Theory about 1952 Topps Mantle...What if?

frankhardy

The way that I understand it is that the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is double printed. Mantle (#311) is the first card in the high number series. What if the Mantle was short printed and as scarce as the most of the other high numbers? How much is a double printed common? I don't have a guide in front of me. I know that a SP high number common is around $250-300 range. Compare the double printed common and the SP common with the double printed Mantle and the hypothetical SP Mantle. I know this is hypothetical, but think if the Mantle was short printed, we wouldn't be looking at an $18,000 price for NM, but it would be multiple times more valuable.

What got me to thinking about it today was that I locally bought a lot of 11 1952 Topps (low grade) for $20. To my surprise, there was a high number in it (#345 Sam White). Needless to say, that I was pleased.

mikeschmidt

Perhaps....but there is sort of a ceiling somewhere - and there is always a balancing mechanism in the supply/demand equation.

Even if it was not double-printed, I don't think Marshall would have paid $250,000 for a PSA 10 of the card seven years ago, when he paid $125,000.

I think that the value would certainly be less than double, all across the board. Yes, people would certainly pay more, but many collectors would simply revert to lower-condition examples, and many collectors might take another Mantle card instead - like his 1951 Bowman rookie.

Griffins

I don't think there are any double printed commons- the only ones that were dp's were Mantle and Robinson- and that is why they are the only ones with variations (the stitching on the baseball on the back, where the number is, goes vertically on one print on the sheet, horizontal on the other)

frankhardy

Are the variations equal in number? I did not realize that there were any variations. I guess that shows what I know.

A761506

It is unknown whether the variations are equal, but I would guess that there are similar quantities of both. There is absolutely no difference in value from one variation to another. Mantle and Robinson are not really true double prints, when considering what a double print is supposed to mean. Typically, a double print has been printed in significantly high quantities because it shows up twice on a sheet. The 52 Mantle and Robinson were never double prints to that extent, however, they were deemed double prints because they were indeed printed twice, but in two variations. Once they changed the initial variation, I doubt they continued printing both cards, rather replaced the original with the new variation. So, theoretically, there are no more Mantle's than any other cards in the high-number series, and the true short prints have even fewer.

I tried to figure out how many 52 Mantle's are in existence quite some time ago, and based on graded population reports, which I estimate total to around 750 (including GAI who doesn't have a report), and considering that some may not exist due to cracking and cross-overs, plus the idea that there are still some raw authentic copies in the collections of people who don't grade any of their cards (or perhaps don't collect any longer and aren't even aware of grading), I would guess that roughly 1500 exist, give or take a couple hundred. That number should also hold true for most other cards in the high number series.

NickM

Isn't Bobby Thomson also a DP card?

I would estimate that there are probably at least twice as many Mantles as A761 has estimated, based on my knowledge as to how many collectors with very expensive, but low-grade cards do not have those cards graded. Among many collectors, there is a feeling that grading is only for high-grade cards such that a Mantle that would garner a PSA 1 or PSA 2 will be left in a protective holder ungraded.

Nick

frankhardy

NickM,

Along that same line, I would say that the vast majority of Mantle cards are in low grade. Back years ago, most people threw them in boxes and put rubber bands around them. I wonder how many are still up in some old man's attic and he doesn't even know what he has?