(LOT 35)
Spectacular 1953 Topps #82 Signed Mantle (PSA Authentic)
 
“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-WW II card market, values for “The Mick’s” highly coveted cardboard heirlooms have soared to stratospheric heights with no end seemingly insight.  His unparalleled mystique is still an arguable mystery, but one can only assume that his “Goliath-like” un-worldly power was one of the main drivers of his legendary hero stature.  Worshiped by millions of fans, Mickey Mantle could hit a baseball harder and further than anyone who ever played the game including Babe Ruth, and even in lieu of a steroids driven environment, still no baseball player can wallop a baseball further than Mantle.  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 ball ever hit in a Major League game.  Ironically, presented here just happens to be an outstanding signed Mantle 1953 Topps card issued from that fabled 1953 season, one of only 25 signed examples listed on PSA’s prestigious “pop” chart!   Scripted in bold blue sharpie, the signature literally “jumps off the card” that also portrays overall stellar eye appeal via the crystal clear portrait image, fine centering, and overall VG/VG+ aesthetics.  It is no secret that early 1950’s Mantle cards are achieving record setting prices nearly every week, with his high-grade ‘51 Bowman, ‘52/’53 Topps issues leading the way.  Furthermore, there are currently 90+ encapsulated PSA 8 1953 Topps Mantle’s that are now valued at roughly $50K - $60K apiece, with a fraction of the ’53 Mantle PSA “pop” count depicting his hallowed autograph.  That said, we will let the advanced collector ultimately decide the true value for this significantly scarcer Mantle keepsake that portrays one his finest signatures affixed to his ’53 Topps issue, and one that rarely surfaces for the taking!