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Judge DredA lot of card "hobby" popularity is based on where the person played. Mantle was a member of many great NEW YORK teams. NEW YORK, that says a lot.
I know Mantle was a great player but I think he's a bit over rated in some respects. But he did play in the media capital of the world. You have to remember that it wasn't so long ago that media coverage wasn't what it is today.
If I had a choice to choose between a 52T Mantle in really nice condition or an amount of cards of other HOFers worth the same amount of money I would easily not chose the Mantle card. I'd get a lot more bang for the buck and I'd probably enjoy looking at several different cards rather than one card that has a lot of hype.
Am I saying that Mantle is an over rated HOFer in our hobby? Yes, I guess so. I still think he's a great of the game, regardless.