This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/10/2017
Mickey Mantle announced his retirement a month before the start of the 1969 season, but that wasn't going to stop the Topps company from producing a baseball card of the player that helped them maintain their empire since the inaugural set was produced in 1952. The 1969 Topps card not only gave "The Commerce Comet" one last cardboard hurrah but also delighted collectors who appreciated that the final career statistics of Mantle were neatly presented on the reverse. This MINT beauty, if just a hair more accurate on the centering, could very well be residing in a GEM MINT holder, territory that has been reached by just one card out of over 6,000 submissions. Poised to strike in his left-handed stance, the impressively sharp image of the aging Mantle is flanked by a red circle nameplate that exhibits none of the little print dots that appear on so many others. The reverse is a bright salmon and white with deep black print that caps Mantle's unprecedented 18-year career. An incredible opportunity for any PSA Set Registry caliber 1969 Topps or Mickey Mantle collection.