The Summer 2013 Catalog Auction - Ends Sat, June 29th
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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/30/2013
Mickey Mantle's fabled sports career started not on the diamond at Yankee Stadium but on the athletic fields of Commerce High School in Commerce, Oklahoma. It was there that Mantle, nicknamed "The Commerce Comet" for his blazing speed, blossomed into one of the school's greatest athletes, lettering in football, basketball and baseball during his senior year. This is the Commerce High School yearbook from Mantle's senior year in 1949. The leather cover book is titled "1949 - Bengal Tales" and the interior pages include a several different images of Mantle in addition to his standard high school photo. He is featured in both the football and basketball team photos as well as in group photos of the yearbook staff, the pre-engineers club, the school play cast and the school newspaper staff. A separate portrait of Mantle also appears on the school newspaper page in recognition of his being the "Asst. Editor." The caption next to his yearbook photo reads: "They're great pals, he and his baseball jacket." They would remain best pals, as Mantle was signed to a Yankee contract (in the back of scout Tom Greenwade's car) immediately following his graduation, and sent to Independence, Missouri in the K-O-M League. This piece is somewhat unusual for a high school yearbook (and for many especially desirable) in that there are no signatures or farewell messages written on the interior pages, and it most likely originated from an underclassmen or faculty member. The yearbook exhibits only moderate wear to the covers with all of the interior pages clean and bright. Celebrity high school yearbooks have become a very popular field of collecting in recent years, with Mantle's Commerce High book being among the most desirable of all sports stars. A beautiful near pristine example chronicling the "Mick's" early days in Commerce, Oklahoma.
Mickey Mantle Original 1949 Commerce High School Year Book (Senior Year)
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Minimum Bid: $200.00
Final prices include buyers premium.: $693.60
Number Bids:11
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