In addition to the realm of art, NFTs are sweeping the sports sector, with numerous memorabilia selling for more than $900,000.
The Topps trading card of American baseball star Mickey Mantle sold for $5.2 million, setting a new record. Traditional collectors rapidly noticed that this business is substantially different from the days of previous generations, with larger-ticket purchases becoming frequent, and they set a new benchmark for rare collectibles.
Now that the world is rapidly transitioning into a digital future, actual assets worth millions of dollars are finding their way to the virtual world through nonfungible tokens (NFTs). As a consequence, NFTs are currently being promoted as the next generation of collectibles.
Users may feel the exhilaration of owning a piece of history in the same way that they would with a standard trading card. The main distinction is that the digital aspect of an NFT will provide fans with a new method to engage with treasures. Assets such as the Golden State Warriors Legacy Collection World Champion Ring NFT selling for over $950,000 on its original release and the Erling Haaland 2020-21 currently worth an estimated $831,000.
Topps Company, Inc. has continued to showcase the best events in sports and entertainment from its modest beginnings in 1938, much to the enjoyment of many in the trading card world. The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is just one example of the Mona Lisa of trading cards. Topps’ evolution into the digital collectible space has yielded many successes to date, including the release of their suite of digital collectible apps in 2012 and the upcoming launch of their own NFT platform, toppsnfts.com, in 2021, where they released a number of NFT collections for Major League Baseball, Bazooka Joe, Toho Godzilla, and Bundesliga, with more first-of-their-kind releases in the works.
The next step in the growth of collectibles
Topps NFTs just announced the introduction of a 1-of-1 Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle Card NFT as part of their new Topps Timeless NFT Series. Unlike previous releases, this one focuses on the company’s most famous baseball cards via premium 1-of-1 digital products.
“Several classic baseball cards have been labeled as holy grails to the collecting community throughout Topps’ long history, particularly in recent years.” Tobin Lent, VP and general manager of Topps Digital Sports & Entertainment, says, “With our Topps Timeless Series, we now bring these historical cards to the blockchain as NFTs that may be held forever and handed down for generations.”
Topps will offer fans the opportunity to purchase this highly sought-after collectable in the team’s first-ever NFT auction, which will take place on the OpenSea platform on March 1, 2022, at 1 PM EST. The NFT will be minted as an ERC-721 token and will be a reproduction of the original Topps baseball card, replete with video of historical images and artifacts highlighting and celebrating Mickey Mantle’s career. In addition, the auction winner will get the chance to engage in a 30-minute video interview with Mickey Mantle’s sons, Danny and David Mantle.
Tobin Lent says, “the Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle card remains one of the most prized baseball cards of all time, and we’re thrilled for one dedicated fan to be able to add this significant piece of sports history to their digital collection.”
Getting ready for future releases
Because this is the first auction of its sort, the community should anticipate a lot of interest from collectors and baseball enthusiasts alike. This is due, in part, to the fact that the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is more than just a trade card. It’s the narrative of iconic sports memorabilia being reimagined for the digital era, a new way to feel the excitement of owning a rare collection, and it opens up a dynamic universe of possibilities in the digital collectibles arena.
With more of these one-of-a-kind auction events on the horizon, NFTs will only strengthen their position as the next generation of collectors.
