Hey I have this Mantle ball too!!!!!

Morgoth

It's funny but I have the exact same ball that this seller has.

Mantle Ball

I obtained it differently however. One of my dads good friends growing up was a man named Robert Taylor. His grandather was Cliff Mapes, a roomate of Mantle during his rookie year. Robert got to go to all the Yankee old timer games with his grandfather and to some of the fantasy camps. He got to know David Mantle and they became friends.

When David started a buisness selling Mickey's autos in the early 90's Robert called him to come set up as a dealer at a local card show in Pryor, OK around 1992. David showed up and was selling individual signed Mantle balls for $50 each. He also had some balls signed from the Yankees fantasy camp as well for $50. Well in my mind I was getting more autos so I bought the fantasy camp ball. In retrospect I should have got the single signed ball instead. Oh well for 50 bucks it was a good investment. Should have bought like 100 of them.

Anybody know what PSA/DNA would charge to authenticate a ball like that?

jimq112

PSA/DNA has a calculator to figure fees for items like that calculator. If I figured it right, mantle being the premier sig and 9 sigs total, PSA/DNA cost = $100

thenavarro

Morgoth,

Is Robert Taylor the guy that has the signed T206 Ty Cobb's?? I know the guy that has them is related to Mapes somehow. If it's the same guy, I'd appreciate it if you'd put in a good word for me to where in the future if he ever goes to sell the T206 signed Cobb's, that he'd give me a shot at them.

Take care,

Mike

Morgoth

Robert Taylor's auto collection is one of kind. As a kid I would go over to his house (actually he lived with his mom still, until she died) and be amazed at the players he had. I didn't know anything about the Negro leagues but he had 100's of autos from the Negro leagues. I remember him also trying to complete his Perez Steel postcard w/ autos set and I am pretty sure he had it as complete as possible.

He collected everything and started in the late 70s so I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have a Cobb auto on a card. He had multiple Mantle RCs (Mantle was his favorite). He also opened multiple cases of 91 Score and actually pulled 2 Mantle autos out of it (got written up in the Tulsa World for it).

I haven't seen or heard from him since I went to College, my dad last heard from him stalking Nolan Ryan at a hotel near where my dad moved too.

He was a true collector, you couldn't hardly buy or trade anything from him. From complete sets of Topps cards (he had almost every set from 52 on up) to autos he always regretted or backed out of any trade or deal. He just loved collecting.

If he is selling now, I would imagine his collection would be one of the tops out there but I have no idea how much he kept or sold from the last time I saw him.