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1952 Mantle Graded.........Finally

PigsPigs Posts: 761
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
I was 15 years old in 1978 when I bought this '52 Mantle at a card show outside Portland Oregon. It was the first time I'd ever seen one in person. I remember how blue the background was....it

was amazing! I know it's not the prettiest card in the world, (centered would have been nice), but you become attached to a card like this after all this time and I was just glad to have it. I sent it to

PSA a few years back and it came back "ALTERED" ouch! It was a little tough to take after having it raw for so many years. Finally today, a bit of a dream came true when my second attempt brought

home a grade. I was so happy I emailed PSA thanking them for grading it for me. A grade 32 years in the making. How much did I pay for Mickey way back then? $150. Have a good weekend.

Doug

image




Comments

  • scoutsout47scoutsout47 Posts: 520 ✭✭
    That's some awsome background on your Mickey, Doug. And, while I'm no expert, I'd be willing to go out on a limb and contend that you might've turned a small profit after these past 32 years. Well, at least enough to cover your two grading attempts ....lol.

    Well done, trooper!
    Always looking for 1915 Cracker Jacks in a uniform PSA 3 (NQ)

    psacard.com/psasetregistry/publishedset.aspx?s=223023&ac=1
  • SportsCardCollectorSportsCardCollector Posts: 320 ✭✭
    Great story and great card, Doug. Thanks for sharing it with us.
    "It's not so important who starts the game but who finishes it."
    - John Wooden
  • fkwfkw Posts: 1,766 ✭✭
    Great Story, I wish I could say the same image

    Did you ever find out what "they" thought was the alteration 1st time around? Did you undo it? Just curious.

    To me that card is a simple card to grade......... it looks to be an honest "collector grade" card, why would anyone alter it. The only thing I could think of maybe it was recolored which was common on cards kids played with pre 1980.

    Very cool you kept it all this time image I would have flipped it 20 time by now. I wish I had some of my first vintage cards from back then, I was at shows as a kid in late 70's too.

    Used to buy T206's in Ex for $5 but not as many as I should have, and even tough backs, VG's were in the $1 bin, those were the days.
  • italianstallionyankeesitalianstallionyankees Posts: 541
    Great story! Glad that it graded! Nice shape too..
    I am interested in seeing the back scan?

    Ryan image
    1938 Cartledge Boxing cards psa 7 - psa 10
    1951 Topps Red backs psa 8 only!
    1960 Golden Press Presidential set Psa 8 's - Psa 9's
    1961 Golden Press psa 9's
    1976 Topps baseball psa 9 Stars
    1980 Kelloggs baseball Psa 9's - Psa 10's
    1988-1989 Fleer Basketball psa 9's
    1988-1989 Fleer Stickers psa 9's
    1989-1990 Fleer Basketball psa 10's
    1992 Coca-Cola Donruss Nolan Ryan 1-26 Psa 10 only Gpa 9.80++ E-mail Newyork00007@aol.com
  • MBMiller25MBMiller25 Posts: 6,057 ✭✭
    Doug, Great Story, Congrats on getting the Mantle graded.
  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    Well done!

    Steve
    Good for you.
  • PigsPigs Posts: 761
    Here's the back. You can see why it got the MC qualifier on the top of the card which I thought would happen. As far as why it came back altered the first time? The only thing I can think that may

    have caused it was that is was in a lucite screwdown for a few years and the corners may have appeared flattened. The two years before I tried again I left it completely uncovered with no cardsaver

    or anything. So maybe the form came back a little. Like many have said here before...... get your cards out of the screwdown holders, don't smash your cards.




    image
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭
    WTG DOUG! THAT is a AWESOME card of my idol while I was growing up.
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • vladguerrerovladguerrero Posts: 4,077 ✭✭✭
    fantastic card! I'll give you $155.
  • DboneesqDboneesq Posts: 18,219 ✭✭


    << <i>fantastic card! I'll give you $155. >>


    $156.00
    STAY HEALTHY!

    Doug

    Liquidating my collection for the 3rd and final time. Time for others to enjoy what I have enjoyed over the last several decades. Money could be put to better use.
  • itzagoneritzagoner Posts: 8,753 ✭✭
    iconic.

    good going Doug, i like persistence. image
  • lsutigers1973lsutigers1973 Posts: 11,093 ✭
    If you're curious, last 2MC sold for almost $4000
  • shagrotn77shagrotn77 Posts: 5,615 ✭✭✭✭
    Fake.

    Just kidding image Great story. Great card. Enjoy it!
    "My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. Our childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When we were insolent we were placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds - pretty standard really."
  • captainthreeputtcaptainthreeputt Posts: 1,235 ✭✭
    Great story, and thanks for sharing.
    1911 C55 hockey
    1935 National Chicle
    1961 Golden Press
    1962 Bell Brand Dodgers
    Top 200 cards in the hobby
    Top 250 cards in the hobby
    All time lakers
    All time Dodgers
    1957 Disney Characters
    1965 Donruss Disneyland
    1966 Get Smart
    Brian
  • ymareaymarea Posts: 1,576 ✭✭✭
    Good for you, Doug. It's a nice complement to an already spectacular collection.
    Brett
  • divecchiadivecchia Posts: 6,681 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Terrific story to go along with a great card...image

    Thanks for sharing it...Donato
    Hobbyist & Collector (not an investor).
    Donato's Complete US Type Set ---- Donato's Dansco 7070 Modified Type Set ---- Donato's Basic U.S. Coin Design Set

    Successful transactions: Shrub68 (Jim), MWallace (Mike)
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,464 ✭✭✭
    congrats



    Nice buy!!!!
    Fred

    collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.

    looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started

  • Stone193Stone193 Posts: 24,438 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Congratulations - great card.

    Ya know - I remember back in 1977, my best friend at Columbia was a coin collector - we went to a show and there were card dealers also. I looked at a 52T Mick for 100 bucks and I thought no way!

    What the hell do "I" know...
    Mike
  • pdub1819pdub1819 Posts: 1,988 ✭✭✭✭
    That's a cool story, I only wish I had a similar story.

    https://www.psacard.com/psasetregistry/pdub1819/othersets/6204

  • RonBurgundyRonBurgundy Posts: 5,491 ✭✭✭
    Awesome. Congrats!!
    Ron Burgundy

    Buying Vintage, all sports.
    Buying Woody Hayes, Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, and Jesse Owens autographed items
  • SidePocketSidePocket Posts: 2,901 ✭✭✭
    Cool story, glad it graded!

    "Molon Labe"

  • weinholdweinhold Posts: 503
    That's the coolest story that I have read on these boards in recent memory.

    The part that I most appreciate is that you bought this card when you were 15 years old. When I was 15 years old, I was doing what most 15-year-old card buyers were doing - chasing the "hot card of the moment". Those happened to be guys like Jose Canseco, Wally Joyner, and Ruben Sierra.

    Congratulations to you, Doug.
  • fattymacsfattymacs Posts: 2,579 ✭✭✭
    Great card, nice story too.
  • PigsPigs Posts: 761


    << <i>That's the coolest story that I have read on these boards in recent memory.

    The part that I most appreciate is that you bought this card when you were 15 years old. When I was 15 years old, I was doing what most 15-year-old card buyers were doing - chasing the "hot card of the moment". Those happened to be guys like Jose Canseco, Wally Joyner, and Ruben Sierra.

    Congratulations to you, Doug. >>



    For some reason I loved the old cards from the very beginning, loved the look of them and Dad followed the game enough to know about most of the players from the 50's & 60's that I collected. Call me weird but never went for the hype of cards of the "moment". Thanks for all the kind words guys, you keep me going and inspired with my collecting.
  • Mickey71Mickey71 Posts: 4,259 ✭✭✭✭
    Nice job Doug. Did I see that card when it was raw? If I did then I remember that it is a great 2.
  • MeteoriteGuyMeteoriteGuy Posts: 7,140 ✭✭
    One of these long days...

    I'll own a 52 Mantle.

    Hope mine is as nice.
    Collecting PSA graded Steve Young, Marcus Allen, Bret Saberhagen and 1980s Topps Cards.
    Raw: Tony Gonzalez (low #'d cards, and especially 1/1's) and Steve Young.
  • mittecmittec Posts: 173
  • vettfanaticvettfanatic Posts: 643 ✭✭✭
    So I was just nosing around looking at 1952 Topps threads and ran across this one. Great story Doug!! Now that's the way to acquire a 52 Mantle.

    Jeff
  • ExodusExodus Posts: 348 ✭✭✭
    I remember those days of collecting too. It was fun back then, and it's still fun today !
  • PiggsPiggs Posts: 1,938 ✭✭✭✭
    Thanks Jeff, I was checking the status on the Mantle at work when the grade popped. I hugged a co-worker that had just started working there that week. She gives me grief for it still. LOL
  • grote15grote15 Posts: 29,743 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great story! Do you still have the card?


    Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
  • BaltimoreYankeeBaltimoreYankee Posts: 3,035 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Doug - Awesome story and great card. I'm sure you will have that card forever. I was around the same age at around the same time when I bought my '52 Topps card. A beater of Duke Snider that cost me $1. The card will always be worth much more to me than to anyone else.

    image
    Daniel
  • PiggsPiggs Posts: 1,938 ✭✭✭✭
    Still have it probably until I die.
  • gemintgemint Posts: 6,126 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Great story. Not too many on the boards own a '52 Mantle let alone held it as long as you have before grading it. $155 is a great price, even in the late 70s. I remember seeing a so-so Mantle at a local flea market around 1981-82 and the seller wanted something like $800 for it. That was like a million dollars to me at that point in time being that I was in Jr high.
    https://ebay.com/sch/gemint/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=
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