Mantle card creates big buzz

It’s as if a collector won a mini-lottery this weekend at the I-X Center.

According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Maryland native Chris Rothe bought a $500 spot in a promotion at the Aug. 1-5 National Sports Collectors Convention, and hit the jackpot.

The company Vintage Breaks offered collectors $500 spots for the right to unopened packs of vintage sports cards. Rothe bought a spot for a pack of 1955 Bowman baseball cards.

Vintage Breaks owner Leighton Sheldon opened the pack for Rothe on Aug. 3, and in it was a Mickey Mantle card, which later created a huge buzz throughout the I-X Center.

“My eyes bulged out of my head,” said Sheldon.

Sheldon said the card appeared to be in “pristine” condition. On Aug. 4, PSA graded the card a 9 (with 10 being the best). According to Rovell’s story, it is the eighth time a 9 grade was given for a 1995 Mantle Bowman.

Sheldon said he worked the crowd at the convention after the card received the 9 grade, and got an offer for $50,000.

Rothe didn’t find out about the Mantle card until he saw a video of Sheldon opening the pack.

“My friend told me and my face went pale white when I saw it,” said Rothe. “I was weak in the knees.”

The last 1955 Bowman Mantle with a 9 grade sold for $35,089, according to the story.