(LOT 453)
Extraordinary 1953 Topps #82 Signed Mickey Mantle – PSA 5 EX Card Grade/PSA 9 AUTO – One of Only Two PSA 5s; Only a Sole PSA 5.5 Graded Higher!
SIGNED MICK!!! "Every now and then some athlete is touched for a moment with a kind of higher level of greatness which they may never achieve again, but at that moment, they were more than life allows" – Such were the iconic words of the late CBS Commentator Heywood Hale Broun when referring to the immortal race horse Secretariat's unfathomable 31-length 1973 Belmont Stakes victory to claim the elusive Triple Crown. Indeed, there are a handful of iconic athletes that have separated themselves from the rest of the pack via their supernatural feats and one of those hallowed stars just happens to be Mickey Charles Mantle. The undisputed "Babe Ruth" of the Post-WWII card market, values for "The Mick's" highly coveted cardboard heirlooms have soared to stratospheric heights with no end seemingly insight. While his unparalleled mystique is still a profound mystery, one can only assume that his "Goliath-like" power was one of the main drivers of his legendary hero stature. Worshiped by millions of fans, Mickey Mantle could hit a baseball further than anyone who ever played the game, justified by his ten documented 500+ foot round-trippers.

Incredibly, the "Commerce Comet" hit two balls off the façade at Yankee Stadium, and his 565-foot home run off Senators' hurler Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium in 1953 still stands as the longest official home run ever hit in an MLB game. As a grand testament for his unbridled legacy, presented here just happens to be a sensational signed Mantle 1953 Topps #82 subject depicting an extremely bold black ballpoint "PSA 9 MINT" signature, with only 47 total signed examples listed on PSA's prestigious "Pop" Chart. However, even surpassing the stature of this world-class signature is the fact that PSA has awarded the card a "PSA 5 EX" assessment. One of only two signed '53 Topps Mantle's at this extremely rare mid-grade tier, it has only been bested by a sole PSA 5.5 specimen. Recently encapsulated by PSA, its provenance is absolutely spectacular, consigned by the original owner who had it signed in person in March 1979 at the New York based St. George Hotel. After retaining the card for some 43 years, he has ultimately decided to part with this cardboard treasure, with PSA noting that it is truly one of the finest autographed 1953 Topps Mantles they have ever authenticated. Justifying the nearly impossible 'EX" grade are the sparkling hues, exceptional contrast, crystal-clear clarity, somewhat right-angled corners and relatively clean surfaces.

No glaring blemishes are evident on either side, and as autographed card collectors surely realize, you might have a better chance of finding snow on a Caribbean Island than locating a mid-grade early 1950s signed Mantle subject. Breathtaking to say the least, the bold "9 MINT" autograph literally jumps off the card, with this Cooperstown worthy eluding the standard "skips" typically resulting from a ballpoint pen. It is no secret that early 1950s Mantle cards are achieving record setting prices nearly every week, with his high-grade '51 Bowman, '52/'53 Topps issues leading the way. Interestingly enough, there are nearly 100 encapsulated PSA 8 NM-MT 1953 Topps unsigned Mantle's that are now realizing six-figure+ pricing, with half that population number (47) depicting his hallowed autograph. In 2021, several signed 1953 Topps Mantle's simply assessed as "Authentic" (no numerical card grade) recorded price tags in excess of $20K. Considering the population of a scripted '53 Mantle represents less than half of its "unsigned" high-grade brethren, we cannot even begin to estimate the potential augmented value of this magnificent PSA 5 EX/9 Auto '53 Topps Mantle that has only been bested by a single PSA 5.5 example!

MIN BID $5,000
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