(LOT 15)
1969 Topps #500 Mickey Mantle "White Letters" PSA 9 MINT – "POP 3"; Only a SOLE PSA Example Graded Higher!
WHITE LETTER MICK!!! Mickey Mantle personified the acceleration of the cardboard industry in the 1980s, with every high-grade cardboard representation of The Mick are now taken very seriously by an abundance of collectors. Such is the case for this extremely rare for the grade PSA Mint 9 "White Letters" offering that has been joined by a meager two other examples at this hallowed tier, with only a sole PSA 10 specimen graded higher! Furthermore, the utmost rarity of a "White" versus "Yellow" Letter '69 Mantle at the 9 MINT assessment is substantiated by PSA's census report listing 65 "Yellow Letter" Mantle's as opposed to a fractional three "White Letter" specimens (roughly 4.6% of the "Yellow letter" count). Like most population report disparity, we highly expect this substantial Pop delta to result in an enormous price tag for this momentous offering. PSA 9 "Yellow Letter" Mantles have recently achieved several pricing points in excess of $30K, and since the last PSA 9 "White Letter" value we identified was some 13 years ago (a PSA 9 sold for $13K in 2009), with "Yellow Letter" Mantles fetching $3K-$5K at that same point in time.

That said, we cannot even begin to estimate the potential worth of this extremely rare offering that is most likely worth at least triple the value, if not more, than its "Yellow Letter" brethren. The Mick's classic left-handed batting pose is virtually pristine, portraying superb contrast and crystal-clear clarity. Normally for this subject, even high-grade issues often exhibit skewed images, but this immaculate offering's central image depicts excellent centering, only reflecting the slightest hint of favoritism towards the left edge. Even more impressive is the fact that the iconic illustration atypically reveals virtually no tilt, with the images for most 1969 subjects portraying obvious tilts towards the right or left edges. Pinpoint corners, razor sharp edging, near-flawless surfaces and vivid typography are the final intricacies that have earned this card its rightful assessment. To reiterate, considering the extreme rarity of a PSA 9 "White" vs. "Yellow" Letter '69 Topps Mantle, we will let you, the sophisticated collector, ultimately decide the true worth of this world-class and ultra-scarce Commerce Comet marvel that reflects an unparalleled paucity level!

MIN BID $25,000
_