The Willie Mays price boom

[packs]

Oh, no, haha an SGC 10. Not PSA 10.

I was trying to back up my point. That for a long time iconic cards were in reach of modest collectors. Now you have to be pretty well stacked to get into these markets. Heritage just sold a PSA 1 51 Mantle with scrap book residue on the back for $9,300 with juice.

[Volod]

Originally Posted by packs

Oh, no, haha an SGC 10. Not PSA 10.

I was trying to back up my point. That for a long time iconic cards were in reach of modest collectors. Now you have to be pretty well stacked to get into these markets. Heritage just sold a PSA 1 51 Mantle with scrap book residue on the back for $9,300 with juice.

Your price point on the '51 Mays purchased six years ago reminded me of the card I finally bought to complete my '51 Bowman set in 2007. I had finished the set without the Mantle and Mays cards back in the mid-80's because I considered them both way overpriced at $300 and $200 respectively in EX/MT at that time. In '07, I broke down and got the Mantle and Mays cards in VG for about $1600 and $700 respectively. Man, I shudder to think what they would have cost me just a few years later.

[Republicaninmass]

Signed May's have exploded.

1952 probably the best visually pleasing example

It IS mine for sale in memory lane


https://memorylaneinc.com/site/bids/...e?itemid=71680

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

Signed May's have exploded.

1952 probably the best visually pleasing example

It IS mine for sale in memory lane


https://memorylaneinc.com/site/bids/...e?itemid=71680

Way to out your own auction!

Obviously it’s already doing really well, and I’m guessing will pop significantly higher by the time the auction ends.

[Rad_Hazard]

I think that Mays underappreciation in contrast to Mantle over the years has finally corrected to an extent over the last few years.

I'm listening to the James S. Hirsch Willie Mays book and it is excellent! It's definitely given me a new respect for the Say Hey Kid.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by Rad_Hazard

I think that Mays underappreciation in contrast to Mantle over the years has finally corrected to an extent over the last few years.

I'm listening to the James S. Hirsch Willie Mays book and it is excellent! It's definitely given me a new respect for the Say Hey Kid.

It definitely pissed me off to no end that Mays was historically always at a serious discount to Mantle. Particularly because (in my view) Mays was superior in every way to Mantle. Not looking to start a raging debate with the Mantle fanboys - just stating my personal (biased) baseball opinion. (!!!!!)

Of course, now that the price gap has shrunk, it pisses me off that I have to pay near-Mantle prices to get my Mays items!

Obviously the issue has always been the fact that Mantle is more popular than Mays, and Mantle collectors have always been willing to spend A LOT MORE than us Mays guys.

In some ways, it has almost taken on a life of its own. If you ask the average person on the street, probably the only two baseball cards that they've ever heard of are the 52T Mantle and the T206 Wagner. Those cards have entered a realm all their own in the popular consciousness.

It also reminds me a bit about how the Mona Lisa became famous - as much as it pains me as an Italian to admit it, in some ways she was the original Kardashian. You can read about it here: https://www.history.com/news/the-hei...na-lisa-famous

So over time, I've come to peace with the idea that Mays has a discount to Mantle. Not because Mantle was a better player. But because Mantle is more popular. And I'm okay with that, particularly if it means that I don't have to spend as much to get really nice Mays pieces. And I would really appreciate it if we could go back to a bigger gap between Mantle and Mays, so please stop bidding up all of his pieces! Thanks...

[clydepepper]

I hate to be the one to bring up the elephant in the room, but there's one other reason - that isn't mentioned very often why Mays, Aaron, Clemente, F. Robby, and even Jackie don't pull the prices that Mantle does.


Most of us collect those we can identify with- which is an extension of the reason why so many of us are so attached to THE GAME: Generally, you don't have to be exceptionally tall as in basketball or exceptionally big as in football.


In our dreams, we can see ourselves homering in the bottom of the ninth! So much easier if those who are actually doing it look more like us.



I'm a 66-year-old used-to-be-LHP and my three favorites have always been Koufax, Mantle and Ryan...but I do love me some Bad Henry and Roberto.


.

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by packs

Now you have to be pretty well stacked to get into these markets.

Happy Friday!