This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/16/2017
It wasn't that long ago that the price of a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card in mid-grade didn't differ greatly from one grade to another. But in today's market, for what it costs just to upgrade from a PSA 5 to the card featured here, you could have actually bought two PSA 6's outright five years ago. While there are dozens of prime examples that show the exponential return on investment exhibited in the baseball card hobby during this decade, the 1952 Topps card of Mickey Mantle, in any grade, has led the charge.
It is unquestionably the preeminent sports card of the mid to late 20th Century and brings instant admiration and credibility to any collection, and chances are if you haven't already taken the plunge to secure one at all costs, you've ended up on the wrong side of a winning bid more than once. But if it's your mission to secure a worthy specimen for your collection, here's one more opportunity to acquire baseball's most majestic post-war pasteboard, and this PSA 6 specimen is an exceptional piece. Framed mildly toward the right side, it easily outclasses most others at its grade level and several we have seen at higher grade for accurate centering. Also presenting at an above-grade level is the delivery of the central image, with a bold and clean blue aqua background encapsulating "The Commerce Comet" that is free from any print defects. The bottom corners and edges show typical signs of wear that fall within the EX/MT designation, though the top two corners appear superior to the grade. Then there's the reverse, an afterthought to some collectors but nevertheless important when considering such a iconic prize. Deep red pigment highlights a problem-free reverse, with clear black print that spotlights Mantle's bio and rather modest achievements the previous season. A very mild rough cut is evident along the southeast quadrant of the perimeter. As we all know, any card graded EX/MT is not going to be perfect, but without any glaring weaknesses, this is about as strong a candidate as you can hope to find at the grade level. If this is your level, you've found yourself an iconic piece deserving of an aggressive run. Now you just have to land it!