Your favorite card of "The Mick"

CW

Mickey Mantle was a phenom on the field, and he is also a phenom
in this hobby. For many collectors, Mantle's '52 Topps card is the
best & most desirable card ever made. When you look through all the
old Topps & Bowman sets of the '50s & '60s, Mickey's card is most often
the highest priced card in the set (barring any big name rookie cards).
He didn't have the best numbers, and many would argue that he wasn't
the best player of his era, but people sure do love the Commerce Comet.
I know... being a Yankee doesn't hurt either.

Based purely on visual appeal and/or sentimental value, and NOT based
on book value, what are your top 3 favorite cards of Mickey Mantle,
and why?

My picks--

'52 Bowman (young Mantle looks so confident, love '52 Bowman design)

'65 Topps (great colors on this one, great visual appeal)

'63 Topps (always liked sets with 2 photos, dig the stadium arches
in the background behind poignant portrait of Mantle)

'60 Topps (almost made my top 3. Honorable mention )

Griffins

Not in any particular order-
'52 Bowman
'56 Topps
'54 Red Heart or Dan Dee.

Probably add a Stahl-Meyer as well, if I had ever seen one in person. '53 Bowman could've been really nice, but the picture selection isn't as good as some of the other players in the set like Reese, Musial or Slaughter.

Troy

My favorite cards are as follows: But i am only choosing cards that I own!!

1958 Topps #150 It is my most expensive card and I also have a book which has that card as its cover.

1967 Topps #150 My first Mantle card so I have to list it.

1962 Topps #200 I like the wood borders and it is very tough to find one that is not all dinged up!

If I had my chaoice thought I would choose the 1952 Topps, the 1951 Bowman and the 1953 Topps as my favorites.

CW

Oh man, I can't believe I overlooked the '53 Topps card!
I'll replace the '65 with the '53 Topps.

murcerfan

AlanAllen

1. 1959 Topps
2. 1954 Dan Dee
3. 1953 Topps

sandlot411

1957 topps has the ghost of babe ruth in the background
1959 topps
1969 topps white letter..has all his stats on it and is rare

1420sports

The 54 Red Heart is a great looking card, as is the 52 Topps. Come to think of it, he is the one superstar that does not have a bad card.

WinPitcher

Best card for the Mick? 52 Bowman
worst card? 67 topps




edited to add the other 2 "best"

65 topps
52 Topps

34GoudeyCollector

Here's my picks:

1. 1953 Topps
2. 1951 Bowman
3. 1952 Bowman
4. 1969 Topps
5. 1967 Topps (My first Mantle also)

Ken

Davino

What about '55 Bwoman, I just got this card and it looks great and brings 'ya back to the mid '50's. I see no one mentioned the '68 Topps, which is also a nice card.

Tipem

52 Bowman
56 Topps
54 Topps (I can wish,can't I)



Vic

helionaut

I've talked about my 55 Bowman Mick before, the only one I have from his playing days, but it's just awesome. The color, focus, and registration are all 100%. You can see blue eyes, the texture of the jersey, even the hair on his forearms, It's in poor condition overall, though, with no corners and a relief map of wrinkles and creases, but Mick's face and body were largely spared from the abuse. It really is "HDTV" quality, and it looks like you could reach into the picture and touch it.

Aside from that, it's tough to argue against the 52. Great photo of a young man with a dreamy yet determined look in his eyes and a big bat on his big shoulders, let alone what an icon the card itself would become. I do like 64's pose, and the 1956 is great, too, with the smiling portrait and great action shot in the background.

I collect modern cards of Mantle, Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Cobb, etc., and there are some nice ones there, too. Upper Deck especially has a nice touch with many of their designs. My favorites of the modern cards, though, are the 1996 Topps Gallery, 2003 Game Face, and 2002 Legendary Cuts.

goodriddance189

56 topps

jaxxr

In date order, top five;

53 Bowman
53 Topps ( Probably the overall best if only one was chosen )
57 Topps
58 Topps
65 Topps

Tough to omit the 51 Bowman, 59 Topps, and the 62 Topps with Willie Mays also on it.

Lothar52

1- 56 topps
2- 57 topps
3- 64 topps

onegaucho

Any of his 'in-action' cards...

1959 Topps #461 Thrills
1961 Topps WS Homer
1962 Topps IA Switch Hitter connects

Mantlefan

Love the 1957...1958 and 1959. Is that really Babe Ruth's ghost behind Mickey on the left?

1420sports

Nice card Frank! I believe that it is the ghost of Babe in the background.

coach30

I wish I had them all because for me Mickey is #1. The card with my moniker (1958) is my personal favorite because it was the first one I owned as a child.

NHLfightguy

59 Topps.........

qualitycards

One of my favorite Mantle cards doesn't even have Mick on the card, well I suppose if you had a microscope.
I just picked up this nicely centered PSA-7 version for my son for when he comes home on leave,( hopefully for the National), He has a Mantle PSA-7 graded set on the registry, and is quite content w/ "7" grades, especially since that was the Mick's #.
One of my 1st PSA-9 cards was this card about 7 years ago, and to this day I regret selling it...jay

SUPERPUNK813

1954 Bowman........love that card in high grade!

mariner

1959 Topps.....pulled one out of the first pack I ever bought at the ripe old age of 9.
1960 Topps.....love the colors
1963 Topps

DirtyHarry

Probably violating the topic here, but my favorite "card" is the 16x20 photo he signed for me at his last show before passing on. As I will never be able to afford one, to me, this is his rookie card----he is wearing #6.

Bearsnum34

mick:

1956
1960
1965

jerster

1953 Topps
1956 Topps
1952 Topps
1953 Bowman

SDSportsFan

Favorites:

1. 1952 Bowman
2. 1963 Topps
3. 1953 Bowman
4. 1954 Bowman
5. 1952 Topps

Least Favorites:

1. 1956 Topps
2. 1967 Topps

Steve

highend

finally...i'm not alone, someone weighed in with the 54 bowman. it is one of my favorite cards of all time.

CW

Very interesting to read everyone's fav's. I know this is just a
small group here, but you can definitely see some common favorites.
It's a little strange that nobody has chosen his regular issue '61
Topps card. Sure, the set design is somewhat basic (no offense to
'61 set collectors), but the photo of Mickey on that card is too cool.

Jay-- I've always liked that Mantle card, too. Even though they're in
different sets, it seems like that Mantle HR card would display nicely
next to the "Mays' Catch" card from the '59 set.

DirtyHarry-- That photo sounds like a very nice "card"! No violation
there, 'cause there's no rules!

Tipem

Jay,

I had forgotten that card !! Very nice card.

Vic