(LOT 540)
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT
Only the T206 Honus Wagner "Holy Grail" can possibly boast the celebrated mystique of this exalted PSA "NM/MT 8" 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle that has been bested by only thirteen meager examples. For the past four years, this card has soared to stratospheric heights, with the last PSA 8 fetching a record $660K! Historically speaking, it is no secret that this iconic 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 respective grading levels continue to rise, it is the high-grade specimens that are now realizing "off the chart" figures, exceeding 2011 values by over 800%! "Seeing is believing", and the most definitive case of this seemingly infinite escalation is evident with PSA 8 sales. In the spring/summer of 2015, several PSA 8 offerings achieved approximate $400K amounts, and just when the hobby assumed a PSA 8 Mantle had reached its ultimate level, another PSA 8 recently sold for a staggering $525 in the late fall of 2015! After slightly stabilizing with a $502K sale in 2016, this tsunami-like gem completely shattered its 2015 $525K record sale with an unfathomable $660 record price in February 2017, once again busting open the pricing floodgates for this immeasurable record-breaking card.

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 offered PSA 8 breathtaking eye appeal is synonymous with Mantle's unbridled legacy, starting with the classic bat over shoulder pose portraying a robust and nearly flawless 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 stature. Immaculate resolution, sparkling facial hues, a glistening obverse side surface, blinding white borders, a super clean verso and razor sharp right-angled corners consistent with the "8" assessment all contribute to the imposing aesthetics. Much to the delight of the most meticulous hobbyists, the hallowed image depicts excellent centering, with the "side-to-side" (50/50 - 55/45) and "top to bottom" (55/45 - 60/40) positioning portraying spectacular visual appeal.

The image does reflect an "ever so slight tilt" towards the upper right corner, and the verso's centering is nearly perfect. Only four "NM/MT+8's", six "Mint-9's" and three "Gem Mint 10's" have managed to surpass this esteemed grade, and considering its breathtaking eye appeal, merely a handful of examples could possibly boast finer technical attributes than this museum worthy masterpiece. The "Commerce Comet" redefined the confines of every ballpark, with his mammoth blasts outdistancing any ballparks' farthest confines. Synonymous with his supernatural power that exceeded the physical limits of any ballplayer's expectations comes along this PSA 8 marvel; proudly standing tall as one of only 33 specimens at this exalted plateau (a mere 2.3% of the nearly 1,450 PSA encapsulated copies). Furthermore, and significantly more impressive is PSA listing only 13 higher specimens, justifying why PSA 8 examples are currently experiencing a seemingly unbounded pricing surge with no apparent end in sight!

Historical Pricing for High-Grade '52 Topps Mantle's Over the Past 7 years (2011 - 2017)_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 unprecedented pricing surge over the past several years. The most recent $660K sale for a PSA 8 example stands as a resounding exclamation point to the unlimited potential of this quintessential high-numbered Mantle, a virtually unbelievable 830% increase over the highest price ($71K) realized only 6 years ago in 2011! The recent investment growth for high-grade '52 Topps Mantles is quite obvious to say the least, substantiated by the following 7-year trend graph (2011-2017) whereby each year reports the highest value realized for the remarkable PSA 8 grade:"A picture is worth a thousand words" and this trend clearly indicates the astonishing growth of PSA 8 specimens from 2011 to the present.

Incredible as it may seem, the $660K 2017 record sale exceeds its prior seven year marks as follows: 830% vs. 2011; 780% vs. 2012; 696% vs. 2013; 145% vs. 2014; 26% vs. 2015 and 31% vs. 2016! As a side note, in 2016, a PSA 8.5 example realized an "off the charts" $1,135K record price, officially establishing the 1952 Topps Mantle issue as the second card to ever capture a million dollars or more in a public sale/auction (the other obviously being the T206 Wagner). As is the case with any investment opportunity, one can only speculate as to what the future holds for the extraordinary 1952 Topps Mantle subject, but this 7-year historical trend certainly supports the arguable notion of its unlimited growth potential. Conservatively speaking, any well-centered/high-grade 1952 Topps Mantle portraying outstanding aesthetics knows no boundaries, substantiating why the most advanced enthusiasts painstakingly scramble to capture one for their world-class collections!

MIN BID $125,000
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