1957 Topps Mantle Ghost Image

[Zach Wheat]

I saw this 1957 Topps card of Mantle and realized there was a "ghost image" in the background. After a little bit of research, it appears someone walked in the shot as they were taking the pic and he got mostly airbrushed out in production. Apparently there are 3 versions of the card, all related to how much of the ghost image you can see.

Anyone else have any notable airbrushed "ghost" images as in the above?

[ALR-bishop]

I have seen a prior discussion of this in here. For a time I looked hard to see if I could find one that looked significantly different from the one in my set. I do not think you can go by ebay scans and at shows I would need mine in hand. I finally decided that given the price of the card in any condition it was not worth the effort....for me. You can also find lighter and darker backgrounds of the card but that is, I think, true of every card in the 57 set

There is also a debate about who the ghost figure was

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I

There is also a debate about who the ghost figure was

Obviously Babe Ruth

[JollyElm]

This is from way back when where I played with the brightness/contrast settings to see what we could find there. Sorta looks like a fat kid running around...

1957mantleghost.jpg

[ncinin]

When you have setup at as many shows as I have over the years you encounter many idiots.

Twenty or more years ago a guy offered a 1957 Mantle to me at a small show and he tried to convince me the airbrushed image was Babe Ruth’s ghost and the card was worth some crazy price due to the presence of Ruth’s ghost.

[ALR-bishop]

Probably was Ted

[raulus]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

This is from way back when where I played with the brightness/contrast settings to see what we could find there. Sorta looks like a fat kid running around...

Attachment 611432

I'm going with Joe West.

[ValKehl]

I got this example of the 1957 Topps - Mantle with the "ghost" out of a 5-cent wax pack when I was a kid. It was slabbed and then sold via REA a couple of years ago, as I've been disposing of most of my post-War cards.