This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/24/2020
From the standpoint of sports card collecting, Mickey Mantle is the single most beloved athlete of the post-war era, and it's not even close. Sure, other icons like Mays, Aaron, Koufax, and Clemente have huge followings, and players like Banks, Killebrew, Kaline, Musial, and Berra certainly have a following. But year after year, Topps set after Topps set, there are generally two classifications of key cards; whatever Hall of Famer rookie cards came that year, and Mickey Mantle. The 1954 and 1955 Topps sets, two classic collections, are near the top of most collector's favorites but rarely come in first, primarily due to the lack of a Mantle card. The legend of Mickey Mantle was a perfect storm; he had the name, he had the look, and of course, he had the talent. The way the Yankees declared him to be the next great immortal to follow in the footsteps of those he succeeded; Ruth, Gehrig, and DiMaggio, by originally issuing him #6, initially proved too much for a 19-year old kid from a small town in Oklahoma. But fast-forward a few years and "The Commerce Comet" not only met but exceeded the lofty expectations placed on his shoulders. In 12 of his 18 seasons, the Yankees found themselves playing for the World Series Championship, winning the title 7 times. In a lot of ways, the story behind the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card isn't too dissimilar to Mantle's personal story; a little bit of drama, a little bit of intrigue, and a perfect storm of events coming together to create something iconic; it's Mantle, it's a fledgling company that became a dynasty, it's a difficult high-number card. Presented is a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, an issue that we at Mile High Card Company have offered many times before with at least one usually popping up in any given auction. Oh, but this is graded PSA 8, a mark that signifies the crossing over from the routine to the extraordinary as most that have graded this high have been safely tucked away in elite collections. And who could blame them; investors have seen nothing but skyward prices to remind them of what a wise decision it was to acquire theirs. Less than 10 years ago, a card in this grade was struggling to get to the six-figure mark and today, well, it's a lot more. But if you've got the means and the drive, let's take a look at what could be your baseball equivalent to a Mona Lisa. Centered moderately toward the right side but within the standards of the PSA 8 grade and a telltale sign of above-grade characteristics elsewhere, you don't have to look very long or hard to see that the central image of Mantle in that familiar golden bat on shoulder pose outclasses most PSA 8 specimens and maybe even a PSA 9 example or two. The bold aqua -blue backdrop is flawless, housing no stray print to detract from the famous image. Each corner and edge has minuscule signs of wear, consistent at the NM/MT grade with no single corner or edge standing above or serving as a weak link to the others. The reverse, while showing the usual bias toward the left horizontal edge, is superior in its ability to display bright red and black print on a slate gray canvas free of stray print larger than a pinpoint. To question whether a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 will break the million-dollar mark is more a matter of when than if, and like the other members of the club who have already taken the plunge, you too will be looking back in two, five, and ten years from now, satisfied that you were able to land this specimen as the others had before you. Good luck!