1952 Topps Mantle For Sale - Authentic; Recolored Background; Centered Perfectly

frankhardy · August 9, 2008 1:09AM

Most of you have read about my recolored 1952 Topps Mantle. If you have not, please click here.

This Mantle is now for sale if anyone is interested. As you can see, the background has been recolored, but it is 100% authentic. It has one small surface wrinkle at the bottom, but is centered perfectly. I know that it is authentic because of the pixel pattern and the lack of all characteristics of known counterfeit cards. Price is $3,400.

baseballfan · August 9, 2008 5:59AM

did you get a new one or getting out of the 52 topps game?

frankhardy · August 9, 2008 7:27AM

No, I still have my set. I bought this to resell anyway. I cannot afford one right now. If I could, I would keep this because the one for my set will have to be very, very low grade anyway.

mickeymantle24 · August 10, 2008 3:49AM

Nice card! Good Luck with the sale!

cybrbrdr · August 10, 2008 5:00AM

frankhardy,

Your 311 card is not original. Look at the back compared to a good scan of a PSA-slabbed 311.
Compare the color tone of the red on the back, the resolution and thickness of the font, and
especially the way the word "Dimaggio's" at the end of the first line in the bio as it lines up with the
word "right" above it.

Some of the most recent fakes have the front down pretty good, but they struggle with the
reverse.

mealeworm · August 10, 2008 5:56AM

Downtown1974 · August 10, 2008 5:56AM

cybrbrdr, I see what you are talking about with the words DiMaggio and right not lining up. I dont know if thats a good gauge to judge a counterfiet by. I went to 707s web site that has multiple scans of 52 Mantle backs, and some, but not all have those two words lining up with each other. They are all PSA slabbed cards from a reputable dealer.

frankhardy · August 10, 2008 12:05PM

It the real thing. The Mantle was double printed and has 2 variations. This is variation A. Take a look at the link below and read carefully about the "s" in the word "Dimaggio's" lining up under the "h" in "right" on version A. It lines up differently in version B.

Again, it is without a doubt the real thing.

1952 Topps Mantle Guide

Also, read about how to spot a counterfeit. This Mantle has absolutely none of the characteristics of known counterfeits.

Counterfeit Mantle characteristics

swartz1 · August 11, 2008 1:47AM

I am a little late to the party, but will ask these questions...

Why was this recolored?

Is the image really how the card looks or is it the scanner?

How was the card obtained?

thanks for your patience if these have been asked/answered before...

swartz1

frankhardy · August 11, 2008 2:42AM

There was a thread about it on the main forum. The link is at the top of this thread.

Why was this recolored? - I do not know why it was recolored. I suspect that it was recolored many years ago, possibly in the 1950's. It is recolored with some sort of paint substance. It looks like the paint that I used to use when I painted my banged up Hot Wheels cars.

Is the image really how the card looks or is it the scanner? - That is exactly how it looks.

How was the card obtained? - I got the card from a guy in Missouri. He was looking for one for me and he found this card from a dealer up in Wisconsin. That is really all the details that I know about it.

illini · August 11, 2008 4:53AM

I would be interested if this card was in a PSA or SGC slab. Can you get it slabbed? I just saw this post and have not been on the boards much. Not familiar with what's going on.

frankhardy · August 11, 2008 5:41AM

To answer that question, I have copied and pasted my post from page 8 of the original thread.

****

Ok, I think enough time has passed that I can update everyone on the Mantle. Let me say this - I am not posting this as a slam toward Mr Orlando or to PSA. I am simply stating the facts as they happened. You can take the facts and come to your own conclusions about this situation. I will post this in a courteous manner.

At the end of June, I decided to go ahead and send the Mantle in to PSA the way it is. I had a bunch to send in on the June Special, so I just put the Mantle on a separate invoice and put it in the same package.

Let me remind every one what I was told by Joe Orlando via email AND telephone. Here is a copy of just one of the email conversations that I had.

*****************

Dear Mr Orlando,

I will not take a lot of your time. I do have a question regarding a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. I am thinking of sending a 1952 Topps Mantle to PSA. Having studied counterfeits vs the real thing, I am sure this card is authentic. My question for you is based upon the fact that this Mantle is 100% genuine.

As you know, this card has an aqua blue background behind Mantle's head. The entire blue background on this card has been recolored with a marker of some sort. Of course, I am not asking you if PSA will slab this card if the graders deem it as a counterfeit. I understand that. My question is - will PSA slab that card at least as "Authentic" with the entire background being recolored (given the fact that it is authentic)?

Thank you for your time and your prompt reply. Have a nice day.

Shane Hardie

**********

We could slab it as authentic but we would have to note the alteration on the PSA label.

Take care,

Joe

*************

Notice in my email that I said "entire background".

I also talked to him by phone after that. I explained to him that the ENTIRE BACKGROUND had been recolored. I asked him about grading the card like it is and I also asked him about professional restoration. In both cases, he said that they would holder the card. I then asked him, "Where does PSA draw the line on the amount of alteration or restoration a card can have before it is rejected". He basically said, "Oh, I see what you are saying". He then said (not an exact quote, but a paraphrase), "Let me give you an example. Let's take a T206 Ty Cobb that has a common type back. Let's say someone somehow removed the common back and replaced it with a rare back. Since half of the card or more is not original, then we would not slab that card."

I also sent him a scan of the card via email. He told me on the phone to put some sort of note on the invoice that would get his attention, which I did.

So, I sent PSA the card around the end of June. They graded my June Special in record time (4 days), but several more days had passed and they still had not logged in my Mantle submission. So, I contacted Mr Orlando via email.

I don't have the exact email with me right now, but he emailed me back and basically said this (paraphrasing)...

"I was just getting read to contact you. Unfortunately, the recoloring was much more than we thought. As of now, PSA is not going to be able to holder this card for you. If you still have the card at a future date, we can re-open the issue, but right now, PSA will not be able to holder the card."

So, the bottom line is this - after emailing and talking on the phone and explaining every detail about the card, including sending scans, and after PSA said that they would have no problem slabbing the card, they went back on their word and said that they would not slab the card. I will give them some credit - they didn't charge me the $60 grading fees.

I then contacted the guy I bought the card from, and he stood behind it. I was already looking at buying some more things from him, so we met up last week and made a trade for the Mantle. He is a super nice guy. We will probably do more business in the future. We do have an agreement about the Mantle. I am going to try to move it for him on the B/S/T boards if anyone is interested.

***

So, bottom line is that they will not holder it now, but someone may re-open the issue at a later date. Also, to quote Joe Orlando, he said that "this is something that they have NEVER run across". I find that hard to believe, unless he was speaking specifically about a 1952 Topps Mantle. I also spoke with SGC. They said over the phone that they would not holder it.

Even though you specifically mentioned SGC and PSA, I do think that there is a very good chance the GAI will holder it. I have not contacted them, though.

1952 Topps Mantle For Sale - Authentic; Recolored Background; Centered Perfectly

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