(LOT 1)
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie PSA 7 NM
MANTLE ROOKIE!!!... We at Memory Lane are proud to offer the most sophisticated collectors a golden opportunity to capture a world class PSA 7 '52 Topps Mantle! However the Mantle 1952 Topps subject achieved its current mystique may never achieve full resolution, but it is surely "here to stay", with only the T206 Honus Wagner "Holy Grail" arguably surpassing "The Mick's" inaugural '52 Topps iconic stature. This cardboard marvel's sudden rise to stardom in the late 80's and early 90's ably assisted the overall market stature, with its incredible pricing points redefining one's perspective for utilizing cardboard heirlooms as viable investment options. For quite some time and before 2013, price tags for the 1952 Topps Mantle subject had remained relatively "flat", and while not diminishing in value, its pricing points had moved somewhat "sideways".

Typical with any market commodity, the investment values of valuable baseball cards likewise run in cycles, and the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, dubbed the post-WWII "Holy Grail", is now experiencing an amazing pricing surge for all grade levels that have re-written its overall value. Synonymous with an uncontrollable brush fire, since mid-year 2013, the Topps Mantle rookie value has risen to an unprecedented level. While all grading levels continue to rise, it is the high-grade specimens that are now realizing "off the chart" figures, exceeding prior 2013 values by over 500%! "Seeing is believing", and the most definitive case of this seemingly infinite escalation is evident with several PSA 7 and 8 sales. In the fall of 2015, a PSA 8 example reached the unfathomable sum of $525K! As hobbyists would expect, PSA 7 example followed suit with a 'NM-7" specimen fetching $227K likewise in the fall of 2015, a 128% increase over the previous $100K record price only realized in August of this same year. While these miraculous pricing up-ticks are "jaw-dropping" to say the least, it was only a matter of time before this iconic baseball card achieved an "infinite-like" pricing surge.

The superb eye appeal is synonymous with Mantle's magnificent legacy, starting with the classic bat over shoulder pose portraying a nearly un-improvable aqua-marine blue background that atypically reveals no "snow" whatsoever. You can virtually feel Mickey's curious nature as he gazes into the future with a youthful innocence that would eventually lead to his immortal Yankee standing. Immaculate resolution, sparkling facial hues, a glistening obverse side surface, clean white borders, a super clean verso and strong right-angled corners consistent with the grade all contribute to the imposing eye appeal. While the iconic image does favor the upper right edges, the aforementioned brilliant central image aesthetics more than offset the typically evident skewed image. No doubt, the recent tsunami-like pricing up-ticks coupled with this offering's sensational attributes more than justify its world class standing.

The "Commerce Comet" redefined the confines of every ballpark, with his mammoth blasts besting even the furthest fences, and it is no surprise that his most heralded baseball card issue is currently experiencing a seemingly unbounded pricing surge with no apparent end in sight. Had it not been for "truckloads" of 1952 Topps high-number vending cases being dumped into New York's murky waters, the incredible mystique of the '52 Topps Mantle might have never been born. Yet, the reality of this card standing tall as our hobby's post-war "Holy Grail" shines forth today similar to an unparalleled beacon, with its uncontested popularity the driver of its redefined value. The previously mentioned $525K sale for a PSA 8 example stands as a resounding exclamation point to the unlimited potential of this quintessential high-numbered Mantle, a staggering 639% increase over the highest price ($71K) realized only some 5 years ago in 2011!

Synonymous with the miraculous spiking values of PSA 8's, the $227K pricing point for a PSA 7 in the late fall of 2015 represents a similar 609% increase over the highest price ($32K) in 2011. Of course, as is the case with any investment opportunity, one can only wonder what the future holds for the extraordinary 1952 Topps Mantle, but this on-going pricing surge certainly supports the strong prospect for its unlimited growth potential!

MIN BID $50,000