(LOT 353)
1954 Bowman #65 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM-MT
The 1954 season would mark the first time the "Commerce Comet" would eclipse the 100 R.B.I. mark, knocking in 102 runs while leading the Junior Circuit with 129 runs scored. Indeed, the Yankees fleet-footed centerfielder was certainly on his way to unparalleled stardom, with his Goliath-like power producing colossal sized round-trippers that could test the confines of Yellowstone Park! The power struggle between Bowman and Topps during the early to mid-1950s would lead to only two Mantle Bowman issues for the 1954 and 1955 seasons, with no Mantle gum cards released by Topps for both of these campaigns. One of "The Mick's" favorite baseball cards continues to be the 1954 Bowman Mantle subject, issued during the aforementioned season when Mantle was continuing his relentless assault on overmatched A.L. twirlers. Presented here is an outstanding PSA 8 NM-MT gem that has only been bested by 18 or 0.4% of the approximate 4,500 PSA encapsulated examples.

It's surely no secret that the floodgates have opened with respect to surging pricing points for high-grade Mantle baseball cards, justified by a PSA 9 Mint 1954 Bowman Mantle fetching $245K in Memory Lane's July 2021 auction. How long these rising values continue to escalate no one truly knows, but this magnificent PSA 8 offering certainly represents a grand opportunity to capture one of Mickey's highly coveted cardboard jewels before its ultimate worth reaches an unattainable level. The classic "half-body" image reveals the finest possible rich hues and sparkling clarity, with Mantle's iconic pose exhibiting fine centering that reflects a modest partiality towards the upper edge. Final superlatives are sharp corner tips, a gleaming obverse side surface, snow-white borders, and super clean surfaces, with these pack-fresh attributes all combining to support the highly coveted assessment!

MIN BID $3,500