The official Mickey Mantle Pickup Thread. All Mick, all the time!

[whiteymet]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

I wish I could help but there really aren’t a ton of resources out there that are definitive when it comes to 1950-1960s Mickey Mantle Premiums. I wen through my old emails with Kelly Eisenhauer, checked Keyman collectibles and eBay, and skimmed through a couple of websites that have a lot of premium photos identified and here is the best I was able to come up with:

1. Rawlings Premium (as you said)
2. Big League Baseball Game, Gardner Toys (free photo included with game)
3. Manny’s Baseball Land (as you said)
4. Unknown (photo by Luis Requena, but I checked with Kelly Eisenhauer, who is an expert in Mantle items, years ago and he had no clue who issued the premium) (one was listed for sale in 2014 for $75 and I likely purchase it)
5. No clue but certainly looks 1960s. I’d listed as a “1960s Premium Photo” and you should get some interest on eBay.
6. 1960s Yankees Stadium Giveaway Photo (per Keyman Collectibles) (http://keymancollectibles.com/mickeymantlephotos.htm)

Chris:

Thanks for your help in trying to ID some of the Mick premiums I showed above.

#5 you say looks 1960's. Not that it means anything but 1956 was written on the bottom right corner by someone sometime. These all came from an old collection. This leads me to think it may actually be from 1956.

Ben W. contacted me privately about info he got from the guy he got his kneeling premium from. This is the info his seller told him:

Regarding the premium photo, I obtained the item in 1958 (when I was 12 years old and had been collecting Mantle cards since I was 10). I wrote Mantle asking for an autographed photo. He responded on July 21, 1958 with an autographed letter enclosing the premium photo. I still have the letter, which I keep in a frame in my den.

So it appears this is either a team or personal Mantle premium mailed out to fans in the late 50's. Since the seller of Ben's said he got his in 1958 it is possible it could have been around for a few years before like 1956 that is on mine.

Wondering the best way to get these into Mantle collectors hands. BST here, ebay or give them to an auction house?