1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC EX/NM 80

Sold For:

$54,000

Year:

1952

Auction:

2015 Spring

Lot #:

12

Category:

Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards

Graded EX/NM 80 by SGC. Presented is one of the most impressive 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards we have ever had the privilege of offering. Absolutely stunning, extraordinarily crisp, flawlessly clean, ultra high-grade example of 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle. This card is a BLAZER and one of the nicest 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards, in any grade, that we have ever seen. This is a magnificent pack-fresh example with brilliant colors. The deep blue background, which is so prone to wear, is exceptionally vivid and virtually unimprovable. The corners are extremely strong, displaying only tiny touches of wear to the tips visible under close inspection. Centered almost perfectly all around, which is virtually unheard of for 1952 Topps Mantles as they are often found off-center side to side or with a severe tilt to the image. The reverse is entirely clean and boldly printed with crisp red and black colors. Graded prior to SGC unveiling its new half-grade scale, which introduced the grade of EX/NM+ for the first time, this card appears to us to be entirely worthy of that distinction (REA's long-standing policy is not to crack cards out of holders in hopes of achieving a higher grade or submit cards to grading companies for review). This is one of the finest 1952 Topps Mantle cards we have ever handled. The 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle has long been universally recognized as one of most iconic "blue chips" of all vintage baseball cards, and even just a glance at sales records clearly shows that over the years it has consistently risen in value in all grades. Recent REA auction results include a PSA NM-MT+ 8.5 example which sold for a record $272,550 in REA's May 2013 auction. Of course, every card is different and the market for 1952 Topps #311 Mantles in general appears be on an upward swing--especially for extremely high quality examples. Collectors understandably would not think it possible to purchase a 1952 Topps Mantle of this quality without spending far more than what this card lists for in this grade. And with good reason. But rarely is a 1952 Topps Mantle seen with the combination of condition attributes and conservative SMR value in the assigned grade (currently $35,000) comparing so favorably to higher-grade examples. (Historical pricing note: This very card appeared as lot #22 in REA's April 2014 auction, where it realized $41,475. It has been consigned to this auction directly by the purchaser at that sale.) This 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle presents a particularly significant collecting and investing opportunity as it is such a strong and attractive example, especially for the grade. (A consensus at REA is that it may be the best "EX-MT" 1952 Topps Mantle in the universe!) One of card collecting's greatest classics, Mantle's Topps rookie card is the key to the 1952 Topps set, one of the most famous of all cards, and the single most popular and valuable postwar baseball card. This is a spectacularly bright, fresh, clean, world-class example of Mickey Mantle's most celebrated card, in an extremely desirable grade. Reserve $20,000. Estimate (open).