Opening Day Auction 2014
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/26/2014
Mickey Mantle was at the height of his popularity in the mid 1950s when Harold D. Youngman,
a wealthy contractor and friend of Mickey Mantle’s from nearby Baxter Springs, KS. Baxter Springs is the local team where Mantle was first noticed by Yankee scout Tom Greenwade. In 1956, Youngman approached Mantle about leasing and operating a Holiday Inn in nearby Joplin, Jasper County, Mo. It was agreed Mickey would actually be named the president of the Mickey Mantle Motel Corp. The local sign shop, Blake Signs, was commissioned to create the signs for this new motel. Offered is the first prototype of the sign assumed to have been presented to Mantle and Youngman for their approval. The 6 x 18 inch sign (plus 1.5 appendage) includes an image of a right handed hitter (presumed to be Mantle, but there is almost zero resemblance), and the words “Mickey Mantle Motel” which had a “CAFÉ – SWIMMMING POOL – COCKTAIL LOUNGE.” This lounge is when many of the images of Mickey at the hotel were taken. The sign is in Good to Very Good condition with scrapes and some warping, with the hands and bat appendage missing. In addition, a 5.5 x 12 pressed board sign printed with “BLAKE JOPLIN” accompanies this Mantle sign, as does a Blake brochure and original Blake sketch of another sign design. This is an interesting Mickey Mantle item form one of the business’ Mantle lent his name to which actually was very producutive, and one of his most famous business endeavors.