This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/12/2024
In a legendary move that mirrored his astonishing career, Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle left spring training in 1969, realizing that his broken-down body could no longer function at a major league level, and announced his retirement. No pomp and circumstance, no farewell tours, just thank you and goodbye. As card #500 of the series, Topps had ample time to pull Mantle's card from production, but why? The centerpiece subject of just about every Topps set since its introduction (and that Mantle was probably already paid by Topps for the season), Topps gave us one last hurrah with the 1969 issue, which appeals to hobbyists as it contains Mantle's complete career statistics on the reverse. With just 2 PSA 10 GEM MINT specimens out of almost 12,000 submissions, it's a pretty safe bet that this MINT card is the best available specimen for your elite '69 Topps or Mantle collection. The centering, as well as the image quality and reverse pigmentation, is superb, and the perimeter comes very close to GEM MINT consideration, confirmed by Mike Baker Authentication (MBA) with a "silver diamond" designation for superior eye-appeal. It's a magnificent card and a wonderful for for any advanced "Commerce Comet" collection.