• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on eBay
    • Most Watched Graded Rookies
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched BGS, BVG Cards
    • Most Watched SGC Cards
    • Most Watched CSG,CGC Cards
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2023 Baseball Cards
      • Most Watched 2022 Baseball Rookie Cards
      • Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Ronald Acuna Jr. Cards
      • Shohei Ohtani Cards
      • Mike Trout Cards
      • Fernando Tatis Jr. Cards
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Jackie Robinson Cards:
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • T206 Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2022-23 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2021-22 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Nikola Jokic Rookie Cards
      • Giannis Antetokounmpo Cards
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • Prizm Basketball Cards
      • Panini National Treasures
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2023 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2022 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Brock Purdy Rookie Cards
      • 2021 NFL Rookie Cards
      • 2020 NFL Rookie Cards
        • Joe Burrow Rookie Cards
        • Justin Herbert Rookie Cards
        • Jalen Hurts Rookie Cards
      • Josh Allen Rookie Cards
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
      • Tom Brady Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2021-22 NHL Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2020-21 Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Wayne Gretzky Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched UFC Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Topps SuperFractors
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Top Sports Card Dealers on eBay
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
      • Vintage Sports Tickets, Stubs
      • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Soccer Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • UFC Cards
  • Top - Ad

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.com.

  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Mickey Mantle Headlines Rare 1959 Oklahoma Today Set

Mickey Mantle Headlines Rare 1959 Oklahoma Today Set

March 31, 2020 By Anson Whaley

In 1959, a rare baseball card set was issued by a regional magazine called Oklahoma Today. Here’s a closer look at these unique cards from an unlikely source.

About the 1959 Oklahoma Today Set

The focus of the magazine, of course, is on the state of Oklahoma. It has been known to cover anything and everything in the state with regards to tourism, restaurants, famous people, and the state’s history. In 1959, editors of the publication came up with a unique idea to feature famous baseball players from the state.

The players were featured in a special 20-card set of baseball cards. These cards were not offered in a traditional manner, so to speak. Rather, they were printed on the back cover of one of the magazine’s publications (specifically, its summer of 1959 issue). The key for the subjects is that all are supposed to have come from Oklahoma.

The cards feature black and white images of players on the front against a single colored background (backgrounds were either light green, light blue, or yellow). The poses range between both action shots and portrait pictures. The simple design includes a black border and the player’s name printed on the bottom inside of a white box. Backs of the cards are virtually as basic as the fronts are. The player’s name is repeated on the borderless, gray back, along with his position, team, and league. While the players were said to all have come from Oklahoma, a key piece of information missing is exactly where in the state the player hails from. Cards are also unnumbered.

While many of the cards have been separated and cut up over the years, full, uncut sheets with the complete set are occasionally seen. These are, as you can probably imagine, quite rare.

Stars and Checklist

The set contains only 20 cards and since only players from Oklahoma are featured, it is not as star-studded as other sets. Still, there are enough key players from the era to make for a nice collection of stars.

Leading the way in the set is the iconic Mickey Mantle. Mantle, who hailed from Spavinaw, Oklahoma was arguably the biggest star of the time, winning back-to-back Most Valuable Player Awards in 1956 and 1957. His card is, without a doubt, the key one in this small set.

One way the set managed to strengthen the checklist was to include past players. Legends from the pre-war era included Hall of Famers Dizzy Dean, Carl Hubbell, Paul Waner, and Lloyd Waner. In addition to Mantle, another big contemporary player included was Hall of Fame pitcher Warren Spahn.

At least one uncorrected error is found in the set. The card for outfielder Dale Mitchell, who was from Colony, Oklahoma, shows his last name misspelled as ‘Mitchel.’ As the card was not corrected, it does not command a premium.

Below is the complete 20-card checklist for this set.

  • Jerry Adair
  • Harry Brecheen
  • Johnny Callison
  • Alvin Dark
  • Dizzy Dean
  • Paul Dean
  • Don Demeter
  • Carl Hubbell
  • Mickey Mantle
  • Pepper Martin
  • Lindy McDaniel
  • Von McDaniel
  • Cal McLish
  • Dale Mitchell
  • Allie Reynolds
  • Warren Spahn
  • Tom Sturdivant
  • Jerry Walker
  • Lloyd Waner
  • Paul Waner

Rarity and Pricing

Like many cards originating from publications, the 1959 Oklahoma Today cards are pretty rare. Most of the magazines would have been thrown away and since the cards are approximately 60 years old, many that were initially kept have probably been lost to time.  

Uncut sheets and complete editions of the entire magazine command a premium. They are not common but do surface on occasion. Leland’s offered a full copy of the magazine in 2017, which sold for just over $700.  Huggins and Scott sold one that same year, with some light staining that affected the Mantle and a few other cards for $350 and Robert Edward Auctions sold a complete copy in 2018 for $420.

Despite the rarity, most of the individual cards are quite affordable. Decent commons for the set typically start in the $5-$10 range. Mantle’s card, of course, is the big one in the set. A PSA 5 recently sold on eBay for just over $500. That is the exception, however. Other Hall of Famers in the set typically start in the $10-$15 range.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

Collecting Vintage O-Pee-Chee Mickey Mantle Cards Mickey Mantle 1954 Red HeartWoof! Decades Later, Red Heart Baseball Card Set Still Barking High Grade Mickey Mantle Cards: How They Stack Up Found at Flea Market, Rare Mascot Dog Food Mantle, Berra Bring $28,000 Book on Vintage Regional-Food Issue Sets Now on Kindle Randall SwearingenUltimate Mickey Mantle Collector Opts to Liquidate Mickey Mantle 1952 Bowman5 Great Mickey Mantle Cards on a Budget

About Anson Whaley

Anson Whaley is a contributor to Sports Collectors Daily and has been an avid pre-war and vintage card collector for more than 20 years. He manages a pre-war sports card blog and database at www.prewarcards.com . You can email him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter @PreWarCards.

Filed Under: Old Baseball Card Sets, Sports Card News, Vintage Sports Card News Tagged With: 1950s regional sets, 1959 Oklahoma Today, Mickey Mantle, mickey mantle cards, regional sets

Primary Sidebar

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click on links to merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network. 

Shop Sports Cards on Ebay
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

High End Cards and Memorabilia

  • BBCE Authenticated Boxes, Packs opens in a new window
  • Graded pre-War Card eBay Auctions
  • PWCC Premier Auction
  • PWCC Fixed Price Marketplace
  • Graded Rookie Cards on eBay opens in a new window
  • Authenticated Photos on eBay opens in a new window
  • Graded Tickets & Stubs opens in a new window

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Kobe Bryant cards $5 and less opens in a new window
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $150 opens in a new window
  • Pre-War Cards Under $100 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Basketball Cards $25 and less opens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Hockey Cards $10 and Less opens in a new window
  • Complete Sets $20 and Less opens in a new window
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less opens in a new window
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30 opens in a new window
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1 opens in a new window
  • Buy Boxes Directly from Topps opens in a new window

RSS Auction Report

  • University Archives Rare Autographs, Manuscripts, Books & Sports Memorabilia Auction Ends Nov. 29, 2023
  • Real Deal Sports Auctions November 10 – December 2, 2023 Auction
  • Fanatics Auctions “Ultimate Auction” – Ends November 20-23, 2023

Footer

Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Featured Articles
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Uncategorized

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forumopens in a new window
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cardsopens in a new window
  • Championship Rings For Saleopens in a new window
  • Autographed Baseballsopens in a new window
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cardsopens in a new window
  • Sports Collectors Storeopens in a new window

Pages

Ending on eBay Soon
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
Top 100 on Ebay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
Most Watched on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Tom Brady Card Auctions on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 50 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • What’s Hot on eBay
Sports Memorabilia
  • Sports Card Bargain Bin
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
About Sports Collectors Daily
  • Advertise with SC Daily
  • Contact Us
  • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Sell Your Cards
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?

Copyright © 2023 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Web Design by Wickam Groupopens in a new window