Here's another toy that I've been trying to find for years in high grade condition, all original, and most importantly complete!
It's Mickey Mantle's Big League Baseball manufactured by Gardner & Co., Chicago, Il. It was officially licensed from Mickey Mantle Enterprises Inc. and produced from 1957-59. This example was purchased from the original owner.
The complete game includes:
- Illustrated box cover (15" x 7-¾"" x 1-¾") - graphic of Mickey (#7) and catcher. Printed with lots of ad text plus "extras".
- Cardboard playing field (punched holes at 1B, 2B, & 3B) with metal spinner and "color" photo of Mickey (shown from waist). Pegged holes for innings, runs, and outs punched below the baseball diamond. Cardboard folds down to hold playing pieces.
- Early, low quality, black & white "photo" of Mickey Mantle with facsimile autograph (6-¾" x 8-¾"). Typically noted as 7"x 9". This is probably the single most difficult original game component to find. Nearly all were quickly separated from the game (pinned up, folded up, traded, etc.). An inexpensive paper with the look and feel of a real photograph was used. It was a much thinner, fragile stock which didn't have the quality of an actual photograph. It's scarcity, specific textural and visual characteristics, plus normal age darkening makes it impossible to reproduce an exact copy even with a laser printer. More than likely this accounts for the games steadily increasing value over the years.
- "Mickey Mantle's Baseball Record" (stats sheet) (6" x 4") - printed in purple ink on semi-gloss paper. The last recorded year, 1956, indicates that the game was produced in 1957. This too is a very scarce item as most were quickly separated from the game.
- 2 Mickey Mantle Play Cards (11" x 4¼". Double sided, heavy card stock, glossy, high quality) - identical cards home & visiting teams (which is correct), includes Mantle's "plays" with black and white photo/yellow background on one side. Black and white glossy text with die corresponding colors of other players "plays".
- Clear 3-piece die with roller - includes wooden die with colored dots corresponding to Play Cards. Also very difficult to find in complete condition is the die holder (clear plastic tube with red ends), fragile piece, usually broken or missing.
- 8 plastic game pieces - 4 red, 3 green, 1 brown.
Date Sold: Apr. 2009
Price Sold: $ 153
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