Baseball collector's card sold for $ 5.2 million

A baseball collector's card was bought by American comedian and entrepreneur Rob Gough for the record-breaking price of $ 5.2 million, auction house PWCC Marketplace told AFP on Thursday.

The card, dated 1952, shows former New York Yankees player Mickey Mantle (1931-1995), legend of his sport, seven-time winner of the professional MLB (Major League Baseball) championship.

Collectible cards have been around in baseball since the late 19th century, but began to fetch high prices in the early 1980s.

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A sector on the rise

After a low at the turn of the 2000s, the market has recently picked up to set a series of new records in recent months.

Last August, a card bearing the likeness of Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels), often considered the best player of the last ten years, reached $ 3.93 million during a sale organized by the house Goldin Auctions.

"The collectible card market is growing," said PWCC Marketplace Marketing Director Chris Callahan, indicating that the average card price has increased "2 to 3" times over the past 12 months.

A new generation of collectors

The acceleration also corresponds to the emergence of a new generation of collectors, interested in diversified assets.

"New investors are entering this sector" sports cards of collection, "which will generate continued growth," anticipates Chris Callahan.

Traditionally limited to baseball, the world of trading cards has expanded to include other sports, mainly basketball, which has also been on the rise for a year. 

In September, a card from Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo was purchased for $ 1.81 million.