Mantle PSA 9 Goes for $282,587!!

Davalillo

In the Memory Lane auction that ended this week the 1952 Topps Mantle PSA 9 former owned by John Branca went for $282,587 including buyers premium--

Truly a staggering number.

daywalker2029

that is incredible - if im not mistaken didnt someone pay $250k for a psa (10) a few years ago ??

mealeworm

That is unreal! I was just thinking my house or the Mantle???? If I didnt have kids probably the Mantle.

Davalillo

If anyone(Anthony??) knows the history of this card before Branca bought it I would be interested --it really looks like a high end PSA 9.

Jim

TWINRON

I think that $283K for is obsured for a PSA9 card that may "look a little bit nicer" than a high-end PSA7 (that I paid $12,650 from Mastro in 1998) . Are we buying holders or the card? Can the difference in grade really warrant a quarter million dollars??
---Not in my collection!!--

WinPitcher

Interesting. I bet Mr branca is one happy camper. Now I have never ridiculed anyone for spending money as they see fit but this one sure takes the cake. I wonder if the card had some work done to it at one point? 282,587? lol they have a saying.................

In any event I hope the buyer is happy with the purchase as that is all that matters. If he/she is happy then I am happy for them.


Steve

Griffins

I've got no idea on the history. Marc S. probably does though.
I find some of these auction results absolutely unbelievable, and agree with Ron- can it really be a quarter of a million dollars better than a 7? The buyers premium alone would've bought Ron's (8 years ago, of course) 4 times over.
But 280K to one person is like a few thousand to someone else. If it was me I'd rather spend that amount on a rarity, rather than a condition rarity. But to each his own, it's a really nice card no matter what the price.

mmsportscards

Ron,

I dont think you get a decent 7 for 12k nowdays. If my memory is correct I think fogel purchased a 10 for 300k.

But yeah 295 for a 9 is whacko just makes you wonder how many people were over 2. I think last 9 i rember seeing was 185 or so.

Matt

bobsbbcards

I'd compare the price to the complete PSA 8 that sold in Mastro a few years ago for about the same price ($250K plus the juice). I'd rather take the downgrade to an 8 and get the extra 406 cards, but that's just me.

I thought Mr. Fogel bought his PSA 10 for $120K or so a long time ago.

ColleSystem

I like the Mile High PSA 8 shown in this months SMR on page 150 better.

Scott

frankhardy

I can't even afford a PSA 1 or PSA Authentic!

I'm still content though!

SOM

What proof do we actually have that 283K was a real bid by a true, live, non-ML shill?

Stone193

Jim

Do you remember back around 1992, there was a spot in Beckett about the sale of one of the PSA 10s for 125K$.

I believe some x-music guy picked up it - I thought that was a lot of dough.

So, if someone decides to sell their 10? What will it go for?

mike

yawie99

<< <i>The Centering on this card is SUPERB! >>



Am I the only one who found this line in the listing laughable? Not that I can even comprehend spending that much on a card, but if I had that kind of dough, I think I'd hold out for a Mantle with better centering and less tilt. Centering's not usually a deal breaker for me, but I think it would be on PSA 9's, especially PSA 9's that sell for more than a quarter of a million dollars.

Davalillo

Mike,

Probably $700,00-$800,000 with an outside shot at a million.

Incredible but in this bifurcated income world we live in there are a lot of people making ridiculous money.

Jim

TheCARDKid

It's interesting that there have only been a few 9's and a few 10's graded after all these years.

Mr Mint found what...30-40 Mantles in his great 52 Topps high number find? We all like to criticize PSA for being lax or making big mistakes but they sure don't give out 9's and 10's very easily. Does anyone know if there are many raw Mantles from that find left?

It also makes some of the pre war 9's look cheap by comparison. There was a gorgeous '41 Playball DiMaggio 9 at the National being auctioned off by Mastro. The eye appeal was tremendous. I think it sold for $60-65 k...that's almost 5 Dimaggios for the price of the Mantle. Wow.

Stone193

<< <i>It's interesting that there have only been a few 9's and a few 10's graded after all these years.

Mr Mint found what...30-40 Mantles in his great 52 Topps high number find? We all like to criticize PSA for being lax or making big mistakes but they sure don't give out 9's and 10's very easily. Does anyone know if there are many raw Mantles from that find left?

It also makes some of the pre war 9's look cheap by comparison. There was a gorgeous '41 Playball DiMaggio 9 at the National being auctioned off by Mastro. The eye appeal was tremendous. I think it sold for $60-65 k...that's almost 5 Dimaggios for the price of the Mantle. Wow. >>


Good question John

And it begs the issue on the question - whether or not there's still a lot of high grade stuff out there to be graded?

mike

theczar

i guess they'll have to update the smr

sagard

<< <i>What proof do we actually have that 283K was a real bid by a true, live, non-ML shill? >>



Here is the bidding. It looks like the final two went head to head starting from about $180K. I don't think it makes good business sense to run up a customer on that high profile of a card for 10K (ML's share of the 60K).

Anything is possible, but I don't see it in this case.

1954

I realize that $282K seems to be ludicrous amount of money to most all of us here, however there are some that can afford to pay/invest money for this card. I believe that high grade, cornerstone pieces such as this card is always in demand. This Mantle card is desired by many in any grade. Very few can afford the PSA 8 price tag. If we look back in 1990, this card went for $15K. Many were shocked at this. Two years ago a PSA 8 was bringing $38-40K and now we see it hit the $70K number.
Jim, I know that you need this card for your collection. Be patient and bid semi-aggressively on the nice ones. It is worth buying a quality card sooner than later. (IMHO)

Shane

Davalillo

Shane,

The Mantle that went for $72,000 has already changed hands again. I tried to buy it from the new buyer or even trade for it but the new owner loves the card.

Jim

packCollector

pretty crazy price , but if money was not an option I would have bid stupid too. guys that don't have to make decisions of what to buy do not care what it takes , i think most of us here have to decide to buy A or B which is why we see it as obsurd. I think Fogel paid $100k for his 10 and when he did that , people thought he was absurd at the time as well. I am not saying this 9 will automatically go up but I am sure the buyere wasn't deciding between this card or a new ferrari. he probably bought both.

1954

Jim,
I saw that the card was flipped after he won it from Drent on the 54 board. It was definately a nice PSA 8. When you do go after the Mantle, find one that is as nice as this one. What time period do you think it will take you to get the remaining 53 cards for your set in all PSA 8's? As I look at your list, many of those that you lack are not the tough ones. I guess it is just finding them when they come available. What value do you place on your Mantle PSA 8oc?

Shane

Davalillo

Snane,

They seem tough to me--picked up one yesterday(Podbielan). I was the underbidder on Mathews in Mastro auction.

Toughest will probaly be Pafko, Runnels, Wehmeier, Maxwell.

My Mantle has a value I think of about $20K--it is a spectacular card with a tilt cut that is probably 75/25 at its worst point.

What do you think a Pafko strong 8 would go for?

hofcollectoronly

There is no way that Memory Lane would take a chance on a shill bid with that kind of dollars on the line. Unless they knew that the bidder put in the auto bid and had the information on what his max. But you would think it pretty stupid to place an auto bid on such a big dollar item but crazier things have happened.

1954

Jim,
The Pafko card is an interesting card because you rarely see this one come available. I can't recall the last one that sold. I have a lead on a gentlemen who is a retired pilot which has roughly 400 cards from the 1952 set in all high grade (raw). The three Pafko cards were strong. One was a lock PSA 8/9 and the other two were for sure high end PSa 7's. I graded out five cards that I bought from him and all of them came back in a PSA 8 (he had four of these).
I will let you know the day he sells me them.

Shane

SOM

Unless they knew that the bidder put in the auto bid and had the information on what his max. Text

duh

Did you notice at what times of the day those bids were executed?

gemint

Does anyone know who the "lucky" winner was?