The future of Mickey Mantle collectibles?

[Kzoo]

Not sure if this has been discussed before since I'm usually on the pre-war forum, but here goes....

Just curious what others think about the future desirability of Mickey Mantle related collectibles. He's the biggest name from the '50's when all the 'baby boomers' were young and growing up. Will his items (cards, autographs, etc.) still be desirable 20 years from now in relation to the extent that those same 'baby boomers' (now in their 60's+) feel they currently are? Will future baseball fans go crazy for his items? He's obviously a Yankee legend, so he'll always be collected in NY, but what about elsewhere? My guess to those questions is that his stuff will eventually 'cool off', but I'd like to hear other opinions. Thanks for reading.

Matt

[39special]

I think his stuff will still be popular.Ruth,Cobb,Gerhig are still popular today and I don't think there are to many people left that saw them play.They were
legends and IMO Mantle fits in to legend status.

[GoldenAge50s]

As long as there is baseball & people writing & filming & televising it, the Legends will remain Legends & always in the forefront.

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by GoldenAge50s

As long as there is baseball & people writing & filming & televising it, the Legends will remain Legends & always in the forefront.

Yup. I'm 37, and never saw Mick, Babe, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Shoeless, Cobb, etc., but because I love the game, love playing it, and love cards, all those legends and their cards are desirable to me. I know many other guys into the history and collecting, and they feel the same.

Also, there is something about revered iconic imagery-- and Mantle images and cards are just exalted in the baseball card hobby. That reverence and stature is just there to stay, it does not fade as long as the game occupies a large place in our culture-- not unlike appreciating art made centuries ago.

[Bestdj777]

I cannot picture a decline in the market. I have not seen him play either, and have no personal connection to him, but he is all I collect. He has some of the most visually appealing cards. And, his 52 Topps card is iconic.

[ALR-bishop]

Folks who do not now own Mantles always contend they are over priced...wishful thinking on their part

[Rich Klein]

WIllie Mays, who was the better player, will be relegated to 2nd tier status long term.

BTW, Derek Jeter will end up being the next real Yankees legend as the years go by. He may actually be undervalued in today's world

[brian1961]

You are right and you are wrong. The cream will remain highly desirable and expensive; the kitsch will probably continue to cool down.

If there's one thing that the many-part SCD Guide to Mickey Mantle items did for sure, it underscored how many Mantle items were made. Many superlatives come to mind. One would be "kazillion". Funny, a few important ones were not mentioned. Anyway, identifying what the creme of the creme would be is not the subject. However, some have already alluded to one of Mick's strong points--he was very, very photogenic. His smile melted your heart and made you a kid again. Many of us also love his cards with his "waiting for the pitch intensity". I could go on and on--Mr. Mantle knew how to "strike a pose." Lots of variety, which is important for us collectors.

When I was a child, other kids asked if I had a card of Babe Ruth. Today the name I hear from kids to adults is Mickey Mantle.

Also, the kids who went with their dads to the big conventions during the 70s through the early 90s where Mickey Mantle was an autograph guest got an unforgettable eye-full--at how meeting Mantle affected their Dads! I've read of some very touching stories. The strong connection to Mickey Mantle was passed down from father to son.

Further, seeing some of Mantle's great cards and again, how much their Dad wanted one or was thrilled to get one back he had lost long ago, would move some of those kids now grown up to collect Mickey Mantle cards and items. 'Cause they like Mantle, and because of the connection to their father.

I think the higher grade Mantle mainstream items will be strong, and that's in part attributed to Bowman and Topps almost always giving us kids a swell-looking card of Mick each year. Also, there continues to be result-proven demand for especially visually appealing scarcities and rarities. They may not be as rare as prewar, though some are actually tougher. However, the desirability has not gone away. The respect and admiration for Mickey Mantle and his cards remains very,very strong.

He always wanted to be known as a great teammate. He was. He was an excellent autograph guest. He had a few bad days and the woman who worked with him really got in his face if he dry-drunk dissed an autograph customer. He listened to her. We can all agree many other athletes did themselves and their legacy a major disservice by their attitude and manner with their adoring fans during a WELL-PAID autograph session. Some of them hurt the future value of their collectibles. Willie Mays was mentioned, and he is a well-known example of this poor behavior to which I referred. I feel the treasured experiences autograph collectors had with Mickey had a way of pouring gasoline on his already hot card market.

Keeping to the subject. Mantle collecting will continue to remain a strong niche in our hobby. He humbly outed the skeletons in his closet, and took his alcohol treatment very seriously. There will be no upsetting news forthcoming. Of the generation of athletes over the past 25 years--no comment. My response is already too long.

Cheers. --Brian Powell

[toppcat]

Legends will remain strong, especially Yankees I think. Perhaps iconic is a better word than legend, like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis. Mays is indeed second tier, so is Aaron and guys like Carlton,Spahn and (amazing to me) Seaver. Ryan is really the iconic pitcher from the 60's-80's period among collectors but will his stuff stay strong, that I am not sure about. I wonder if Jeter will be in this iconic field, even with his cards being so much later.

[Rich Klein]

the next iconic player, the problem is there are too many "key" cards to wrap yourself around. However, because of his penchant for clutch plays he is the next Yankees legend. And Mo will be one step behind then Andy and then Jorge as the core four.

[ALR-bishop]

[ALR-bishop]

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Folks who do not now own Mantles always contend they are over priced...wishful thinking on their part

I agree. In my opinion, Mantle is the last great Yankee and link to Yankee lore with Ruth, Gehrig, ect. He is an iconic baseball figure who's interest surpasses better players. My mom even knows the name Mickey Mantle, but has no clue who Walter Johnson or Hank Aaron is.

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by toppcat

Legends will remain strong, especially Yankees I think. Perhaps iconic is a better word than legend, like Marilyn Monroe or Elvis. Mays is indeed second tier, so is Aaron and guys like Carlton,Spahn and (amazing to me) Seaver. Ryan is really the iconic pitcher from the 60's-80's period among collectors but will his stuff stay strong, that I am not sure about. I wonder if Jeter will be in this iconic field, even with his cards being so much later.

The only think hurting Ryan is the fact that his baseball playing days stretched into the overproduction era. If he were a bit more reasonable of a player to collect, I think more people would follow him. I think Mantle will be one of the last really collected players.

[Gr8Beldini]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

the next iconic player, the problem is there are too many "key" cards to wrap yourself around. However, because of his penchant for clutch plays he is the next Yankees legend. And Mo will be one step behind then Andy and then Jorge as the core four.

That Core Four stuff was stupid. Bernie Williams was every bit as "core" as those guys, probably more so than all except Derek. Half dozen other guys that were every bit as "core" as the "Core Four."

[uyu906]

I am a set collector, pure and simple. And in many sets I collect, 1950's-1960's, the Mantle cards are the most expensive. That alone is not the problem, as I am not pleading poverty. The problem is that I hate the Yankees (I come by that honestly as my dad was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan) and do not like Mickey Mantle. So, I am often left with having to pay more for a card of a player I do not like, on a team that I cannot stand, if I want to complete my sets. I am not looking for sympathy. I just wanted to express a small collecting frustration from a non-Mantle fan.

[ALR-bishop]

Rich---as a long term Cardinals fan, I feel your pain

[uyu906]

Thanks Al - I knew that I could not be alone in this frustration. Although, I have noticed in some collecting circles it is considered sacrilege to say anything negative about Mantle cards.

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Rich---as a long term Cardinals fan, I feel your pain

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by uyu906

I am a set collector, pure and simple......and the Mantle cards are the most expensive.......The problem is that I hate the Yankees (I come by that honestly as my dad was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan) and do not like Mickey Mantle. So, I am often left with having to pay more for a card of a player I do not like, on a team that I cannot stand, if I want to complete my sets. I am not looking for sympathy. I just wanted to express a small collecting frustration from a non-Mantle fan.

That is passion! Funny...

I do not think the market for Mantle will ever diminish to any significant extent. I think he is one of last true iconic figures. I don't particularly care for the Yankees, but I have a significant collection of Mantle stuff. They are some of the cards which I most treasure....

Z Wheat

[campyfan39]

Mantle's are heading downhill.
Because I am so kind I will be happy to help you cut your losses and take some of those burdens off your hands.

[pepis]

You know the future of Mantle cards/items is solid and bright when even
people that hate him,, there best cards are Mickey Mantle's

[ALR-bishop]

A lot of truth to that statement. I collect Mantles only because I collect Topps sets, regular, inserts and test. As a result I think I have all his Topps issues except the 61 Dice and 68 Disc. But as a Cardinals fan he was not my favorite ballplayer even though I have spent a lot on his cards, particularly to get both of the 1952 variations.

I did see him play in person during the 1964 World Series

[HOF Yankees]

I have been debating this for a few days now and I can say I think lower grade Mickey Mantle cards will go up, not sure when but I have confidence they will. I bet there's more collectors, I myself, that buy the lower end Mantles cause we all cant afford the high end ones.

[MattyC]

I agree; I've found that lower grade 50's Mantles with eye appeal are incredibly liquid, with a vast amount of buyers.

[almostdone]

I agree with the statements that Mantle's stuff will remain strong and continue to go up. He is more of a legend from that era like Cobb, Ruth and Gerhig before him. I'm not saying his stature isn't warrented but as a fellow Yankee hater it drives me crazy when looking at building a set the first thing I have to think about is how much the "Mantle" will run.
The first vintage set I ever built was a 1955 Topps set. The two main reasons I went for it: small amount of cards and no Mantle. It's odd to think that I would rather go after a Clemente and Koufax RC just to avoid 1 Mantle card.
Drew

[MattyC]

That raises an interesting side point. I for one never let team allegiances or rivalries get in the way of or factor in with cards. In fact when it comes to sports I believe one can root for their own team and not hate another; the athletes are all competitive sportsmen, and as such should always be gentlemen and show sportsmanship-- and the fans should follow suit. That's why the athletes look so immature and ignorant and classless when they lose their composure and brawl.

I look at some of the fights and even stabbings that erupt from hating another team (and by extension, its fans) and it just seems so senseless and irrational. All parties love the same sport, and are all Americans who would likely help each other in a national crisis-- so why be so acutely divisive when it comes to sports? I really think there's a huge segment who take it way too far-- you guys hear about that kid who was shot and killed over a comment related to Dodgers-Giants? I never get when fans brawl-- the players are doing the competing, not the fans.