[arcadekrazy]

KSquared - Thank you for the info

Everyone else:

Short answer: nostalgia - I used to own this particular card

Long Answer:

My uncle, who in many ways was a father to me, purchased this card for me back in 1989 - the 55B "TV Set" was, at the time, my favorite set and Mantle was my favorite player. I had heard of the exploits of Mantle from both my mother and uncle, so to me, a 12 year old just starting to learn the history of our National Pastime, he was the most amazing ball player to ever strap on a set of cleats. My uncle presented the card to me after taking me to my first NY Yankees game - He had bought it as a Christmas gift, but held off on giving it to me, figuring it would be a more fitting gift after my first visit to Yankee Stadium.

Over the intervening twenty plus years, I liquidated some of my collection (looking at you, T206 rare backs that could now finance a BMW) and this Mantle went to auction with the rest of my 55B cards.

My own son was born this past fall. He watched his first Yankee game from our hospital room. While I was holding him I started to dream about taking him to his first live game and pondering his reaction to the sites and sounds, and was immediately transported back to that warm May day back in 1990 when I saw my first live game, and soaked in the wonder and amazement of it all as my uncle sat beside me, rooting for a horrid version of our favorite team.

This past Christmas, my aunt presented me with a couple of bins of my uncle's old stuff (he died 12 years earlier) she found while cleaning the house, and asked me if I wanted anything. While searching the bins, in a stack of old magazines and other misc papers, I came across an old copy of "Baseball Cards" magazine. My heart rate quickened a bit as I checked the date - Nov. 1989. I thumbed through the yellowing pages, taking note of the various ads trumpeting that year's "hot rookies" and silently smiled to myself, wondering if I might find an ad for a 55B Mantle (or maybe THE ad). And sure enough, I found an ad for "Paul Lewicki" cards tagged with a "post it"....There, circled by my uncle, in Paul's list of cards was the 55B mantle ("55B Mickey Mantle, Nr. Mt." - no mention of the two vertical wax stains and almost miscut back, and I'm sure my uncle didn't know to ask questions)

I am not one who regrets things, but right now I do wish I hadn't sold that card.

And there you have it, the exact reason and back story to this particular card.

My apologies for bumping this thread.