Need help with a 52' Topps Mantle Purchase >>

mesapsa · January 19, 2012 2:33AM

Hello, am new to the forum however have been on eBay selling and buying for years.... I am looking to possible buy here soon a high grade 1952 Mantle card, high grade to me would be a 6 or 7.. My question is this, how to I go about buying one of these cards without getting scammed, especially buying a fake card. I am not 100% sure that a PSA holder could not be opened and a good copy fake changed in its place, has anyone ever heard of that happening? I have seen some of the 52' Mantle reprints and some of them are very very close to the real thing.

I assume that buying from a high feedback seller on eBay would be may safest bet, I just dont want to lay down $30-45,000 to later find out that the card in the holder is a fake.

If someone has any information or knowledge to this please advise,

Thank you....

gemint · January 19, 2012 2:36AM

Hi and welcome to the boards. The '52 Mantle is one of the most popular cards amongst scammers. So you are justified in being extra careful. Frosty (from being cracked open and resealed) or even fake holders with fake printed labels are common. Your best bet is to buy it off a reputable dealer like 707 or a very high feedback eBay seller. Reputable auction houses are also a pretty safe bet. Forget Craigslist or any other offer with a price that sounds too good to be true.

Best of luck in your search!

41GoudeyGuy · January 19, 2012 2:39AM

Personally i would avoid ebay for a card of that value and would instead look to the major auction houses like REA. The price for that card will be about the same and you won't have to worry about getting ripped off.

jeffcbay · January 19, 2012 3:24AM

707

Overpriced, but reputable.

fiveniner · January 19, 2012 3:33AM

707

76collector · January 19, 2012 5:18AM

sorry to piggy back off the op's question, but I had a similar question, but just regarding much lower end cards. I assumed that fake psa holders could be made, and loaded with reprints, but have the board members seen this done on lower end cards ($75-$100) as well ? My examples would be psa 5-7 rookie cards of bench/schmidt/gibson, etc. I didn't think it would be worth the hassle, or potential trouble of trying to sell a reprint in a fake psa holder, but I've recently seen some ebay id's who have purchased reprints on ebay, and within a month have a similar "real" card in a psa holder for sale. It raised red flags with me, but I was wondering if I'm over reacting.

Nascar360 · January 19, 2012 5:23AM

Live close to Maryland? I would shop at the National in JulyAugust.

CardboardKeeper · January 19, 2012 5:43AM

707 if you want to pay double the price for a low end for the grade card...

JustinsShoebox · January 19, 2012 6:10AM

I only buy from 707 if I absolutely have to. Their prices are crazy...but they do have some hard to find items.

Justin

thunderdan · January 19, 2012 6:21AM

I have a PSA 4 that I'm thinking about upgrading. Just had it reviewed and reholdered by PSA, so it's legit.

If interested, let me know. Only hobby heavyweights own PSA 7s. Best bet is RonBurgundy on these boards.

eyebone · January 19, 2012 6:37AM

^^^^^a hobby heavyweight who cannot identify double play cards? good one, sir.

eyebone

CollectorAtWork · January 19, 2012 6:44AM

For such a big card, I would just buy it from a reputable auction house like Legendary, REA, Goodwin, Memory Lane, Mile High, SCP, Huggins & Scott, or Heritage. I'm probably missing others. They'd probably make good if you got the card, and it wasn't legit after you received it. Since both sides of the card are published in a big paper catalog, you'd have plenty of very knowledgeable people looking at the scans to determine if it were legit in addition to the auction house folks, and this history will never go away like ebay listings that expire after 60 days. Auction style is still better than BIN's because you should get better pricing on the card, but obviously, you should still be picky and find one with the eye appeal you really want.

perkdog · January 19, 2012 6:55AM

Without question going the major auction house route will be your best choice.

Check out 707 and ask yourself if you want to pay all that money for an overgraded card and then you will see what peeps are reffering to

soundgard · January 19, 2012 7:30AM

I would stay away from auction houses. They cant be trusted. Go with sellers with good feedback like Probstein, or others who sell graded cards on ebay.

mesapsa · January 19, 2012 10:58AM

Thank you for all of the replies, I have recently come into a little bit of cash and think I'll be going after a PSA 7 Mantle, I dont have a problem spending $40,000 on one if I'm able to get a scent moking example, we will see what happens here, just don't want to buy a fake! There is currently a PSA 7 on eBAY at $60,000 however I'm sure the price would come down.....

pato1516 · January 20, 2012 1:47AM

If you're referring to the one from Probstein123, then you definitely don't have to worry about getting scammed. He has an excellent reputation, and is actually a member of these boards. He usually sells on consignment, however, so whether the price will come down may depend on whether the consignor has realistic expectations for the sale price and is willing to negotiate.

Sean1125 · January 20, 2012 2:01AM

I agree with Pato, Rick is extremely easy to work with - it will boil down to "if the price is right" for both parties I'm sure.

He's got his phone number in his signature and it should be pretty easy to reach him.

KbKards · January 20, 2012 2:19AM

Pretty sure mesapsa already has that number. If you can't read between the lines it's pretty obvious who owns the card.

jeffcbay · January 20, 2012 2:32AM

<< Pretty sure mesapsa already has that number. If you can't read between the lines it's pretty obvious who owns the card. >>

que?

MBMiller25 · January 20, 2012 2:41AM

<< Pretty sure mesapsa already has that number. If you can't read between the lines it's pretty obvious who owns the card. >>

Funny....Our minds work in similar direction, because I thought the exact same thing when I read this yesterday, then went to EBAY and happened to see that Probstein has a PSA 7 Mantle for sale.

VegasBaby · January 20, 2012 3:02AM

<< Live close to Maryland? I would shop at the National in JulyAugust. >>

This is what I would do. Wait until the National and see what's out there in the 6/7 range, then work the dealers against each other to get the best price.

Probstein123 · January 20, 2012 3:02AM

the 1952 psa 7 mantle is mine...
I believe its a prime target to get 7.5 consideration....hence we priced it above VCP...

LMK if u agree:

52 Topps Mantle CENTERED PSA 7

miconelegacy · January 20, 2012 3:25AM

Funny this thread has come out. I am in the market for a Mantle as well. Not a lot available right now. Hopefully some will show up over the next few months...

Rick yours is very nice, just a little out of price range of what I'm looking for. I hoping for a nicely centered 5,6.

jeffcbay · January 20, 2012 3:43AM

<< 

<< Pretty sure mesapsa already has that number. If you can't read between the lines it's pretty obvious who owns the card. >>

Funny....Our minds work in similar direction, because I thought the exact same thing when I read this yesterday, then went to EBAY and happened to see that Probstein has a PSA 7 Mantle for sale. >>

I'm lost...

CollectorAtWork · January 20, 2012 3:47AM

I think he is suggesting that mesapsa is the consignor of the card to probstein. Whether that is true or not, I have no idea.

Probstein123 · January 20, 2012 5:00AM

mesapsa is the consignor of the card to probstein
==> not the consignor...

DWest · January 20, 2012 5:03AM

mesapsa · January 20, 2012 6:58AM

mesapsa · January 20, 2012 7:02AM

No the Mantle card is not mine, I wish it was, it is an excellent looking card, would love to be able to add it to my collection at a fair price... That's my problem, I don't know how to price this card to offer a fair price, if that would even be taken into consideration...