Cobb never had the celebrity that Ruth had and is a poor comparison. Yes, Ruth was an all world talent like Cobb, but his autograph is not expensive solely because of how well he played baseball. I would say Mantle and DiMaggio shared a similar spotlight in public consciousness in comparison to Ruth, though of course Ruth is always king.
When people talk about the greatest active player, Mike Trout's name is usually brought up. When people talk about how great a player Trout is, the man they typically compare him to is Mickey Mantle, not Ty Cobb.
I think in the long run Mantle outpaces DiMaggio but I think both players will see their memorabilia increasingly rise as time goes on and they may be some of only a handful of players who are immune to time and shifting generations.
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