1952 Topps Mick "2" Hits 10.8k! - Also, Pick The Mick Game...

mattyc_collection

Just saw that awesome looking 2 hit over 10k last night! Pretty beefy showing for one of our beloved hobby's standard bearers. It's the third "2" this year to reach the 10k barrier, with another clocking in at around 9800.

Beefy "2" Mick

MULLINS5

That's a beauty. Would love to have an example like that in my collection, exactly the card I'm saving up for.

akuracy503

I really wish I had held onto my PSA 2 that was sold in 2012. Hasty decision on my part because I was bored of the hobby at the time.

Funny part is I couldnt move it on the classifieds. Finally broke down to consign it.
It went to a great seller, Probstein, still only managed just under $7k in late 2012.

Here's a link to the psa forums BST post I had listed.



My PSA 2 Mantle for sale on PSA Forums in 2012

mattyc_collection

Wow-- I know that card; it's one of the most eye appealing lower graded 52 Micks I've seen. Rare centering.

So where'd the 51 go?!

CenteredMantles

52T Mantles in any grade just keep going strong.

There was a STUNNING PSA 4.5 on PWCC recently, can't seem to find it on ebay now. It was centered so I assume Matty bought it already. If not, someone must have went after it hard. Don't see centered 52's often.

For anyone shopping, there is a great 1.5 up now as well.

mattyc_collection

CM,

I know the 4.5 you are talking about. Let me clarify I have not bought it. If it's no longer there, perhaps someone else has?

I believe it is slated to be listed by PWCC on Dec 8th, at least that's what the screen grab I took several days ago said on the bottom (in my spare time, I am in the process of cataloguing all known graded Mantle 52s). I would not approach Brent with an offer to buy it outright, as I am fairly certain he'd never do that. For the owner's optimum haul, they know it's better that whatever I'd bid/offer happens in the context of an auction setting, LOL

Regarding the 1.5 you mentioned, I noticed that card on eBay and don't imagine it'll last long with what the SGC 2 just commanded. Comparable cards.

CenteredMantles

Screen grab of the card. My mistake, it is going to be listed. Always looking at so many Mantles I must have had my wires crossed.

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I would imagine this card goes NUTS. Can't imagine there are too many with that centering in the open market (aka, not in your collection already )

mattyc_collection

All I can say about that card is that-- if we cropped out the grade (which is how I roll forever now)-- I would guess 5 or 6. And I would prefer to have that one and look at it every day all day over a 7 with the usual tilt and centering that the vast majority have.

Here is that card next to two others in significantly higher grades...

This is always a fun game. Let's bring it back to pure boyhood collecting; you are 13 or 15 or whatever at a show. You see these three cards and have your pick; which one is coming home with you?



Other than that-- Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES!

CenteredMantles

I can see that getting 6 money all day long. Especially at PWCC? Will be a fun one to watch for sure. My SGC 1.5 was enough to tap me out so I'll have to be content watching it with my popcorn in hand.

Good Luck to any bidding. Awesome card.

mattyc_collection

6 money is all relative now. If a dead centered 6 shows up, look out. I know of just one and the reclusive owner told me 75k through an intermediary. I attempted to negotiate, but he used my favorite line on me (or close to it): "FIND A BETTER LOOKING EXAMPLE FOR CHEAPER!" I couldn't argue, because a centered 7 would probably go for a bit north of 75k at a PWCC or big Auction House.

Actually, with 8s now fetching $222,000 with the juice, with two days left at SCP, a centered 7 for 75k seems unrealistically low, and an error on my part. Especially if the centering might carry it to a half point bump down the line. With 8s at over 200k, the 7s with great eye appeal have to be at least half that, otherwise it's a value gap that would probably get filled fast and the 7s would surge up to narrow that gap quick.

LarkinCollector

<< <i>This is always a fun game. Let's bring it back to pure boyhood collecting; you are 13 or 15 or whatever at a show. You see these three cards and have your pick; which one is coming home with you? >>


At that age and assuming same price, the one on the left. Love the bright color and registration, didn't care about centering one iota at the time unless it was miscut.

CenteredMantles

I go middle all day every day.

I was always a centering guys first, then image then corners.

mattyc_collection

<< <i>

<< <i>This is always a fun game. Let's bring it back to pure boyhood collecting; you are 13 or 15 or whatever at a show. You see these three cards and have your pick; which one is coming home with you? >>


At that age and assuming same price, the one on the left. Love the bright color and registration, didn't care about centering one iota at the time unless it was miscut. >>



I am willing to bet that scan-- taken from an AH archives-- is brighter due to settings. That said, that version of the 1952 Mantle is known to have bolder color than its counterpart with the missing pixel. I always thought it funny how the TPGs don't parse the two variations.

GWilsh1999

<< <i>I can see that getting 6 money all day long. Especially at PWCC? Will be a fun one to watch for sure. My SGC 1.5 was enough to tap me out so I'll have to be content watching it with my popcorn in hand.

Good Luck to any bidding. Awesome card. >>



I'm a bidder on this 4.5 in the range of the previous sale. I have this pit feeling in my stomach I am going to get blown out. Can you post up your 1.5? I would love to see it.

DanBessette

<< <i>

<< <i>I can see that getting 6 money all day long. Especially at PWCC? Will be a fun one to watch for sure. My SGC 1.5 was enough to tap me out so I'll have to be content watching it with my popcorn in hand.

Good Luck to any bidding. Awesome card. >>



I'm a bidder on this 4.5 in the range of the previous sale. I have this pit feeling in my stomach I am going to get blown out. Can you post up your 1.5? I would love to see it. >>



Good luck Mr. Bassik.

mattyc_collection

Dan, if you have some kind of beef with another board member, allow me to respectfully ask that you please take it to PM and let's keep the thread free of negative energy. Thanks.

KendallCat

Classsic case of buy the card and not the holder. The raw images depict exactly what you are talking about Matt, and that 4.5 is stunning. How many 52's are you up to now? Thought you had two really nicely centered ones or is it just the one?

DanBessette

<< <i>Dan, if you have some kind of beef with another board member, allow me to respectfully ask that you please take it to PM and let's keep the thread free of negative energy. Thanks. >>



What beef? I wished him luck!

mattyc_collection

Sorry, perhaps I misread it. Seemed like some kind of beef brewing and want to keep discussion positive. Apologies if I misread it.

mattyc_collection

<< <i>Classsic case of buy the card and not the holder. The raw images depict exactly what you are talking about Matt, and that 4.5 is stunning. How many 52's are you up to now? Thought you had two really nicely centered ones or is it just the one? >>



Hi KC, hope your are all good, my friend. I'm at two Micks now. The second one is in NYC so I have yet to take a proper scan (the scanner used has no CCD element), but these are the boys. The PWCC card would definitely fit right into the family...

RipublicaninMass

<< <i>

Good luck Mr. Bassik. >>




Where's the forum police now?

DanBessette

Matty, are your 52 Micks slabbed or raw? Thought slabbed, but no flips in the scans.

mattyc_collection

They are slabbed, but I like to crop out the holders when I look at cards on the computer, so as to make it all about the card. When I did the cropping on the collector focus gallery it had the great effect of making the thumbnail/gallery images bigger, so I can scroll through the cards without having to enlarge them all the time.

DanBessette

<< <i>They are slabbed, but I like to crop out the holders when I look at cards on the computer, so as to make it all about the card. When I did the cropping on the collector focus gallery it had the great effect of making the thumbnail/gallery images bigger, so I can scroll through the cards without having to enlarge them all the time. >>



Good idea. I might start doing that with a few of the graded cards I have whose eye appeal exceeds the technical grade.

SDSportsFan

So glad I picked up a PSA 3 back in 2003 for only $5,200


Steve

KendallCat

<< <i>

<< <i>Classsic case of buy the card and not the holder. The raw images depict exactly what you are talking about Matt, and that 4.5 is stunning. How many 52's are you up to now? Thought you had two really nicely centered ones or is it just the one? >>



Hi KC, hope your are all good, my friend. I'm at two Micks now. The second one is in NYC so I have yet to take a proper scan (the scanner used has no CCD element), but these are the boys. The PWCC card would definitely fit right into the family...



>>



I thought you had two of them since the last time we PM'd you sent me the scans. Both of those cards are outstanding and way above the grade for them. I wish you would quit posting them so I don't get a wild hair to get one now - I have a kitchen reno and some other home projects to finish first. Told my wife if we had not bought a new house a year ago the "house fund" would be "invested" in a couple of Mantle cards wright now. At least I get to put a baseball card room in the man cave this summer! Thanks again for sharing.

mattyc_collection

Some days I'd sell my wife before a 52 Mick!

And depending on the day, I don't know which would go for more

dontippet

<< <i>Some days I'd sell my wife before a 52 Mick!

And depending on the day, I don't know which would go for more >>




Fortunately, wife selling is illegal, so the tempation should be gone.

CenteredMantles

52T Mick, centered vs the lady? That fight is going twelve rounds and my 52T is only a 1.5...

Plus a woman is without a doubt a depreciating asset.

Gball16

I know of a recent private sale of a 1952 topps Mickey mantle PSA 7 for over $100,000.
In this market a 52 mantle PSA 7 is a six figure card.

mattyc_collection

There's a fascinating glimpse of the power of/demand for the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle in the VCP sales data of PSA 5s...

This year, in August to be more precise, a woefully OC example in a 5 holder was won at Mile High for $16,096.30.

Merely days later, the winner, a dealer, successfully flipped the card on eBay for $19,000.

On 11/21, merely 90 days later, an equally OC Mantle-- a virtually identical card both in quality and grade-- was sold on eBay for $23,000.

That's a hell of an uptick over 90 days for the card in an extremely OC state.