(LOT 1)
Extraordinary PSA 9 MINT 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card
MANTLE ROOKIE!!! For the past several years, hobbyists have watched in awe as some of the most coveted 1950s and '60s rookie cards have consistently achieved record-breaking prices. The renowned 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 9 Mint Rookie subject has exceeded the $1 million price tag on several occasions, and a sensational PSA 9 Mint 1951 Mickey Mantle inaugural card has sold privately in excess of $3 million! The Mick's undisputable inaugural issue, PSA 8 examples shave fetched up to $600K, and it is critical to note that PSA's prestigious Pop Chart currently lists 53 PSA 8 Mantle Bowman Rookies versus a meager nine PSA 9 Mint specimens. This nearly 6:1 population disparity is an irrefutable exclamation point of the extreme rarity of a Mint 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card, more than substantiating that $3 million+ private sale and certainly leaving immense potential for a continued escalation in a PSA 9s future pricing point.

The ultra-desirability, rock-solid foundation, and infinite investment potential of a Mickey Mantle mint rookie subject leaves virtually no doubt in the eyes of the advanced collecting community. That said, we at Memory Lane are now proud to offer one of our grandest artifacts ever with respect to popularity and value, an unfathomable PSA 9 Mint Mickey Mantle 1951 Bowman rookie that appears as if it was just pulled from a '51 Bowman pack. As previously stated, only nine 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 72 years of potential wear to retain nearly 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 relentless pricing rise of Mantle's sanctified 1952 Topps subject has likewise propelled the desirability and value of his inaugural 1951 Bowman issue, with the $12.6 million sale of an SGC 9.5 Gem Mint 1952 Topps Mantle in August 2022 propelling all early 1950s Mantle issues to stratospheric heights. Indeed, the prices of high-grade Mantles have taken off like an ICBM Missile, with their tsunami-like value upticks steamrolling ahead. Synonymous to one of The Mick's tape measure home runs that could test the confines of even Yellowstone Park, his 1951 Bowman rookie card knows no bounds. Mantle still holds the record for the furthest round-tripper ever hit in MLB history, with his 565-foot blast at Griffith Stadium in 1953 off of Senators southpaw Chick Stobbs still residing as the best of the best.

Mantle twice hit the Yankee Stadium façade, and walloped 10+ 500-foot documented homers in his illustrious 18-year Hall of Fame career. With that said, we can only ponder what the true value will be for this miraculous PSA 9 Mint offering that truly serves as a sheer reminder of the Commerce Comet's supernatural power. 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 stands alongside the legendary T206 Honus Wagner. Mickey was Goliath, Davy 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 Mick dominate the game via his mammoth dingers.

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. Practically 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 well centered image only reveals a hint of partiality towards the upper right edges, neatly positioned between four absolutely blinding white borders. A razor-sharp perimeter leads to four pinpoint corners that boast virtually perfect geometric right angles. Pack-fresh to say the least, both immaculate surfaces reveal no noticeable flaws to the naked eye including the typically seen flipside gum stains. All of the aforementioned pristine technical attributes strongly supporting the spot-on PSA assessment, placing this grand offering as the perfect Mantle rookie card for the most esteemed meticulous collector.

Arguably speaking, this museum worthy masterpiece firmly stands as 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 an extremely special place in the hobby that is surpassed by only a handful of cards, with the mere sight of this classic issues in mid-grade arousing the attention of any discerning hobbyist's interest, let alone a near-impossible to find PSA 9 marvel. Along with the 1952 Topps Mantle, this offering is likewise realizing infinite price tags that continue to soar in value including a $3 million+ private sale for another PSA 9 example. Yet, considering it resides as Mantle's undisputed inaugural card, it still remains significantly undervalued as opposed to its 1952 Topps brethren. If the 1952 Topps Mantle is the post-WWII "Holy Grail", the 1951 Bowman Mantle surely places a close second as the bona fide "Mona Lisa." We cannot even begin to speculate what the final bid will be for this extraordinary gem; so we will gracefully defer to you, the sophisticated collector, to ultimately determine the true value of this breathtaking Mantle rookie that has only been bested by a single PSA subject!

MIN BID $500,000
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