Summer Premium and Catalog Auction July 31 & Aug 8
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/31/2015
Graded NM-MT 8 by PSA. Hall of Famer, and a scarcer "High Number" in its release.
Among nearly 1,250 examples holdered by PSA, just 31 copies of this universally coveted card have achieved that grading service's unqualified NM-MT 8 assessment and fewer than a dozen of its counterparts have been awarded a higher tier.
This is Topps' first depiction of the Yankee legend. Although Mickey Mantle had been immortalized the year before by the Brooklyn gum company's rival, Bowman, the "Giant Size" 1952 Topps commemorative carried an undeniable, special mystique. The flagship subject in '52 Topps' much-awaited final series (which was in fact chock-full of popular Yankees, Dodgers and Giants players), the Mantle card has endured to enjoy reverence among multiple, succeeding generations of collectors.
The piece's aesthetic attributes help to explain its decades-long "hold" on enthusiasts' emotions. The slugger's confident smile, those distinctive pinstripes, a bright, azure-blue background complemented by yellow in the bat and logo surround ... these comprise an irresistible combination of exhilarating elements. And they're a fitting visual tribute to a beloved sports figure.
All of these features combine most effectively in a truly high-grade example, as seen here. Only in the finest specimens of this card do the item's physical details coalesce with the early Mantle's remarkable evocative pull to yield a truly irresistible, magnetic collectible. The offered piece is clearly one of the collecting industries finest, and it thus inspires only the most positive feelings within any hobbyist who views it.
Thoroughly befitting this '52 Mantle's exceedingly favorable grade assignment, its focus, color, centering, and border whiteness reflect the highest-imaginable quality. Also present is a sparkling luster that - in comparison to this piece - would likely be conspicuously diminished on similarly graded but visually lesser examples. The card's reverse-side printing is clear and crisp.
Very seldom does this trophy gum card appear with all virtues in manufactured excellence, degree of preservation and harmonious eye-appeal so beautifully fulfilled. Here is a simply magnificent collectible, in resplendent Near Mint to Mint condition.