There are few bigger names in the trading card world than Mickey Mantle. The rookie cards of the legendary Yankee outfielder regularly go for record prices. Collectors who came up watching Mantle are often desperate to get their hands on his cards, driving the prices of them through the roof.

This creates an opportunity. While Mantle cards are quite expensive, they are also a very strong investment for the future. Here are some of his issues that can be purchased without completely breaking the bank.

1962 Topps Manager's Dream (with Willie Mays) 

Mantle's career will always be tied in with two other star centerfielders; Willie Mays and Duke Snider. All 3 men spent much of their career plying their trade in New York's 5 boroughs and they were immortalized in Terry Cashman's Talking Baseball. Of course, all 3 outfielders would go on to be enshrined in baseball's Hall of Fame.

In 1962, Topps created a card celebrating Mantle and Mays as a Manager's Dream. The card would be out of our budget in a PSA 8, but fits in quite nicely in PSA 7 condition. A copy in that grade most recently sold for $771.

1958 Topps #150 

Image via PSA

By the 1958 season, it was pretty well established that Mickey Mantle was the best player in baseball. Although he was only 26 at the start of the year, he had already led New York to 4 World Series Championships. And he had individual accomplishments as well, being named AL MVP in both 1956 and 1957.

The '58 Topps shows a smiling Mantle at the peak of his powers. With this being an older card, we are going to have to go down in grade to keep it under budget. A PSA 5 copy of the card can be had for a little under $800.

1962 Topps AL Home Run Leaders 

Image via PSA

Mickey Mantle had a lot of legendary teammates, among them; Joe DiMaggio, Whitey Ford, Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra and Billy Martin. He is most often connected with Roger Maris, though, as the two men had a home run chase for the ages in 1961. Maris would finish with a then-record 61 home runs and Mantle would finish with 54.

This 1962 Topps card commemorates both of those home run totals and also features Minnesota's Harmon Killebrew and Baltimore's Jim Gentile. It is also quite affordable as a PSA 8 copy can be had for under $500.

1969 Topps #500 (Last name in Yellow) 

Image via eBay

Mantle's last card produced during his playing days came in the 1969 Topps set. While he still looks like a fierce hitter in his stance, his knees had seriously deteriorated since then. His position is listed as 1st Base as his injuries would no longer let him patrol center field at Yankee Stadium.

Note that there are two variations of this card, one where the ballplayer's last name is in yellow and one where his last name is in white. The white is scarcer and more expensive. A PSA 6 copy of the yellow version will go for anywhere from $550 to $850.

1958 Topps All-Star #467 

 One of the most attractive of these cards is his 1958 Topps All-Star Issue. With a red background decked out with stars, the card can be had in PSA 6 condition for around $450.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.