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1952 Bowman Mantle Question

ndleondleo Posts: 4,179 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
I'm starting to buy 1950's Mantle cards in mid-grade condition. Can any Mantle experts tell me why there is such a huge discrepancy between the 1952 Bowman and Topps Mantle? Is it purely based on demand for the first Topps card? Or were the Bowman's printed in higher quantities?

Also what is a fair price for a PSA 4 or 5 1952 Bowman Mantle? I already have the other Bowman Mantles and need this one to complete the series.
Mike

Comments

  • weinholdweinhold Posts: 503
    I'm not an expert on Mantles so I don't know why there is the huge discrepancy between 1952 Topps and Bowman Mantles. However, I see that PSA has only graded 60% as many '52 Topps Mantles as '52 Bowman counterparts.

    Go to www.vintagecardprices.com to check on what a fair price to pay is. VCP average for a '52 Bowman Mantle:
    PSA 4 is $560
    PSA 5 is $836

    Hope that helps.

    I'm mostly a football card collector but one of my favorite baseball cards owned is a mid-grade '50s Mantle - a 1953 Topps Mantle PSA 6.5. The '53 Mantles have booming eye appeal. Best of luck with your 1952 Bowman Mantle pursuit.

    image


  • WinPitcherWinPitcher Posts: 27,726 ✭✭✭
    One reason is the 52 Bowman is the 2nd Bowman card. Back in the day (80's) the 52 Topps was the big cahuna.

    It has nothing to do with any card being printed more than the other.

    More demand for the 52 drove the price.


    If anything I would think that there are more 52 Topps Mantles.


    Steve
    Good for you.
  • RipublicaninMassRipublicaninMass Posts: 10,051 ✭✭✭
    Isnt the 52 mick one of the double printed Hi numbers?
  • PoppaJPoppaJ Posts: 2,818 ✭


    << <i>Isnt the 52 mick one of the double printed Hi numbers? >>



    ////////////////////////////

    Yes it is. There are even a few triple printed '52 Topps which include Warren Spahn.

    1952 Topps Fast Facts:
    •Cards were originally sold in 1-card penny wax packs and 6-card nickel wax packs. Nickel packs were packaged 24 to a wax box.
    •An unopened 24 pack wax box sells for around $200,000 today. An unopened 6-card wax pack recently sold for $8,000+ at auction.
    •Cards #311-313 (including the Mantle) were double printed.
    •Cards #131-180 have a scarce grey-back variation with a slightly muted tone on the front--these cards were originally distributed in Canada.
    •In Beckett Baseball Card Monthly's second issue (December 1984), they listed the value of the Mickey Mantle card at just $1450.
    •Key rookie cards in this set include Eddie Mathews, Hoyt Wilhelm, and Billy Martin.

    Here's another great article about the '52 Topps Baseball Set!

    PoppaJ
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