(LOT 599)
1960 Topps #350 Mickey Mantle SGC 9 MINT
MICK!!! After two successive issues ('58 & '59) of providing collectors with portrait-like Mantle images, Topps 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 batting poses, a magnificent colorized centerpiece illustration coupled with a left side black & white smaller image, with both hallowed poses portraying the Yankee legend in his left-handed batting stance. It is no secret that obtaining any SGC "Gem Mint 10" 1960 subject is a near-impossible chore, with many factory- issued print defect and centering issues residing as the primary culprits. Most meticulous enthusiasts scramble to obtain any of the scarce Mint 9 Mantle examples, with this magnificent offering not bested by a single specimen! Not a sole SGC "Gem Mint 10" 1960 Topps Mantle subject exists, and 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.
Mantle's breathtaking colorized batting pose is absolutely un-improvable, exhibiting near-perfect centering and utilizing a vast array of rich hues and near-perfect resolution to support its "pack-fresh" look. The additional black & white batting pose near the left border is likewise pristine, with both the bold red and radiant yellow backgrounds reflecting their original factory-issued tints. Blinding white borders, blistering sharp corner tips, and gleaming surfaces complete one of the finest 1960 Topps Mantles you could possibly hope to capture; with not a single SGC example surpassing this "best of the rest" marvel!
MIN BID $3,500
_