In the 1950s, baseball cards evolved into a cultural sensation, moving beyond their traditional link to bubble gum. Various industries, including potato chips and dog food, began using these collectibles in their marketing efforts.
One standout promotion came from Stahl-Meyer, a New York meat company that incorporated baseball cards into their hot dog packaging to drive sales. These cards often faced wear and tear due to their packaging, resulting in many being less than pristine.
However, a remarkable find has emerged: a 1953 Mickey Mantle card from the Stahl-Meyer set, which has remained untouched by time or hot dog grease. This card is unique, being the only one to receive a PSA 9 grade, and it has recently returned to the market after a 35-year absence, according to Sports Collectors Daily. Its significance is heightened by the fact that it is the only mint-condition Mickey Mantle card across all three Stahl-Meyer sets.
The rarity of this card is underscored by its standing among the larger collection of 1953-1955 Stahl-Meyer cards. Out of more than 660 graded cards featuring various players, this Mickey Mantle card is one of only six to earn the coveted Mint 9 rating, with none achieving a higher grade.
A rare Mickey Mantle card is set to be showcased at the National Sports Collectors Convention, unless it sells before the event. Howard Chasser, an experienced dealer, is facilitating the sale for Brian Powell, who purchased the card for $2,200 at an auction conducted by the late Alan “Mr. Mint” Rosen in January 1988.
Powell expressed his delight at acquiring the card, noting that he never expected to find a mint-condition Stahl-Meyer Mickey Mantle card available. He remarked that the card lived up to Mr. Mint’s reputation.
As of 2024, the asking price for this highly sought-after collectible has soared to an impressive $2,567,000, highlighting its remarkable rarity and value in the sports memorabilia market.
In the 1950s, Stahl-Meyer was the official hot dog supplier for all three New York baseball teams. In 1953, they introduced a promotional set featuring nine players—three from each team—who agreed to participate in the marketing effort.
Historic Stahl-Meyer Mickey Mantle card
The Mickey Mantle card from this set features a photograph taken during his rookie season in 1951, captured by Bob Olen, the Yankees’ official photographer from 1947 to 1966. The original black and white images were manually colorized for the final card designs.
The production process involved sending player photos to Milprint Inc., a Wisconsin printing company. They created stiffeners for the hot dog packages, which were then sent back to Stahl-Meyer. These stiffeners, containing the baseball cards, were coated with paraffin and placed between two rows of four hot dogs, with each card marked with an inventory code.
Stahl-Meyer promoted their “frankfurts” and baseball cards through newspaper advertisements in regions where their products were sold. While Giants star Bobby Thomson often appeared in the ads, Mickey Mantle was also featured, as he was in his third season with the Yankees at the time.
The rarity of these cards was heightened by a 1953 promotional campaign that encouraged customers to mail two cards to Stahl-Meyer along with a note expressing their love for the company’s hot dogs. The promotion promised 200 lucky winners free tickets to see either the Yankees, Dodgers, or Giants. Unfortunately, the submitted cards were not returned and were likely discarded by the company.
Remarkably, a small batch of cards, including the Mickey Mantle card, survived in pristine condition, reportedly taken home by a representative from the printing company. About thirty years later, these cards entered the collectibles market when the employee responded to a buying advertisement from Wisconsin collectors Jack Urban and George Husby.
After changing hands several times, the Mickey Mantle card ended up in Brian Powell’s collection, where it has remained. In a notable moment at the 2002 National Sports Collectors Convention, Powell submitted the card to PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), where it earned a coveted 9 rating, solidifying its status as an extraordinary piece of baseball memorabilia.
In his book “Never Cheaper By the Dozen,” which examines various regional and unconventional baseball card sets, Brian Powell included insights from Rob Lifson, former president of Robert Edward Auctions. Lifson highlighted the card’s significance, calling it one of the greatest baseball cards from any era. He emphasized the extreme rarity of finding Stahl-Meyer cards in mint condition, making this Mickey Mantle card especially noteworthy.
The scarcity of high-grade 1953 Stahl-Meyer Mickey Mantle cards is reflected in grading statistics: PSA has assessed 60, while SGC has graded 28.
Previous sales underscore the card’s value, with a PSA 7 selling for $68,125 in 2021 and a PSA 6 fetching $55,200 the following year. The highest price for any Stahl-Meyer Mickey Mantle card was set in 2022 when the only PSA 8 from the 1954 set sold for $210,000 at auction.
Howard Chasser, the dealer managing the sale, has launched a dedicated website for the card, offering detailed information about its ownership history and his reasoning behind the current valuation.
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