SGC 9.5, the $5.2 million PSA 9. But records at mid grades tell you something different: how deep the bidding pool runs. A PSA 4 Mantle is the entry ticket to the most iconic postwar card in the hobby, and when the entry ticket sets a record, it suggests demand is broadening across the buyer base, not just concentrating at the trophy tier.
This is also a ladder story. The PSA 4 price has roughly doubled in 19 months — $108K to $244K. When every rung of the same card’s grade ladder moves up together, collectors are testing the whole structure, not just one copy.
Methodology
How this price was verified.
The $244,000 figure and October 8, 2026 date were confirmed through Card Ladder’s published sale records for the 1952 Topps Mantle #311 in PSA 4. The “most expensive PSA 4 sale” characterization was reported by Sports Card Investor; we checked published PSA 4 results back through March 2025 ($108K at REA) and found no higher sale. Prior comps: $132,000 (April 2026), $156,000 (Fanatics Collect, June 19, 2026, cert 17658099).
Spotted an error? Email [email protected] — we correct and note it.
- Sports Card Investor (@SportsCardInv) — X post, Oct 9, 2026
- Card Ladder — 1952 Topps Mantle #311 PSA 4 sale records
- Fanatics Collect — June 19, 2026 PSA 4 lot
- Sports Collectors Digest — REA March 2025 PSA 4 result
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