This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/14/2024
There are good cards, there are great cards, and then there are cards so unbelievably iconic that even the most advanced collector's heart races a little at the sight or even the mere mention of them. The 1952 Topps card of Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle is one such card. It's also the one card where potential buyers don't just take the SGC grade at face value but consider their priorities in a lower to mid-grade example. The featured card carries a grade of SGC 4, and in our opinion, is a very appealing example for that level. A noticeably vibrant and clean image is a highlight to this presentable high-number, but the centering is admirable for the grade as well, mildly toward the right side but more accurate than most at this grade level and a few steps above with the overwhelming majority of examples in the mid-grade range from EX to NM typically show severe centering biases top to bottom and/or left to right. The reverse also shows a mild centering shift but it's barely noticeable as the powerful red and black print on the clean canvas are considerably more eye-grabbing. Back to the central image, the exceptional skin tones throughout The Mick's sharp facial features as well as a deep and uninterrupted sea of glossy blue-green teal in the backdrop compare favorably with higher assessed specimens. The bottom two corners appear superior to the VG/EX grade while the top two, specifically the top right, show handling commensurate with the grade. It is important to note that the minuscule white fleck along the upper left edge is not a print defect, as it can be found on all 1952 Topps Mantles of the Type 2 variety, which also shows an incomplete black box around the yellow box providing the background to the Yankees logo. This is one of the finest and most alluring '52 Mantles you will ever encounter in the offered grade of SGC 4.