Posted By:
Eric BrehmI'm surprised at how much that one went for because it has a definite 'tilt' in the image that (for me at least) significantly detracts from the appeal. If I were defining card grading standards, I would not allow such a card to be called 'Mint', which according to the original (Beckett) definition, meant free of defects, or with defects so minor they don't bother you at all.
I paid $72,000 for a PSA 8 1952 Topps Mantle earlier this year, apparently a world record price at the time, and to me it has as good or better eye appeal than the one that just sold in Memory Lane. I no longer own the card, but here is a scan of it:
The lure of PSA 9 is strong, however, and there aren't very many of them (total of 6 graded by PSA in the case of this card), and given the status of the 1952 Topps Mantle as the 'face of the hobby' and so on I can see how motivated buyers would compete aggressively for it.