(LOT 2)
Amazing 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card (PSA Mint 9)
MINT MANTLE ROOKIE!!!... For roughly the past four years, hobbyists have watched in awe as some of the most coveted 1950's and '60's rookie cards have consistently achieved record-breaking prices. One of the most significant of those marquis keepsakes is the remarkable 1951 Mantle Bowman "Rookie" that resides as the "Mick's" undisputable inaugural issue. While there are 51 PSA 8's on the illustrious PSA "Pop" chart, some of the finer "8" examples have still managed to achieve $200K+ pricing points; a bona-fide justification for the ultra-desirability and 'rock-solid" foundation of a high-grade Mickey Mantle rookie in the eyes of the advanced collecting community.

Interestingly enough, during this 4/5-year pricing surge, NONE of the nine PSA 9's have managed to surface in the auction circuit, leading the hobby to ponder what the ultimate value of a PSA 9 Mantle would be within a "bull-like" card market. We at Memory Lane are now proud to offer one of our grandest artifacts ever with respect to popularity and value, an unfathomable PSA Mint 9 Mickey Mantle 1951 Bowman rookie that appears as if it was just pulled from a '51 Bowman pack. As previously stated, only 9 of these exist on the current PSA population report with a sole Gem Mint 10 example graded higher! Its sheer existence in this unquestionable "Mint State" bewilders the mind, stubbornly defying 66 years of potential wear to retain virtually all of its original factory issued pristine qualities.

Historically speaking, no one would ever argue that the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card suffices as the post-WWII's most iconic card, yet it is Mantle's 1951 Bowman subject that resides as his true rookie card. Next to the majestic Babe Ruth inaugural card, the 1951 Bowman Mantle rookie arguably stands as the most coveted rookie card in the entire collecting community, eternally existing as one of the hobby's pinnacle "world class" cardboard artifacts. The seemingly infinite rise of Mantle's sanctified 1952 Topps subject has likewise propelled the desirability and value of his inaugural 1951 Bowman issue, with high-grade sales of exceptional eye pleasing PSA 8's achieving pricing tags exceeding $200K.

With that said, we can only ponder what the true value will be for this miraculous PSA Mint 9 offering that resides as the FIRST "Mint 9" example publicly offered since the rookie card pricing surge commenced some 4/5 years ago. However the Mickey Mantle mystique was established, no one will argue that Mantle's 1951 Bowman image will forever be embedded in hobby lore, and along with the 1952 Topps Mantle, is one of the few post-war cards that supersedes almost all high-end pre-WWII cards.

Mantle's unquestionable power, long tape measure home runs and overall love for the game and fans add to the legacy of all his cardboard treasures. He was Goliath, Davey Crockett, John Wayne and Joe DiMaggio all rolled up into one super icon, the ultimate embodiment of a National hero. With that in mind, what card could better represent the strength of our hobby than one of Mickey Mantle's finest preserved inaugural cardboard issues, treasured by every young boy who grew up worshiping the "Commerce Comet" dominate the game via his mammoth home runs.

After scouring this museum worthy masterpiece, most would agree its breathtaking aesthetics more than justify the grade. The seemingly timeless "bat over shoulder" lithographic pose with Mickey's #6 (vs. his famous #7) partly showing on his uniform was taken from a classic original black & white photograph from Mantle's rookie season. Virtually all of the qualities associated with this legendary picture are pristine including vibrant gray/blue colored tints, immaculate contrast/resolution, a seemingly flawless sky-blue background, and extremely rich red facial hues.

The extremely well centered image reveals a near-perfect 50/50 "side-to-side" placement with the "top-to-bottom" positioning falling somewhere between "45/55" and "40/60"; easily falling within PSA's 65/35 minimal centering threshold for Mint 9 cards. An un-improvable perimeter boasts four blistering sharp corner tips, razor sharp edges and blinding white borders, with both the obverse and reverse sides revealing virtually no surface blemishes to the naked eye. This is a monumental positive feature for advanced enthusiasts since a critical concern for the discerning collector are the typical areas of diminutive gum residue on the flipside of many high-grade '51 Bowman Mantles.

All of these pristine-like attributes add up to what is arguably one of the premier 1951 Mickey mantle Bowman rookie cards, and we cannot even imagine that sole PSA 10 besting the "jaw-dropping" aesthetics of this incomparable memento. To reiterate, the "true" Mickey Mantle rookie card holds a place in the hobby that is surpassed by only a handful of cards, with the mere sight of this classic issues in mid-grade or higher arousing any esteemed collector's interest, let alone a near-impossible "rare for the grade" PSA Mint 9 marvel.

Along with the 1952 Topps Mantle, this offering is likewise realizing infinite-like price tags that continue to soar in value, yet considering it resides as Mantle's irrefutable inaugural card, it still remains significantly undervalued as opposed to its 1952 Topps brethren. As previously stated, we cannot even begin to speculate what the final bid will be for this extraordinary gem; so we will gracefully extend a "runner's baton" to the hobby's world-class collectors to determine the true value of this nearly unparalleled Mantle "Mint 9" rookie that has only been bested by a single subject!

MIN BID $100,000