After several claims of various sports cards breaking the market, one actually did. In recent months, those in the hobby professed that certain Triple Logoman cards and rookie memorabilia will go on to exceed millions of dollars ended with a lesser price than expected. But out of all the cards being hyped up, it was one that has stood the test of time – a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.

Just recently, Heritage Auctions has confirmed that Mickey Mantle's iconic rookie card, one that's encased in an SGC 9.5 slab, has reached a final auction price of $12.6 million. This sale has made the said baseball card the most expensive one in the entire hobby. For context, the previous holder of this record was a T206 Honus Wagner, which sold for $7.25 million.

According to Chris Ivy, Heritage Auctions' director of sports auctions, the famed Mickey Mantle piece of memorabilia is the finest-condition example of the most iconic post-war card. “That grade, plus the fact it has documented provenance from the most storied find in hobby history, puts this card in a category of its own,” he added.

Earlier this month, an auction held by Goldin for an SGC 2 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card reached $7.25 million, giving it the title of the most expensive sports card for a couple of weeks. Now, that title has passed on to another SGC slab with a Mickey Mantle card in it, making it the first in the hobby to break the $10 million mark.

This particular Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card was previously owned by Alan Rosen. Better known as Mr. Mint, he purchased the mint baseball card, along with other copies of the Mantle card, from an individual who inherited them. A few years later, he sold one of the ungraded copies for $50,000, which turned out to be the one that Heritage Auctions featured.

This has been the third time in a year that a sports card broke the most expensive title. With the way things are going, the high-end market is definitely heating up, as evidenced by the sale of this epic Topps Mickey Mantle card.