Mantle came into superstardom right at the time when baseball cards were becoming more popular and common among children. Topps had just begun its annual set. And there were more children growing up in the US during the 50s and 60s than in any era previous or since (the baby boom). So that card really was a zeitgeist of sorts for the hobby.
I think if you looked at the history of sports in America, guys like Ruth, Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, perhaps a few others, were all even more popular in their time than Mantle was, but nowadays the average person probably doesn't know who they were. As the boomer generation passes on, I think the Topps Mantle will become much less important than it is today.
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