(LOT 198)
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie PSA 7 NM
MICK ROOKIE!!!... The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle subject'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 remained somewhat steady with no up-tick in sight. 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 minimally 25% for low grade examples with mid to high-grade specimens surpassing 100% or better pricing point increases in some instances (E.G. - a PSA NM/MT-8 has sold for over $270,000)! Additional extraordinary sales include fine eye appeal "2's" now fetching in excess of $10,000 (previously a solid "VG-3" price tag), a PSA 4.5 achieving the unfathomable sum of $36,400, and "EX-5's" realizing strong $30,000+ price tags. Even more astounding is the fact that an "EX-MT/6" specimen sold for $66,000 while a nicely centered "PSA 7" realized an unfathomable $165,000 fee in a private sale.

Simply stated, it was only a matter of time before this iconic baseball card initiated an additional pricing surge with aesthetically pleasing examples fetching stratospheric "for the grade" amounts. Fortunately for one extremely lucky collector, one of those awe-inspiring examples is now offered here in a breathtaking PSA 7 holder! The breathtaking eye appeal is synonymous with Mantle's magnificent legacy, starting with the classic bat over shoulder pose portraying a nearly un-improvable aqua 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 square corners depicting virtually no wear to the naked eye all contribute to the imposing aesthetics.

True, the hallowed image does favor the right edge (approx. 65/35 centering left to right) with a somewhat modest tilt towards the lower right corner, but considering most '52 Topps Mantles exhibit skewed centering issues, the recent tsunami-like pricing up-ticks coupled with the cards remaining sensational attributes more than justify this card's world class standing. In closing, 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 infinite pricing surge that shows no end in sight.

MIN BID $15,000