Holy Smokes! The 54 is one of my dream cards! Congrats on those beauties!

Nothing too too big, but this particular has a beautiful surface.

http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...pshr2xqgkj.jpg

Mantle
 

Good stuff Dave, and with the angle and light source you did a better job than Topps in blotting out the little phantom guy on the 57 card :)

Congrats David

Lol.

Yes, I guess I did unintentionally.

Just bad lighting in my apartment. Angled shots work best at the moment.

If selling, I would use the flash and take better close ups of course.

I'm always on the lookout for extra Mantle cards. And I don't care what they look like if the price is right. Recent pick-ups:
1953 Bowman color #44 the Standard Catalog says the NM "value" is $775 I paid $15 or 1.9% book.
1957 Topps #407 the Standard Catalog says the NM "value" $465 this card cost me $14 or 3% book.
Larry
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...on/Scan_33.jpghttp://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w...can%201_33.jpg

Cool accumulation and how you acquired them. Cool little story.

Still, beautiful pieces of old time cardboard! Nice pick ups!

All my Mick's together. :)

My other graded Micks:
 

Attachment 236829

Attachment 236830

Attachment 236831

Attachment 236832

Attachment 236833

Attachment 236834

Attachment 236835

Attachment 236836

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Attachment 236841

Attachment 236842

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A couple of upgrades:

And:

Sweet! :D

In the mail today...

1967
 

Orlando--if your other 67 does not have the red dot above the S in Yankees, it is not an upgrade, it is the second of 3 versions of this card :)

This was discussed in the long variations thread. Anyone think Topps tried to do something with the bat knob in Mantle's sweet spot ? Some say yes, others no. Since the ones that look a little different are the scarcer of the two, maybe just a print defect rather than intentional fudging

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/...pspdztl4tk.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...HAxDSxCYaz.jpg



TED Z
.

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...psMantle50.jpg.http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...sMantle50b.jpg


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...antleBerra.jpg


TED Z
.

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...ntleCard25.jpg



TED Z
.

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...stMantle50.jpg

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...tMantle50b.jpg



TED Z
.

Great cards, Ted. Love that Mantle/Berra card especially.

1952-55 Dormand p/c


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...ormandPC25.jpg.http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...rmandPC25b.jpg


TED Z
.

Ted, when and what is this from?

The Mick was my boyhood idol. Saw him hit a homer over the center field fence at Comiskey Park which is still my biggest thrill. The 1961 season has great memories for me and I have collected a few things shown here.

Mantle's HOF placard ............and, a highly sought after Red Man card of Mantle......that never was :)


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...cardMantle.jpg


TED Z
.

Ted,

I'm always fascinated with your collections and the knowledge you have of cards. How did you acquire the Red Man Mantle, and what prevented the card from being issued?

Hi Lou

Thanks for the compliments.

I acquired this Red Man Mantle in a collection I purchased some years ago.

My guess is that the Bowman Gum Co. had exclusive rights to Mantle, and that is why he was not included
with the 1952 - 1955 Red Man issues.

And perhaps, to a certain degree the same applies to why Mantle was not in the 1954 and 1955 Topps sets.


TED Z
.

Hey guys......when is the last time you saw this Mantle card ?


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...tleReprint.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...eReprintBk.jpg


TED Z
.

Mantle Topps Tribute
 

Someone posted one of these on CU so I picked one up because I of have a few other Topps player tribute posters that picture all of the player's Topps and Bowman cards. I just posted the four I have in a separate thread to see if anyone knows of others. I have all the card portrayed but think they make neat room decor in my study.

The certificate from Topps says 10,000 of the Mantle poster were produced

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/...pshdhwozpv.jpg

Hi Al

That's a great looking poster.


TED Z
.

I'm surprised at the lack of curiosity on this forum regarding this Mantle card.

Anyhow......I did receive a couple of emails from Net54 "readers" inquiring about the source of this "1954 TOPPS" Mantle. On display here is a partial picture of
Sports Illustrated (Aug 23, 1954) edition with the centerfold-out depicting 27 players on the New York Yankees.

Back in the early 1980's a collector/dealer and ole friend, Charlie, who frequented the Willow Grove Show gave me this card. Charlie had a printer buddy of his,
using the image of Mantle from this centerfold-out, produced a number of these cards. I have not seen any of these in circulation since the mid-1980's.



http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...twMantle25.jpg


TED Z
.

Ted,

You always have cool stuff!!!

Hey TED..
I actually was browsing last week on the 54 mantle--the red version, which is common
I did run across the 'white' version on Ebay too, which I had never seen before, just like your 'blue' version.
I did see a graded PSA red one..Why would someone grade one of these?
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GZEAAO...E2/s-l1600.jpg
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/9zQAAO...ah7/s-l500.jpg
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/A4UAAO...tX/s-l1600.jpg

Ted,

Thanks for enlightening us on the history of your "1954 Sports Illustrated Topps" enhanced blue version. I was wracking my brain trying to recall the reprints that Larry Fritsch offered, but as I remember now, duh, they were straight reprints.

I love yours with the blue background, but then I have always admired the George Silk portrait of Mickey taken during his rookie year and used by LIFE magazine in the spring 1951 when they ran a brief feature on Mickey's major league debut.

Much as I love the 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes "1954 Topps" version, the George Silk portrait is such a gem, being still appropriate in the time frame for a 1954 Topps. After all, that's the shot SI chose for its 1954 spread of the Yanks!:D

I for one would love to own a specimen of your printing buddy Charlie's craftsmanship.

Best regards, Brian Powell

Hi Brian

I haven't had any contact with Charlie since the Fort Washington (PA) Shows in 2001.

I cannot promise you anything, but I will try to contact collectors (dealers) in Pennsylvania that may still have (or know how I can get) this Mantle card.


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...tleReprint.jpghttp://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...eReprintBk.jpg


TED Z
.

Continuing in the trend of the last 10 posts here with Mantle reprints, here is one more......



http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...Mantlecard.jpg . http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...antlecardB.jpg


This card was an insert in Bob Lemke's semi-annual "Baseball Cards" magazine (issue Oct 1984).



TED Z
.

[QUOTE=tedzan;1559964]Hi Brian

I haven't had any contact with Charlie since the Fort Washington (PA) Shows in 2001.

I cannot promise you anything, but I will try to contact collectors (dealers) in Pennsylvania that may still have (or know how I can get) this Mantle card.


Thanks, Ted. I'm deeply touched. I fully understand you cannot promise anything. Besides, hard as it may seem for us sometimes, that was a long time ago. The card reminds me how powerful a little color can go towards making a remarkable one. Just as it did for the '49 Bowmans, and with more color, for the 1961-62 Fleer basketball.

Thank you again, bro.

Best regards, Brian Powell

I wonder why they left the '52 & '53 Bowmans out. Looks like for 'artistic balance' ?

Scratch a big one off the list:

Great card, Orlando. One of my favorite issues and image!!

Orlando, heartiest of congratulations on getting a Stahl-Meyer Franks Mickey Mantle. Nice card for the grade.

Perchance you might be interested in learning more about the Stahl-Meyer Franks promotion and this Mickey Mantle gem, I wrote about them in my recently released book, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN. I cover a nice selection of the regionals from 1947 - 1971. It is not a standard book; it's a book on a CD. Works easily and very well---you read it by inserting the CD into the disc drive of your computer or laptop. It's the equivalent of a 478-page book, including about 32 mostly color photos, which will look gorgeous on your computer screen.

If interested, send me a $30 money order. The postal service charges only $1.20 for theirs. I'm at

Brian Powell
P. O. Box 743
New Carlisle, Indiana 46552

After getting the Stahl-Meyer Mick, I think I can more than reasonably assure you you shan't be disappointed with my book.

Regardless, again, nice going bro on the acquisition of a regal Mickey Mantle baseball card.:D ---Brian

Bob, I'm afraid to disappoint you here, but the first compromise I made with my book was to deviate from the standard traditional paper book. My editor, Tom Bartsch, and I were gunning for that. I won't explain all our trials and tribulations, but it came down to a Hobson's Choice with my book on a CD.

I'm mostly dinosaur, so a book on a CD was a hefty compromise. You're right, of course, a book on a CD is basically a thing of the past. ANYTHING printed on paper is slowly going away. I cannot relate to or understand, digital downloads. However, most of us have disc drives on our computers or laptops. It is do-able if the collector is motivated enough to accept it for what it is, and work within its parameters. Believe me when I say that its appearance on the computer screen mirrors an open book, with an easy on the eye font, and looks fabulous. The book was not whipped out---it took me years to write and edit it, after many, many more years of gathering research and interviewing some very renown and pertinent hobby pioneers and major figures from the past. The information and interpretive investigative collecting 501 is ultra prime rib material.

With it being the equivalent of a 478-page book, the buyer is not getting short-changed, believe me. Oh, the $30 money order I ask is the bottom line price; the book, housed in a sturdy half-inch thick DVD case, is mailed to you postpaid--first class.

I hope this convinces you, Bob. Thank you for your interest, bro.

Regards, Brian Powell

Books
 

I guard my 1848 page 2011 SCD Standard Catalog, the last one with post 1980 listings. I do not like CDS or digital downloads. I am really old :(

Orlando,

Congratulations on the 1953 Stahl Meyer Mantle. I got mine (PSA 2 (MK) a year or so ago. That card and the 1960 Post Cereal Mantle are my two favorite Mantle cards. 1959 Bazooka is a close third.

I haven't pulled the trigger on buying Brian's book (CD) yet, but I should. I'm sure it would be filled with information and pictures on the above three issues as well as many more, such as 1954 Dan Dee, 1954 Red Heart, etc.

judgebuck (David)

Brian, you can pull the PDF, so you should be able to either send it as an attachment to an email (depending on size) or put it on an FTP site (drop box?) where someone can retrieve a copy. It beats driving to the post office.

I love my copy--I printed mine off and now have it in hard copy--and it's a fantastic book.

Oh, and gorgeous Stahl Meyer!

What a find Orly! Congrats on the card!!!!

David, All the issues you mention are covered in a chapter, except the Red Heart. I had to draw the line somewhere; however, I devoted several pages to the beautiful Red Hearts in my conclusion chapter, and reveal why I chose not to give it the full chapter treatment. Nothing really negative, believe me.

Anyways, David, the ball is now in your court---you shan't be sorry, bro.

All the best, your pal, Brian Powell

Chris, glad to finally hear from you, even if indirectly. You made my day---I really needed to hear at least a few of your feelings on NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN.

My post office is less than a mile away, but I appreciate the advice. Perhaps one day, but I would like to sell the remaining copies of the 1,000 I had printed in the first place.

Give me a buzz some time Chris. Let's talk!:D ---Brian

Ah, come on, Al! A few years back, I would have turned my nose up on such a notion as a book on a CD. This old dinosaur adapted to a CD book very smoothly. It's easy. It works---beautifully!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I get the feeling collectors want things their way, or no way, as at a fast food joint. If they could hear their words and the tone of how they're coming across. Whilst I truly understand and can commisserate to a point, a collector must understand we are living in a changing world where our hobby is considered a thing of the past, not to mention chock full of opportunistic crooks. Publishers "ain't" interested in feeding us printed books about our subject.

So, when a book truly devoted to our a hobby and a great period of time in card production and collecting finally comes along, but it's on a CD, and said collectors bellyache as Curly did in ALL THE WORLD'S A STOOGE, "I don't like spinach!", it's all I can do not to spit back with, "It's time you start living with your thumb out of yo' mouth!"

Ooh, I guess I said it anyway.

Well, Al, you think about it. I know thirty smackers is not the issue with you. As I've told many others, I shan't think for a moment you will be disappointed.

Perhaps you can ask your friend Jacqueline Bisset her advice on the matter.;)

--- Brian Powell

Brian---do you discus this one on the CD ? ;-)


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mickey-Mantl...cAAOSwanRXgbaO

Picked this up at a show yesterday.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...428cf97e28.jpg

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Able to snag this last night from PWCC while everyone else was going for the high end.

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/...swwdkgee7.jpeg

I lucked out (or at least I think I did?) on 3 low end 52 Topps cards likely for the same reason?

Figured, being since all 3 were slabbed,(and I needed them) that I likely spent less on them than what it cost the person to get them graded? :)

Great cards got to like a bargain. Here's a couple bargains I picked up.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...psxmzrd4lo.jpg
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/x...IMG_0006-2.jpg

Finally snagged the Topps Super. This one is a psa 5. Most of the Supers come in ultra high grades, but I was happy to find a more affordable mid-grade to scratch off the list.

Nicely centered too!

Orlando---

I dearly love this card of Mick, ever since the first time I saw it. Whilst going through the set, I glimpsed the Mantle, and bought the set on the spot. It was July of 1972, at the Midwest Sports Collectors Convention in Troy, Michigan. I bought it from Bill Haber, a kind man who worked at Topps, and drew their cartoon artwork on the backsides. He'd brought a black satchel along with him, full of papers, letters, what have you, and about a dozen brand new gleaming mint sets of the '69 Topps Supers, I suppose to help fund his journey to Michigan from New York, as well as a few card purchases. That set was worth every penny.

Extra nice pick-up, Orlando. Nothing jumps out to me in a bad way about your fine card. The colors and picture registry are flawless. By the by, isn't it nice that you rarely have to be concerned with centering defects on these '69 Topps Supers!;)

Anyway, congratulations, bro. ---Brian Powell

Well-named card , huh ?
 

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/204295...CD62MM_NEW.JPG


....When I picked this up many years ago I didn't know much about sixties cards , still don't actually , but the first time I saw this I actually at first thought it was a Bob Lemke fantasy card , one of those beautiful center-page-binding stiff stock inserts , and his connections to Sports Collectors Digest magazine and the grading company that they had had 'way back then at that time just re-inforced my thought process . Managers' Dream indeed. They could just as well have named it "pitchers' nightmare".


... Hi Bob , hope all is well...

..

I'll take mid grade like this all day .... and for a decent price (non PWCC :))

Attachment 239054

Here are my Mick cards.
 

The Life magazine is intact and from Canada

Great magazine! I have the insert but have been searching for a really long time for a complete magazine. It's amazing how difficult the Canadian version is to locate, particularly with as common as the U.S. one. Let me know if you ever want to sell it.

Got my first Mickey Mantle for my 1969 set. I have to say it's very nice having a Mantle card. It's not in the best shape but it fills the slot.

http://i1371.photobucket.com/albums/...pscdmmkxjj.jpg

Rob, Congratulations on the '69 Topps Mantle pick-up. A visually stunning card. For whatever it's worth, back in 1969, as a 15 year old, I pulled two Mickey Mantles like yours from wax packs. Both of mine were just as off-centered as yours! I tried; oh well. I was just glad to get what I figured was Mickey's last card, with that solemn and befitting gloomy gray sky looking like it's about to rain. Reminiscent of our sadness that the mighty Mick had left and gone away. I am happy to report that I still have one of those treasured 1969 Mantles. ---Brian Powell

Picked this one up to go with the Mantle run.

A few recent Micks that I love.

First this Exhibit. What a value for an early picture of The Mick. And a great picture at that. He's got the world wide open for him in that shot.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...exhibit-mantle

Next is the best Mantle/Aaron I've ever had the pleasure of owning. The centering on this one is just bananas. Upgraded my 8 with this one. Wonder how many out of every hundred copies of this card is centered like this?

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...ps-mantleaaron

Won this 1966 at auction a little ways back. What blew me away was the lack of a slope to the bottom, and absence of the white print dot in the bottom red that plagues so many.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...6-topps-mantle

This 1962 is now one of my favorite cards, in great part because of how long it took me to find one with this combination of centering, registration, and edge wear. The white line on top can often be blurry.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...2-topps-mantle

Scooped up these two Mick/Berras also. Loved the focus and centering on each. Seems like this one is always blurry or OC or both.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...ps-mantleberra

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...ps-mantleberra

This one had me real psyched; it beat all the 8s I'd looked at.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-bowman-mantle

This Dan Dee was too good to pass up. Centered nicely and the wear somehow avoided his face.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...dan-dee-mantle

Welcome back, Matt!

I love the Exhibit Mantle you posted. I imagine what it was like to face Mantle as a Major League pitcher. I'd have pissed down my pants leg. A.), I'd be worried Mantle was going to rip a 500 ft bomb that would assume orbit, messing up my ERA, and my team's chances to win the game, and B.) that he might send a ball screaming at my head at 140 mph.

If it had been Mantle that hit Herb Score in the face, he might have killed him.

Awesome Mantles as always. Good to have you back on the forum.

Thx, guys. The National time of year got me all back in to card mode. Wish work these days allowed me more time for talking cards!

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...0-topps-mantle

I wish I could work so I could get the cards I want. :(

Recent Pickups
 

I can't afford the high end stuff. I really enjoy the mid grades with eye appeal that suits me.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

Found this one in Pittsburgh at a shop and self submitted it.
http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-mickey-mantle

Dude, those are pretty high-end! Love the print quality on the 61, the perfect black on that card is key. And the deep, even red of the 59. 53 Bowman is one of prettiest cards around. Hope you are at the show having fun!

What I was thinking as well! No way I could likely afford those.

Didn't go Matt. Between the prices on everything now a days and the location, I just didn't have any desire to make the trip to Atlantic City. The 60 Mantle you posted is flat out off the charts. That's my favorite card of Mantle. I am partial to the the horizontal cards on the whole.

Thanks, bro. It's a major lynchpin in my Mick run. Finding one with the main picture focused is really tough. And if it's not that it's the PD in the red.

Speakin' of 53 Bowman Mantles, gotta post a pic of the flyweight "pound-for-pound" champ LOL. Love this little guy. He's like a gift from the grading game. A few letters of text on back exhibit ink fade. Harshest grade I ever seen LOL! Card looks as good as my 7.

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-bowman-mantle

http://www.collectorfocus.com/images...-bowman-mantle

That 2.5 is amazing. A perfect example of net54's buy the card not the holder motto.

Very nice!

Could you possibly post a pic of the back to show how this card became a 2.5?

I agree, on the front, it looks every bit as good, if not better, than your 7! :cool: