The 1952 Topps Mantle is Overpriced and Over-hyped

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

Couldn't agree more Matt. Every time a thread like this comes up the haters come out. The card's iconic status hasn't changed in the 40+ years since this article was published, and it won't be changing any time soon.

And as Matt said if you think they're too common, try to find a centered example with decent eye appeal.

These are my two favorite cards in my collection.

Thanks, Jesse. And I agree. You hang a lantern on a great point. To many guys who collect, there are certain cards we love— and then there are centered examples of those cards. This is true whether it is a Goudey Ruth, e121 Ruth, m101 Ruth, e90-1 Jackson, d304 Cobb, or a 51-69 Bowman/Topps Mantle.

In the case of the 51B, anyone who thinks that card is common is speciously assuming the buyer wants ANY copy. But try finding a copy that is centered and focused. Entirely different ballgame. So many examples of that card are plagued by focus and registration issues, in addition to horrific centering.

In the case of the 1952 Topps Mantle, finding "a" copy is not hard. Finding one with centering like the one pictured below? Very hard. Most 1952 Mantles are very poorly centered. There was even that find a few years back of 5 copies, including one that graded out an 8.5— not one of them centered. Bottom line, certain cards centered are extremely rare, no matter the data of the "gen pop." That is precisely why the market evolved and there is now a massive premium for eye appeal and centering on certain cards.

PS: Jesse, glad to see my old 51B is loved and has stayed in one place all those years. I remember what seems like ages and ages ago, when I got that card at a Lew Lipset auction.

[Exhibitman]

When I was considering a 1952 Topps Mantle I had a lot of thoughts apart from the aesthetics of the card itself (FWIW, I think the card is really nice looking in the full border around the logo box version, but I understand that others may find the Flexichrome work to be lacking). What it boiled down to for me is: One of a handful of iconic players, Yankees dynasty, high # card from the most important postwar set, with what is now a fifty-year history of value behind it. With all that I don't see how the card is undesirable. We can debate price points but the overall premise of the OP amounts to picking an argument over the existence of gravity.