The hobby was riding a wave of momentum following the 42nd National Sports Collectors Convention in Atlantic City.
The show attracted another historic crowd and had the industry buzzing as an iconic card surged toward a defining moment. Three weeks later, the industry reveled in the $12.6 million sale of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that shattered the all-time sports card and memorabilia records and attracted national media attention (see page 36).
After nearly two
