What are your top 5 Mickey Mantle cards?

[Doug]

I got the idea for this after reading this blog about the top 10 Mantle cards:

http://www.dacardworld.com/blog/top-...s-of-all-time/

I figured I'd cut it to a top 5 to make it tougher. Top 10 lists are welcome too. I have a bit of a Topps bias so here's my list:

1. 1952 Topps
2. 1953 Topps
3. 1956 Topps
4. 1957 Topps
5. 1964 Topps

Honorable mentions: 1958 Topps, 1963 Topps, 1969 Topps

How about everyone else?

[HRBAKER]

Here's mine in terms of curb appeal and not value bc that would be fairly easy to determine:

1. '59 Bazooka
2. '52 Topps
3. '64 Stand-Up
4. '51 Bowman
5. '57 Topps

Jeff

edit to add: I only own three of the five

[Rob D.]

1. 1953 Bowman

2. 1959 Home Run Derby

3. 1952 Topps

4. 1954 Dan-Dee

5. 1956 Topps

[Robextend]

1 - 1952 Topps
2 - 1951 Bowman
3 - 1957 Topps
4 - 1956 Topps
5 - 1964 Topps

[sflayank]

1963 mask
1967 stand up
1961 dice game
1966 punchout
1967 and 68 discs

[Rickyy]

1952 Topps Mantle
1953-4 Briggs Meat Mickey Mantle Panel
1956 Topps Mantle
1959 Bazooka Mickey Mantle
1961 Topps Dice Game Mantle

[brian1961]

This is an interesting question. Mickey has so many wonderful cards. The word "top" may be interpreted any number of ways. I cannot list a top five without categorizing a bit.

Top 5 Mainstream Mantles:

1. 1952 Topps
2. 1953 Topps
3. 1953 Bowman
4. 1956 Topps
5. 1951 Bowman


Top 5 Exotic and Esoteric (all very scarce except the Dormand PC, as well as dynamite eye appeal):

1. 1953 Stahl-Meyer Franks
2. 1960 Post Cereal
3. 1959 Bazooka
4. 1960 Home Run Derby
5. TIE 1953-55 Dormand postcard (the common batting pose)
1962 JELL-O

Special mention should be made of the 1961 Topps Dice Game Mick. Since it was never actually issued, that makes it more of a "pipe dream". Woody Gelman sent most specimens out as samples to dealer/collector friends for their input, stapled to a note. Several were never sent out, salvaged by who knows who, and eventually were submitted to PSA by their owners. I recall a particularly sweet Don Drysdale. A Mantle without staple holes, but hand-cut from a sheet, took about 30K to win in a Mastro auction from about 2004. Larry Fritsch owned an uncut sheet of the complete set of 20. I would hazzard a guess that Larry was able to obtain it through Topps employee and fellow collector, Bill Haber.

Remember, the idea of a game board, with player cards, spinner, dice, etc. might have seemed like a decent idea, but Strat-O-Matic was about to debut their hugely successful game the following year. Perhaps Topps simply decided to nix the idea, not wanting to go head-to-head with that company's thoroughly developed game, even though Strat's game cards show no player picture. It is hard to say whether Topps' planned completed player cards would have been made into their normal flexichrome color cards. The final analysis was that Gelman's feedback was a collective "Nah!", and the Dice Game idea was scrapped.

It is hard to know where to exactly classify the 1961 Topps Dice Game cards. After all, there are a few graded examples. I think of the coin world, where a hard-cover book portraying the top 25 or 75 coins included a prototype 20-dollar gold piece from 1907. I believe it had Liberty with a Native American chieftain feathered headdress. The front of the design was then used on the 10-dollar gold piece. Anyway, the prototype double-eagle was saved and sold in the 70s for an immense price. However, it was a 1 of 1. Who knows how many Dice Game Mickey Mantles there are. So many collectors are afraid to say much of anything about what they own. Still, it has been a long time since those cards were originally dispersed. It would seem that the owners would have put them on the market by now. Once a collector reaches his 70s, if he gets that far, he tends to want to finally sell his holdings.

To make a long story short, the Dice Game were not test-marketed, but they did reach the prototype stage. Still valuable, just unreasonable to put on a list of wanted Mantles.


My background of hunting down and owning all of these except three (the Dice Game is one of those I never got), at one time or another, no doubt guides my choices. Good topic. --Brian Powell

[Doug]

Here's a video of an interview with two of Mickey's sons talking about their dad's Topps cards. I figured I'd share it in case anyone hasn't seen it before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUriWlOARlc

[ALR-bishop]

I agree on the scarcity but there are 2 posters on this board that have one.

My in possession favorites are
67 Stand Up
67 Disc
67 Punch Out
52--both variations
68 Plaq

[brian1961]

Pardon the late response. I have been busy at work. If you only know of two collectors on this board who own the 1961 Topps Dice Game Mickey Mantle, that only serves to underscore what I am saying---it is a beautiful prototype card that was never fully completed (made into a flexichrome colorized card by Topps), was never issued or sold to the public, even at the favored few Brooklyn candy shops that Topps would use to test-market their products (i.e. 1969 Topps 3-D). As such then, it is unfair and improper to place it on a list of Mickey Mantle cards that would comprise a master set.

Honestly, as I type these words, I can see the validity of including the Dice Game in a "Master Set" listing, on the premise of "then where would you place such a rare Mantle card?" A master listing refers to all Mantle cards, period.

It's a tough call. Prototype cards are more like icing on the cake. Even if you lived in Brooklyn during 1961, and shopped at those candy stores or a toy outlet, the Dice Game would not have been available for sale. That's why I cannot put such cards on the same level as the exotic and esoteric regional--food issues. Those were legitimate cards offered with the sale, or used to promote, a particular product. Sometimes they turned out to be easy, such as the 1954 Red Heart, because there was a well-advertised offer on how to purchase each of the three small sets. Furthermore, the leftovers were retained by the company, whereby interested collectors could purchase them even into the early 1970s. At other occurrences, such as the Stahl-Meyer Franks, trying to get an unblemished clean fresh new card was a very challenging proposition even at the time they were available to the public.

Would I be typing these same words if I owned a Dice Game card? Yes, but I would not say what I am about to. Permit me to get unpopular for a moment. In the final analysis, I do not think that prototype cards are anywhere as important as most collectors believe, nor as valuable. We have a huge cadre of Mantle collectors glamorizing the Dice Game, when in reality what actually exists is an uncut sheet, a very few properly cut and graded specimens (not of Mick, except for one or two of the following), several with Gelman staple holes on them, and a few hand-cut cards. That is why I depict them as a "Pipe Dream". Again, they are still valuable, just not as valuable nor important as some were led to believe.

To me, it is much more impressive to find an uncommon card that was legitimately issued, in very uncommonly high grade condition. That is why Bruce Dorskind makes such a big deal over his "America's Toughest Want List". Bruce and other collectors really dig those cards that are anywhere from reasonably to profoundly difficult to find, and then to find them in top grade respective to the issue. Stay with me, please. During Post Cereal's final year of their major cereal card promotion, 1963, they severely reduced production to 300,000,000 total cards. Of the 200 players, 25 were short-printed in varying degrees. Now, take the time to look at the graded card populations of them. How minuscule they are, compared with the sheer original figure produced, as well as compared to the Topps. For some of them, there is not even one graded Mint example.


There are ample '63 Post or JELL-O examples that were cut within the black border, making them Authentic at best. Still, in the graded card world of today, where the bigger money is placed or invested, if it is not graded, it is not as highly valued. Hey, at least you can handle them, enjoy them up close and personal. There's a lot of enjoyment in that. They just will not achieve a high monetary value. True, a few collectors collect the complete panels, but one, that is no guarantee the cards would grade out at Mint even if they were cut perfectly, and two, the hobbyists who love uncut panels generally want them to remain that way.

From the list of cards and items you personally own, you obviously have a very high regard for the Topps test issues and prototypes. They are most assuredly a definite niche category, and a highly respected one at that. Hey, they are indeed hopelessly rare. I do not know if you are given to such things, but if you enjoy writing, research those babies and put together an article about them for SCD. That would make for a very interesting and exciting contribution to our hobby. If you wish anonymity, since ..., give yourself a pen name like Johannes Mochannes Macheski. Potential crooks would go nuts trying to hunt you down. Loads of laughs.

Salute. ----Brian Powell

[ALR-bishop]

Brian---you won't get any arguments from me. All I meant to point out was that I know a couple of people on the board who have the Dice card. One also has the 63 Mantle Mask, another tough item, even though I assume anybody collecting Topps cards that year could have gotten one.

I do not collect Mantle per se, or test issues per se. I originally did all Topps sets, packs, insert sets and issued test sets. Now I fool with unissued Topps test sets and variations. Some are indeed rare. The Dice are one. The 66 Punch Outs another. The 71 Rookie Artist's Proofs another. The 70 Cloth another. These last 3, in my experience, may be tougher, or at least as tough as the 61 Dice. So too might the 3 unissued 1951 Current All Stars that just sold in Legendary. The 68 Discs and 56 Hocus Focus are tough too. Then there are those 3 1960 proof cards......

By the way, thanks for your insights on these great hobby items

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by brian1961

In the final analysis, I do not think that prototype cards are anywhere as important as most collectors believe, nor as valuable.

Brian, I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there. Prototypes are as 'valuable' as the buying public wants them to be. If at least two knuckleheads are dying to own the only prototype and they have the bank, that card is going to be very valuable. The same is true as to importance. How much importance collectors put into any item is a function of many factors, only one of which is rarity. Look at the T206 Wagner. Lots of cards are harder to find but none of them have the cachet of Wags.

Whether a prototype should be included as part of a set is another story--I'd say "no" since it wasn't issued. If the cards were tested, however, then they were legitimately issued and should be part of a master set even though only a few people could possibly complete the set.

[dabigyankeeman]

Originally Posted by Doug

Here's a video of an interview with two of Mickey's sons talking about their dad's Topps cards. I figured I'd share it in case anyone hasn't seen it before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUriWlOARlc

That was really interesting, thanks for posting that link.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by dabigyankeeman

That was really interesting, thanks for posting that link.

No problem. I'm always happy to share that kind of stuff when I come across it.

[TONY-III]

Originally Posted by Doug

Here's a video of an interview with two of Mickey's sons talking about their dad's Topps cards. I figured I'd share it in case anyone hasn't seen it before:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUriWlOARlc

Thanks for sharing the video. Hard to believe that the Mantles don't have a 52 Mantle, and like many of us, wish they did and have passed up opportunities to buy and now have regrets - I can sure relate!

[Gr8Beldini]

1956 Topps (Great set; Great Pic; Triple Crown year; Cool reverse).
1955 Bowman (I don't know why there isn't much love for this beautiful card).
1969 Topps (Personal favorite).
1953 Topps (I own 57 & 57 sets. 53 is the dream - might have to sell some stuff off).
1952 Bowman (Very underrated card IMHO).

[Stevenice1]

I know this is an old thread but I had a fun time writing this blog about my favorite Mickey Mantle card's recently (I don't necessarily own them in any grade). I hope you enjoy.

https://cardboardpicasso.com/blog/to...aseball-cards/

[Peter_Spaeth]

Great list but this has to be in any list.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Love the ID btw, and I've seen your listings many times and your cards are consistently of the highest quality.

[irv]

Originally Posted by Stevenice1

I know this is an old thread but I had a fun time writing this blog about my favorite Mickey Mantle card's recently (I don't necessarily own them in any grade). I hope you enjoy.

https://cardboardpicasso.com/blog/to...aseball-cards/

Thanks for the write up and the post.

Some great information within that I was unaware of.

[hcv123]

1-1953 Stahl Meyer
2- 1959 Bazooka
3 - 1952 Topps
4 - 1967 Giant Stand up
5 - 1959 Venuelan

[Hxcmilkshake]

I love a sharp, centered 59

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by Hxcmilkshake

I love a sharp, centered 59

Sent from my SM-G935P using Tapatalk

Any sharp, centered Mantle is a great card to own imo.