What do you think makes this Mantle authentic/altered?

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

It is in a PSA Authentic/Altered slab. Do you guys think it has been trimmed or recolored, or is there an erasure somewhere I just am not seeing? Or has it been deemed too beat up to be a 1? I have stared at it long enough...LOL!

[DJCollector1]

That's the one on Ebay for $850 right?

When I look at it, it looks like some wear/erasure mark across his chin and lower face. It may even be a touch of recoloring.
Compare that area to others listed, you should notice it immediately. (although there may be something else I am not focusing in on)

While I certainly wouldn't mind owning that card, you can exercise a bit of patience and for only a few hundred more you could probably find one you would be much more happy with ultimately.

But, a word of warning........ be prepared to act very quickly when a strong eye-appeal example comes up.

As someone who dabbles in Mantle (and also did my own low end framed project) I learned pretty quickly that there is a TON of Mantle collectors who snap up most any strong eye appeal cards very quickly on Ebay and in other areas.

Once you get your budget straight, or you figure out exactly what you want to spend, start watching daily. Check morning, and also in the evening.
But when a good one comes up, be prepared to pull the trigger very quickly.

The good news is, you can always resell a Mantle fairly easily, if you aren't satisfied for whatever reason, down the road.


I'm still regretting not pulling the trigger on a beautifully centered 1969 PSA 7 about a year back.
It was only on Ebay for a matter of minutes before it was gone.
I looked it over, debated it...……… went downstairs for a drink, and 5 minutes later it was gone.

I'm still pissed.


Let me know when/if you finally snag one, I'd love to see it.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by DJCollector1

That's the one on Ebay for $850 right?

When I look at it, it looks like some wear/erasure mark across his chin and lower face. It may even be a touch of recoloring.
Compare that area to others listed, you should notice it immediately. (although there may be something else I am not focusing in on)



While I certainly wouldn't mind owning that card, you can exercise a bit of patience and for only a few hundred more you could probably find one you would be much more happy with ultimately.

But, a word of warning........ be prepared to act very quickly when a strong eye-appeal example comes up.

As someone who dabbles in Mantle (and also did my own low end framed project) I learned pretty quickly that there is a TON of Mantle collectors who snap up most any strong eye appeal cards very quickly on Ebay and in other areas.

Once you get your budget straight, or you figure out exactly what you want to spend, start watching daily. Check morning, and also in the evening.
But when a good one comes up, be prepared to pull the trigger very quickly.

The good news is, you can always resell a Mantle fairly easily, if you aren't satisfied for whatever reason, down the road.


I'm still regretting not pulling the trigger on a beautifully centered 1969 PSA 7 about a year back.
It was only on Ebay for a matter of minutes before it was gone.
I looked it over, debated it...……… went downstairs for a drink, and 5 minutes later it was gone.

I'm still pissed.


Let me know when/if you finally snag one, I'd love to see it.

Good thoughts. Not considering buying it. I had just run across it and couldn't figure out the A, and it was driving me nuts! Oddly enough, I was so busy looking at edges, I I didn't even focus on his face..LOL!

[G1911]

Sure looks like an eraser to remove a mark on his face, though it doesn't appear re-colored to me. Nice looking card still.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

It is obvious now that you guys mention it. For the life of me, I just couldn't see it.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by vintagebaseballcardguy

It is obvious now that you guys mention it. For the life of me, I just couldn't see it.

I've never understood, personally, why this is considered Altered and ungradable though. To me, "Authentic - Altered" is a card that has taken unnatural damage during the course of a fraud. Like trimming, having sharpie touching up a 1971 Topps card, a card that has gone through a chemical bath and wreaks of Bleach, a card that has a ink color removed long after creation to try and fool someone into buying an 'error'. This doesn't look nefarious at all, just some kid writing on Mantle's face and erasing it. To me this is just a normal 2-Good condition card.

If you write on Mickey's Face, you can get an 8-MK, but if the kid then erased it, you get a 0. Doesn't make sense to me, though I am probably in the minority here since this is something of a standard now.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by G1911

I've never understood, personally, why this is considered Altered and ungradable though. To me, "Authentic - Altered" is a card that has taken unnatural damage during the course of a fraud. Like trimming, having sharpie touching up a 1971 Topps card, a card that has gone through a chemical bath and wreaks of Bleach, a card that has a ink color removed long after creation to try and fool someone into buying an 'error'. This doesn't look nefarious at all, just some kid writing on Mantle's face and erasing it. To me this is just a normal 2-Good condition card.

If you write on Mickey's Face, you can get an 8-MK, but if the kid then erased it, you get a 0. Doesn't make sense to me, though I am probably in the minority here since this is something of a standard now.

Yeah, there doesn't appear to be anything nefarious going on with this one.

[steve B]

Similar mark on the back just left of center. Maybe glare or a reflection? seems odd that it would be similar but located differently on different sides

[DJCollector1]

Originally Posted by steve B

Similar mark on the back just left of center. Maybe glare or a reflection? seems odd that it would be similar but located differently on different sides

I noticed that as well when I first saw it.

I (at first) thought it was a rub mark so strong that it wore down into the card and could be seen through the reverse, but then it seemed to be along different sides.

Of course, its likely just a glare, but its for sure a mark on the front.
I'd save a bit more and buy an example I like a bit better.

In the past year I have seen a handful that were much more appealing in the $1,100 - $1,400 range.