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

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

Thanks for posting, Brian. That's an incredible Jello box.

No disrespect, but how cheesy is the bottom of that ad where Mr. Mint does himself up a la Mantle's '53 Topps card? I've never seen that before. He was an um...interesting guy.

John, you are quite right about the cheesy caricature of Alan Rosen appearing as Mickey Mantle's '53 Topps. However, this was really an attractive self-indulgence, and at this time, Mickey Mantle mania had exploded in the hobby. Alan knew a thing or two about timing.

Also John, prior to the "'53 Topps Alan Rosen", The Mint Man used a rather hideous caricature of himself in his bi-weekly SCD ads(when the hobby's premier periodical was bi-weekly). It was a side profile drawing of his head, with Alan sporting an over-the-top gargantuan nose. I chuckle and wince at the same time. During this era of the hobby, nobody, and I mean NOBODY, did as much grandiose self-promoting as Mr. Rosen. Just as I wrote in the '62 JELL-O chapter I linked, those flashy expensive ads desiring to buy your cards, showed up in nearly every issue SCD, and they most assuredly got every collector's attention. Anybody wanting to cash in their cards would inevitably think of contacting "the Marquis de Wad", "the crowned head of lettuce", to see how many $100 bills they would soon be holding!

Yeah, John, an interesting guy...... But you know, many of the crown jewels in my collection may be traced directly, or indirectly, to Alan "Mr. Mint" Rosen. Again, as I wrote, I try to keep an attitude of gratitude. I have my own Rosen horror stories, and it's better for my health that I dwell on the ups, rather than the downs.

Oh yes, I'm glad you liked the Mantle JELL-O box. Take care, friend. Have a swell day. --- Brian Powell