(LOT 1180)
1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie BVG 2.5 G-VG
MICK'S ROOKIE!!! A fine collector example, this BVG 2.5 Mickey Mantle Bowman Rookie offers a superb central image that has eluded the obtrusive printer lines typically plaguing this issue. While some faint surface scratches, scattered wrinkles, even corner wear, and an image that heavily favors the right edge all account for the assessment, it truly is the sparkling iconic batting pose that steals the show. Simply stated, no rookie card collection could ever be considered complete without a 1951 Bowman Commerce Comet keepsake. No post-1950 card could better represent the strength of our hobby than Mantle's inaugural cardboard issue, treasured by most hobbyists who idolize The Mick and his unparalleled colossal-sized round trippers. The timeless bat-over-shoulder lithographic pose with Mickey's inaugural #6 uniform turns back the clock to an era when this supernatural power hitter from the Oklahoma coal mines was about to embark on a career for the ages. Some 18 years later, The Mick would retire after the 1968 campaign with 536 round-trippers and seven World Series championship rings, eventually earning a permanent home in Cooperstown, New York as one of our National Pastime's greatest all-time players!

MIN BID $2,500
_