Mantle Master Set Variations

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

I should start with a quick caveat. I am working on a variation of the PSA Mantle Master Set. I added several cards to the checklist and subtract the following: Yellow Base Path Pin; Key Chain Insert; Topps Salesman Sample; Topps Plak Checklist; Topps Punchout; and all "panel" or "complete box variations." So, I cannot really speak as to the availability of the ones I omitted.

I am currently 150 cards into what will be a 197 card set for me. So far, the toughest cards for me have been as follows:

1. 1960 Topps Tattoo Portrait (seen one in the last year, and didn't have the budget for it)
2. 1964 Topps Tatoo Yellow Band (seen one in the last year, and just lost out on it)
3. 1962 Post Canadian 163 hits, "4th time" variation (have not even seen a scan of this)
4. Exhibit Portrait (only one I've seen is the $2,500 dollar one that's been sitting on ebay for the last year)
5. Exhibit Post Card Back (never seen a copy for sale, so eventually deleted this from my list)
6. 1951 Wheaties Premium Photo (I have seen two copies in the last two years. One was a beater, and the other I significantly overpaid for).

I have the 1955 Exhibit Postcard Back, and it is the only one I have ever seen in an auction or otherwise. Picked it up for a relative song in a Huggins and Scott auction several years ago, where it was buried near the back of the catalogue (probably because it was "only" SGC Ex+, and the investor crowd would therefore have had little interest). It is, however, a very interesting card.
'55 Exhibit Postcard Backs, per the Standard Catalog, were cards from previous years that were reissued in very limited quantities. Mine has the "Made in USA" legend in the lower right corner, indicating it was originally printed during the 1951-1953 time period, i.e., quite possibly in his rookie year (the photo on the card was taken during the Mick's rookie year). The rarest rookie era Mantle? All in all a keeper, that I likely wouldn't sell for one hundred times what I paid for it!

Good thread and best to all,

Larry