A recent find of 1954 Mascot Dog Food cards of Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra sent shockwaves throughout the hobby; the first and only known specimens from the mysterious regional issue to have sold at auction. Both cards received minimal 1.5 grades from Beckett and were sold with the Mantle fetching nearly $25,000. Now, Mile High Card Company has unveiled another new discovery—this time a near-complete high grade set that also includes the membership card and an 8 x 10 photo premium that were only available through a mail-in offer.
Consigned together, they appear to have been virtually untouched over the last 66 years. The group includes a Mantle card that’s now graded by PSA as a 5 (EX) and several others rated in the 5-6 range. The cards had been in the same family since they were issued some 66 years ago and had remained in the original envelope in which they were originally sent.
The collection includes ten cards in all, with Bucky Harris the only missing subject. The oversized premium of Robin Roberts was also part of the find, which has answered some questions as to who is in the Mascot Dog Food lineup but posing others as to why. The inclusion of stars like Mantle (PSA 5), Berra (PSA 6.5), Hodges (PSA 5.5), and Mathews (PSA Authentic) are understandable. Cards of Al Rosen (PSA 5.5), Eddie Lopat (PSA 6), Roberts (PSA 5.5), Monte Irvin (PSA 4) and don Newcombe (PSA 5.5) make sense given the set’s roots in the northeastern United States, but the final card, “Specs” Toporcer (PSA 5), a St. Louis Cardinals infielder who retired in 1928, is more of a mystery. It is thought that they all may have had the same agent, who had input in the production of the series, but that isn’t confirmed.
It’s also now known from the information on the back of the cards that the set was originally a group of eight, then revised to 11 with the addition of Mantle, Newcombe, and Hodges at some point after.
Also of interest is the Mathews card, graded Authentic due to its slightly smaller size and nameplate at the top rather than the bottom.
This discovery should be of significant interest to type collectors and especially Mickey Mantle aficionados who will have another crack at acquiring a card that’s even more scarce than his enigmatic 1961 Topps Dice Game card.
There is another complete set and an additional card of Roberts known to exist but those have yet to reach the market.
The cards in the near set will be sold individually in Mile High’s upcoming catalog auction which runs from November 23-December 10. Details are available on the company’s website.
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