My raw 52 Topps MICK what are your thoughts?
 

Hello people. I have had this stashed away for quite a while. I am only the second owner in 40 years. It has a bit more surface wear than I would like but it also has a lot of good going for it. Provenance, centering, type-A. I am not planning to grade it for now. But what do you think it would grade out at PSA and SGC?

Assuming it is real (I don't doubt it but not an expert), I'd say a 1.5.

I concur: 1.5.

Thanks Chris and Matt. Yes, it is real. It checks out in every way possible. I am always open to public opinion however.

Since you are just looking at a photo, and can't hold it in your hand, no light shines through it, and magnified, the black lines and yellow stars are solid, and the rest of the color is half tone.

I did all of my homework and then some before buying it. I have always appreciated others opinions however, and am open to more. Basically I am hoping to get a consensus on authenticity as well as grade. How much is it worth is another unknown.

Hi Brad,

If you've done all your homework, I am sure it is real. That was just a caveat that I had not personally examined it for authenticity only for purposes of accessing the grade. I hope I did not worry you there. As far as value goes, it looks like a beautiful card and would likely be at the higher end of the 1.5 spectrum. If you have not already, I'd take a look at cardtarget.com. They have data on the price points for prior sales and you can see what other cards in both a similar technical grass and eye appeal would bring. I'm on my iPhone or I'd take a look there myself and give you some insight.

I looked this over and over and over...well just becasue i been wanting a low grade 'A Variation" and being centered as it is...its a beauty.
It looks real to me as well. I looked it over and over and couldnt see anything, not say otherwise its not.
I concur with these guys...it could be a nice 1.5-2..go with PSA on it.

It can't be said with absolute certainty without high res images, but the provenance sounds great, and to my eye, everything is as it should be. The wear is honest, and I like the surface rubs and speckling. A hallmark of forgeries are that the only wear they'll exhibit are uniformly rounded corners, and sometimes a crease that is always a bit too sharp. Otherwise the surfaces are in good shape, as it is designed to be eye appealing to trick unscrupulous buyers.

Your card looks well loved, and I'd be pretty confident in buying it.

However, I'd recommend you get it graded. I mean, not for the sake of getting a grade, but just for getting it in a holder and getting it authenticated. You know it's provenance, but should you part ways, the next person might not. That encapsulation is a vouchsafe.

I had one about like this once, and it graded 1.5. I don't think it would ever make it to a 2. And, I think it is higher than 1.

Brad and I talked about this. I think he should get it graded, too, regardless of whether or not he plans on selling it. Getting it slabbed protects the card going forward. Grading also establishes a price point for this card when he gets his collection insured. And, God forbid, if something should ever come up where he needs to sell, having it PSA graded facilitates that sale, imho.

When I first looked at it, I wanted to make sure it was authentic. The history behind the card, and the written correspondence established some nice provenance. He told me, too, that Matt had looked it over. His ok was good enough for me. Matt's owned a few of these cards, and has a lot of experience looking the card over.

I think the card's a real beauty. I was concerned about the card's surface adhering to the plastic, as it sounds like the original owner has stored it in one of those huge screw down lucite holders for 40 years. Thankfully, it looks like he's been able to get the card separated from the case. But that explains for some of the speckling of the card's surface.

I thought it might grade out as a 2. The corners are rough, but the edges aren't bad, and the centering is awesome. For me, it comes down to the particular grader, and how they view the surface wear. If you guys think a 1.5 is the likely grade, I'm good with that. I'm still refining my own eye. I wasn't too far off. :p

Thanks everyone. I am sure you have better things to do then look at my cards. I am happy with the 1.5. I do not have an account with PSA and thus I think I will wait on sending it in. But probably will sooner or later. I just bought a 52 bowman and 52 Berk Ross that are on the way. Now I just need a nice 51 bowman and 53 bowman. Then I think I am good for Mantle for awhile. These 5 are my favorites. Oh, and a really nice high grade '68. Yes I know, a lot of people hate the burlap edges, but I was born in 68. It was a good year....