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

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by AustinMike

Several days ago, I learned about the variations in the small Mantle Dormund post card in this thread. Today, I'd like to pick everyone's brains about the attached Mantle pencil sets.

In the attached photos, the set on the right is the red packaging set that is available frequently on ebay and in auctions. The set on the left I picked up and was told it was a version sold at Yankee Stadium back in the day. After receiving the pencil set, my first thought was that it is the normal packaging minus the red color. But on closer inspection, there are a few other differences. (1) In the closeup, you can see the fielder extends more into the Mantle photo on the red version versus the red-less version. (2) Mantle's photo is cropped differently between the two packages. On the red version, you see more of the uniform to the right of the stripe on Mantle's right shoulder than on the red-less version. And finally, (3) the green "grass" in the field on the red version doesn't seem to be as dense as on the red-less version allowing more white to show through the green specs.

So, the ultimate question, is this a true variation of the Mantle pencil set or a very clever fantasy piece? Does anyone else have one or has anyone else seen one?

Doubt anyone is making any fantasy pieces of this as they aren’t particularly valuable. To be honest, yours just looks faded/dirty to me. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were minor printing discrepancies throughout the issue. I don’t think that color/style is appealing enough that they’d issue it using that when they already had a nice design they could have used.

[AustinMike]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

Doubt anyone is making any fantasy pieces of this as they aren’t particularly valuable. To be honest, yours just looks faded/dirty to me. It wouldn’t surprise me if there were minor printing discrepancies throughout the issue. I don’t think that color/style is appealing enough that they’d issue it using that when they already had a nice design they could have used.

Hey Chris, thanks for chiming in. I agree, I don't think it's a fantasy piece. Like you said, it's not a valuable item. However, I am open to that being an option. I also thought about fading, but I can't imagine how the red would completely fade out without anything else appearing faded. So, I think it was just printed without the red, either by accident or on purpose. I was hoping someone else had one like it or had seen one like it. I also agree that without the red it isn't as appealing. However, you're assuming the red versions were manufactured first. What if the red-less version was first and then for later versions they printed it with red? Past auctions have had display boxes with red sets in them. This would be more likely to occur if the red version was made last and the display boxes are overstocked items. But, who knows for sure?

[mintacular]

Really love both those 59s, just picked this up. Been a while since I got a card for the PC that I was this excited about.....

[lowpopper]

[swarmee]

Great card, Greg. Love the "game face" image; can just imagine him staring down Bob Gibson in the World Series with that look. I bought the PSA Authentic (tape) 1960 Post Mantle from eBay a few weeks ago. Most I've spent on a card ($1500).

[AustinMike]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Great card, Greg. Love the "game face" image; can just imagine him staring down Bob Gibson in the World Series with that look. I bought the PSA Authentic (tape) 1960 Post Mantle from eBay a few weeks ago. Most I've spent on a card ($1500).

John, I remember seeing that on ebay and thought it was a very nice looking PSA 1. If I didn't already have the '60 Post Mantle, I would have been very tempted to get it. It definitely beats the Mantle I've attached that I found on the PSA website in a registered Mantle master set. I have to wonder, how in the world did the attached get a number grade?

[bswhiten]

Mike,
I don't have the pencil set to compare with, but they both look legit to me. I guess the non-red could have faded and print issues just led to the offsets, but who knows... The joys of oddball collecting!

That post was graded pre-Jumbo is my guess why PSA gave it a number grade.

And Greg, good to know my dupe Phillies Cigar is in a good home

Nice pickup John!