(LOT 12)
1962 Topps #18 Mantle/Mays Managers' Dream PSA 9 MINT – Only One PSA Example Graded Higher!
MANTLE & MAYS!!! Appropriately dubbed a "Managers' Dream", presented here just happens to be one of the most formidable examples of the 1962 Topps #18 Mantle/Mays subject, a remarkable PSA 9 MINT marvel that has been joined by a mere nine other examples, and incredibly bested by only a SOLE PSA Gem Mint 10 specimen! Its substantial worth is justified by the past two sales fetching between $65K and $69K, and one can expect additional future prosperity with regard to its ever-increasing value. Considering that Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays had ruled the Big Apple centerfield position for more than a decade (with all due respect to Duke Snider), it was only a matter of time before the prestigious Topps Chewing Gum manufacturer placed them together on a single bubble gum card.

This long-awaited occurrence finally came to fruition in the highly popular 1962 Topps set, with the #18 subject portraying an imposing image of these two New York icons, and dubbed "Managers' Dream". It was only four years ago that The Mick and Hammerin' Hank Aaron had shared a card in the 1958 Topps set as "World Series Foes", so it is only fitting that the Say Hey Kid and Commerce Comet would ultimately reside as a duo representation on a Topps baseball card. The image was taken from a previous All-Star game since you can see other stars in the distant background including the legendary Hank Aaron. Mantle is donning his classic Yankee pinstripes while Mays chose to wear his San Francisco road flannels. Both Hall of Famers depict good-natured smiles, with their leather gloves affixed to their left hands. Magnificent contrast and clarity, sparkling hues, near-perfect centering, pinpoint corners and miraculous clean wood-grain borders are the special highlights of this time-defying marvel.

It's no secret that the most meticulous collectors painstakingly pursue 1962 Topps subjects with the near-impossible to find clean wood-grain borders, with the '62 Topps issue one of the most condition sensitive post-WWII sets. As previously stated, another PSA 9 subject sold for a record $69,000, clearly putting the hobby on notice that this previously underrated card (with regard to value) is joining other high-grade Mantles with respect to realizing staggering pricing points. That said, this astonishing heirloom portraying the Gotham state's two greatest all-time center fielders is now yours for the taking, keeping in mind the appearance of only Mantle & Mays is unique to any single Topps cardboard issue!

MIN BID $15,000
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