I'm with you, Chuck, on the '52 Bowman. Sure, it's not the most "iconic" Mantle card, and probably not any more aesthetically pleasing than others, but, as an eight-year-old in the summer of 1952, it was a card i wanted so much, i could barely stand it. Saw it in the pocket collection of a kid who had all the money he wanted to spend on gumcards, and was amazed because i had not come across it in the many third-series packs i had ripped open. Found dozens of Peanuts Lowery and Bobbie Brown cards, but no Mantle that year. Stores in my small town didn't even stock the '52 Topps cards, so had no chance at that Mantle. Wasn't until 1983 that i took up the hobby again and one of my first acquisitions was a NM '52 Bowman Mantle for the "extravagant" price of $90.
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