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

[robsbessette]

Don’t know a ton about this other than my father owned it in the 60s. He never hung it up, and it remained rolled until we unearthed it from his childhood home. There is some staining, but it’s a really awesome piece. It measures 44 inches tall and 30 inches wide. If anyone has more info, I’d love to hear anything about it.

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by robsbessette

Don’t know a ton about this other than my father owned it in the 60s. He never hung it up, and it remained rolled until we unearthed it from his childhood home. There is some staining, but it’s a really awesome piece. It measures 44 inches tall and 30 inches wide. If anyone has more info, I’d love to hear anything about it.

That’s a fantastic piece. I have the same poster as does another member of the board. You know the photographer, obviously, but other than that I’ve never learned much in the way of details on it. I may have heard at some point that they were sold at Manny’s, but can’t recall for certain whether that was about this one and, even if so, don’t know if there is any truth to it.

[brian1961]

I just thought a few of you Mickey Mantle connoisseurs might enjoy seeing this.

1) The original Sports Collectors Digest ad from the January 15, 1988 issue, when Mr. Mint announced the purchase of the Barbara Grossman collection of New York Yankee cards and all sorts of other items devoted to her beloved Bronx Bombers. Mr. Mint devoted two photo arrangements of some of the marquee items, among which was a mint 1962 JELL-O unfolded box of Mickey Mantle.

2) I devoted chapter 1 of my book on immediate post-war regional / food issues, Never Cheaper By the Dozen, to this intriguing set, the few, BUT STRONG, childhood memories I have of them, and the occasion when I purchased this very same box from Mr. Rosen at the fall 1988 Philly Show. Back in the spring of 2016, Sports Collectors Daily editor Rich Mueller kindly ran the chapter in his fine net hobby magazine. Here is the link.

3) I present to you the image of the '62 JELL-O Mantle box from my book. In preparing for the photo-shoot, I will always remember when my dear wife beautifully recreated how the apple JELL-O would have looked. Doesn't it make your stomach ah... turn for the worse?

Anyway, Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for the many things you all have shown and taught me. Happy new year. ---- Brian Powell



https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.co...ey-mantle-box/

[jfkheat]

I picked up these two in the last couple weeks.

[Bestdj777]

That’s awesome Brian. Always knew you had that beauty but awesome to know a bit more of the history of it. The photo is a bit difficult to see but looks like a 1960 Post and a 1959 Home Run Derby. Can anyone make out the others?

Ps. I’ve enjoyed hearing your collecting stories, both buy phone and through your terrific book. Your knowledge is an asset to the hobby. And, I would have loved to see your collection back in the day.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

That’s awesome Brian. Always knew you had that beauty but awesome to know a bit more of the history of it. The photo is a bit difficult to see but looks like a 1960 Post and a 1959 Home Run Derby. Can anyone make out the others?

Ps. I’ve enjoyed hearing your collecting stories, both buy phone and through your terrific book. Your knowledge is an asset to the hobby. And, I would have loved to see your collection back in the day.

61 Dice Game
48 Leaf Ruth
38 Heads up Dimaggio
69 Topps Super Mantle?
67 Maris proof

[brian1961]

To confirm and identify the other tantalizing cards The Mint Man chose to photo, I believe that Howard has indeed nailed the 1969 Topps Super Baseball Mantle. The others are an O-Pee-Chee "Baseball Stars" Set A 1937 Joe DiMaggio, 1941 Play Ball DiMag, and a 1960 Home Run Derby Mickey Mantle. The year I've given for the latter is not a misprint on my part; rather, the conclusion of my research into this amazing black 'n white set. I devoted chapter 8 to the Derby set, and this happens to be the other set that Rich Mueller ran on Sports Collectors Daily. I'm rather certain those adroit among us can Google it, and find the saved article/chapter. Rich was rather taken with my findings, and he and I were hoping to drum up a little business. Didn't work, but he gave it the old college try, for which I am grateful to him.

By the way, there was one major card the Mint Man chose not to include in the photos, the Piece de Resistance of Barbara's collection. When Alan Rosen had the celebratory photo snapped of buying Barbara Grossman's massive Yankee collection, a smiling Barbara was holding thick wads of hundred-dollar bills, while Mr. Rosen had one arm at his chest holding three of the cards, and, with his other arm around Barbara, he held up one card, the crown jewel---the subject of chapter 13 of my book, a Mickey Mantle card so beautiful, so fascinating, and so profoundly rare in high grade, I gave it the deserving name, THE MALTESE FALCON OF BASEBALL CARDS. If you're fortunate to own a copy of Mr. Rosen's second and last book, TRUE MINT, you will find this celebratory photo on page 63. Not to be flagrantly coy, but if someone wishes to load up a scan of the photo, I'd be grateful. My tech expert is away, and I figured Mr. Rosen won't mind anymore, and there might be a few curious Mantle connoisseurs out there who might enjoy this photo from the fall of 1987...... ---Brian Powell

[Sportscards1086]

Was hoping for a PSA 6, but oh well.

Great stuff in this thread!!!!

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by brian1961

1) The original Sports Collectors Digest ad from early 1988 when Mr. Mint announced the purchase of the Barbara Grossman collection of New York Yankee cards and all sorts of other items devoted to her beloved bombers. Mr. Mint devoted two photo arrangements with some of the marquee items, among which was a 1962 JELL-O mint unfolded box of Mickey Mantle.

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.

[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

[AustinMike]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

That’s a fantastic piece. I have the same poster as does another member of the board. You know the photographer, obviously, but other than that I’ve never learned much in the way of details on it. I may have heard at some point that they were sold at Manny’s, but can’t recall for certain whether that was about this one and, even if so, don’t know if there is any truth to it.

Chris, you may have heard that from me. I remember looking through an old baseball magazine a year or so ago and seeing a Manny's ad with that poster being offered. I've looked through a few old magazines with Mantle on the cover this morning hoping I could find it again, but I haven't found it. As you know, I've moved recently and have stuffed a bunch of items in a closet. I'm hoping that's where my non-Mantle old magazines are at. I did get rid of my Street and Smith magazines (at least the non-Mantle covers) and am hoping it wasn't in one of them. I'll keep looking.