(LOT 11)
1960 Topps #350 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT – Highest PSA Graded Example!
MICKEY MARVEL!!! It's no secret that obtaining any PSA 10 Gem Mint 1960 subject is a near-impossible chore, with many factory-issued print defects and centering issues residing as the primary culprits. In fact, of the 323,000+ encapsulated copies, less than 0.1% have managed to achieve cardboard perfection. This explains why the most meticulous enthusiasts scramble to obtain any of the scarce PSA Mint 9 Mantle examples, with this magnificent offering not bested by a single specimen! Of the roughly 9,200 PSA encapsulated Mantle's, not a sole PSA 10 Gem Mint 1960 Topps Mantle subject exists, with a microscopic 0.3% fortunate enough to merit a 9 assessment. Considering the virtually infinite rise of his high-grade cardboard pricing points, we cannot even begin to estimate what this best of the rest offering could potentially realize, with another PSA 9 example achieving a lofty $64K pricing point earlier this year.

After two successive issues ('58 & '59) of providing collectors with portrait-like Mantle images, the Topps Chewing Gum Co. chose to put a bat back into The Mick's hands for his highly coveted 1960 #350 subject. In fact, Topps actually chose to use two Mantle left-handed batting poses, a magnificent colorized centerpiece illustration coupled with a left side black & white smaller image. Mantle's breathtaking colorized batting pose is virtually pristine, exhibiting near-perfect centering that only reflects the slightest hint of favoritism towards the right edge between four snow white borders. Its pack-fresh look is supported by a vast array of rich hues and crystal-clear resolution for the colored illustration. The additional black & white batting pose near the left border is likewise immaculate, with both the bold red and radiant yellow backgrounds still reflecting their original factory-issued tints. Blistering sharp right-angled corners and a gleaming obverse side surface complete one of the premier 1960 Topps Mantle examples you will ever come across, with his most significant keepsake sharing the glorified spotlight as the best of the best!

MIN BID $20,000
_