This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/2/2021
When Topps decided to challenge Bowman and produce their inaugural mainstream set in 1952, no one would have predicted that the 407-card collection would one day become the standard for which all other issues would be compared. Even more unlikely was that card #311, the first card of a notoriously scarce high-number series, would become the single most coveted sports card collectable of the post-war era. The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is one of the few cards ever produced that evokes a sensation of wonderment and awe at any grade level, and with prices of mid to high-grade specimens now well out of the reach for most collectors, hobbyists with the ability to still acquire a lower grade example are on the lookout for one that offers superior qualities like the PSA 2 specimen featured here. Residing barely above PSA's minimum grade, you might expect to find a card that barely resembles its once near perfect status, but you will be pleasantly surprised at the overall eye appeal this one offers. There are small creases into the lower left and right edge, not overwhelmingly obvious to the naked eye, along with light wrinkles at the endpoints, moderate but consistently rounded corners, and some surface abrasions that run horizontally across "The Mick's" chin and into the aqua-blue backdrop. All of those traits factor into the technical grade of PSA 2. But when was the last time you saw a specimen at this grade level that wasn't severely blemished, missing paper, or yeah, had this level of near-perfect centering? All things considered, the exceptional aesthetics of this hobby classic outpace many examples rated a grade or two higher, and in this market, that places this card in a league with specimens that command prices that are tens of thousands of dollars more. Considering that only the T206 Honus Wagner card is a more celebrated vintage baseball card within the hobby, there's no rationale for passing on this icon as you will not find a better specimen at this grade level.