In case this helps with your decision... Even if the Index Card is rarer than a signed Topps or Bowman Mantle Card, the trading card will be a far better investment for you. The stigma of having an autograph on a card is no longer a concern. There's more demand for them now... much more so than an Index Card.
The other thing that's not yet been touched on is Mantle's signature itself. You mention being interested specifically in a 1953 card. If the one you have in mind features his early style signature (prior to his looping of the "M"s) it will carry a significant premium. His "card show style" signatures outnumber his early style signatures by at least 500 to 1. So it would be great to see images of both pieces.
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