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

[Neal]

I'll take mid grade like this all day .... and for a decent price (non PWCC )

1960MantlePSA5.jpg

[skil55voy]

The Life magazine is intact and from Canada

[Bestdj777]

Great magazine! I have the insert but have been searching for a really long time for a complete magazine. It's amazing how difficult the Canadian version is to locate, particularly with as common as the U.S. one. Let me know if you ever want to sell it.

[Robs70sCards]

Got my first Mickey Mantle for my 1969 set. I have to say it's very nice having a Mantle card. It's not in the best shape but it fills the slot.

[brian1961]

Rob, Congratulations on the '69 Topps Mantle pick-up. A visually stunning card. For whatever it's worth, back in 1969, as a 15 year old, I pulled two Mickey Mantles like yours from wax packs. Both of mine were just as off-centered as yours! I tried; oh well. I was just glad to get what I figured was Mickey's last card, with that solemn and befitting gloomy gray sky looking like it's about to rain. Reminiscent of our sadness that the mighty Mick had left and gone away. I am happy to report that I still have one of those treasured 1969 Mantles. ---Brian Powell

[pokerplyr80]

Picked this one up to go with the Mantle run.

[MattyC]

A few recent Micks that I love.

First this Exhibit. What a value for an early picture of The Mick. And a great picture at that. He's got the world wide open for him in that shot.



Next is the best Mantle/Aaron I've ever had the pleasure of owning. The centering on this one is just bananas. Upgraded my 8 with this one. Wonder how many out of every hundred copies of this card is centered like this?



Won this 1966 at auction a little ways back. What blew me away was the lack of a slope to the bottom, and absence of the white print dot in the bottom red that plagues so many.



This 1962 is now one of my favorite cards, in great part because of how long it took me to find one with this combination of centering, registration, and edge wear. The white line on top can often be blurry.



Scooped up these two Mick/Berras also. Loved the focus and centering on each. Seems like this one is always blurry or OC or both.





This one had me real psyched; it beat all the 8s I'd looked at.



This Dan Dee was too good to pass up. Centered nicely and the wear somehow avoided his face.

[the 'stache]

Welcome back, Matt!

I love the Exhibit Mantle you posted. I imagine what it was like to face Mantle as a Major League pitcher. I'd have pissed down my pants leg. A.), I'd be worried Mantle was going to rip a 500 ft bomb that would assume orbit, messing up my ERA, and my team's chances to win the game, and B.) that he might send a ball screaming at my head at 140 mph.

If it had been Mantle that hit Herb Score in the face, he might have killed him.

[pokerplyr80]

Awesome Mantles as always. Good to have you back on the forum.

[MattyC]

Thx, guys. The National time of year got me all back in to card mode. Wish work these days allowed me more time for talking cards!

[the 'stache]

I wish I could work so I could get the cards I want.

[MBMiller25]

I can't afford the high end stuff. I really enjoy the mid grades with eye appeal that suits me.







Found this one in Pittsburgh at a shop and self submitted it.

[MattyC]

Dude, those are pretty high-end! Love the print quality on the 61, the perfect black on that card is key. And the deep, even red of the 59. 53 Bowman is one of prettiest cards around. Hope you are at the show having fun!

[irv]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Dude, those are pretty high-end! Love the print quality on the 61, the perfect black on that card is key. And the deep, even red of the 59. 53 Bowman is one of prettiest cards around. Hope you are at the show having fun!

What I was thinking as well! No way I could likely afford those.

[MBMiller25]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Dude, those are pretty high-end! Love the print quality on the 61, the perfect black on that card is key. And the deep, even red of the 59. 53 Bowman is one of prettiest cards around. Hope you are at the show having fun!

Didn't go Matt. Between the prices on everything now a days and the location, I just didn't have any desire to make the trip to Atlantic City. The 60 Mantle you posted is flat out off the charts. That's my favorite card of Mantle. I am partial to the the horizontal cards on the whole.

[MattyC]

Thanks, bro. It's a major lynchpin in my Mick run. Finding one with the main picture focused is really tough. And if it's not that it's the PD in the red.

[begsu1013]

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[MattyC]

Speakin' of 53 Bowman Mantles, gotta post a pic of the flyweight "pound-for-pound" champ LOL. Love this little guy. He's like a gift from the grading game. A few letters of text on back exhibit ink fade. Harshest grade I ever seen LOL! Card looks as good as my 7.

[pokerplyr80]

That 2.5 is amazing. A perfect example of net54's buy the card not the holder motto.

[irv]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Speakin' of 53 Bowman Mantles, gotta post a pic of the flyweight "pound-for-pound" champ LOL. Love this little guy. He's like a gift from the grading game. A few letters of text on back exhibit ink fade. Harshest grade I ever seen LOL! Card looks as good as my 7.

Very nice!

Could you possibly post a pic of the back to show how this card became a 2.5?

I agree, on the front, it looks every bit as good, if not better, than your 7!

[KCRfan1]

Tell you what Matty, if you want to make a couple of bucks off that 2.5 Mantle, I'll go ahead and give you grade 3 dollars.

Just trying to be a friend and help out!

[irv]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

Tell you what Matty, if you want to make a couple of bucks off that 2.5 Mantle, I'll go ahead and give you grade 3 dollars.

Just trying to be a friend and help out!

I don't even know, Matty but I'd go even higher and pay him 3.5 prices just to help the poor guy out!

[MattyC]

Thx, Lou

As requested, here's the back of that card. Note the fade on the MICKEY in the text.



Three other favorites Micks... No PD on the 63 in the green or blue is tuff. 67 usually has that red dot.

[KCRfan1]

Looking sharp! Those card's are stunning! !!

[quitcrab]

[quitcrab]

Picked up a 1968 Topps plak checklist with Mantle at National show
http://s82.photobucket.com/user/quit...iavlh.jpg.html

[KCRfan1]

Quit, I can't imagine too many of those things floating around out there!!!!

[HOF Yankees]

-First ever National Sports Collectors Convention pickup

First ever Mantle, love the post cereal cards, its the blank back version, now need the ad back version and dual ad with Maris

Found this at a local antique shop for 10.00, and its from 1958, awesome

Mantle motion picture display piece

[MattyC]

Love that power tool ad!

[Bestdj777]

I am not sure when these "generic" Holiday Inn matchbooks were produced, but I love picking up any matchbooks I can from Mantle's business ventures. Not a valuable piece but a fun one (possibly only to me):

[sflayank]

havent posted these

[Stonepony]

What is that Big League display advertising?

[sflayank]

Big league star statue display package

[Neal]

Nice items!

[cbdavids]

I traded for this Mantle back in 1970. The owner was an older kid down the street, a teenager, but I don't remember his name. Rounded corners? Off center? Creases? Meh! It didn't matter then, and it doesn't now.

[orly57]

Upgraded my 5.5 to this 7

[Johnny630]

Very nice centering on your 61 Mantle. Card looks great, way to go !

[quitcrab]

What a great looking 1961 psa 7!

[Neal]

Great 61! Love that card!

[MBMiller25]

Orlando, That's a very nice 61 Mantle.

I have always wanted a 69 Mantle because it has his career stats on the back of the card. For a generally tough and ugly card, I am happy with this one.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by cbdavids

I traded for this Mantle back in 1970. The owner was an older kid down the street, a teenager, but I don't remember his name. Rounded corners? Off center? Creases? Meh! It didn't matter then, and it doesn't now.

Great card and story. Reminds me of me, except I don't have any childhood cards left.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by MBMiller25

Orlando, That's a very nice 61 Mantle.

I have always wanted a 69 Mantle because it has his career stats on the back of the card. For a generally tough and ugly card, I am happy with this one.

Did you get that from Jeff at the national? I think that's the one I saw on his site. Went to buy it and it was gone. Nice card.

[begsu1013]

hopefully no one claims that this one was stolen and/or imply that i should handle it quickly and quietly either as if it were....

[Neal]

nice 69!

[KCRfan1]

That's fantastic Bob!

[begsu1013]

.

[MBMiller25]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

Did you get that from Jeff at the national? I think that's the one I saw on his site. Went to buy it and it was gone. Nice card.

Jesse, Yes I picked it up from Jeff. He has nice cards.

[begsu1013]

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[begsu1013]

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[irv]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

the 65 is off to be red flipped hopefully...

tried to stick to centered cards the best i could.

the 57, 59 and 64 were toughies.

really hard to balance my patience, my standards when it came to availability.

as far as centering goes, those are tough years to begin w/ but then throw in the sig

and it's get's really tough.



but signed basic topps run is officially complete
and fig'd this be a good place to dump it:


side notes of the project:

* never woulda guessed the 65 woulda been the final nail.
* the 52 was second to last.
* almost bought a 52 beater in a blue flip from a guy in canada. might be a psa mistake and is labeled 52t but it might be a "trading card"
* there's a 62 that i balked early on in the project that still haunts me.
* in sheer availability, the 57 was the card i saw the fewest available examples of.
* 64/68 seem to be the most readily available.

Bob, a couple questions. First off, how are a few of your card graded a PR-1, and secondly, are these all purchased cards or did you get some of these autographs yourself from Mick?

Aside from what I can only imagine the cards are worth, you have an unbelievable collection.