Debating Which Mantle to Go For.
 

I've been slowly piecing together a Mantle run, it's something of a life long collector goal. Unfortunately the 51 Bowman and 52 topps are out of my reach right now, but I know collecting is a marathon, not a sprint.

Grades, mean very little to me, for the earlier Mantles, raw, lower grades or even ones slabbed as Authentic, make things a little more reasonable, especially with the current budget I'm operating on. A part of me doesn't necessarily love the idea of grabbing altered cards, but with my current budget being what it is, and with Mantles at a minimum, maintaining their value it, I have to keep all options open.

Here's where the conundrum comes in. I can't decide between buying the 52 Bowman next, or the 53 topps. Both have similar price points. Both are beautiful cards in my opinion. I have days where I go back and forth between which one I want to purchase. I came close to pulling the trigger on a raw 52 Bowman at the Philly Show, but it had a pinhole and the seller was asking for $1600 which was a little steep for me, especially considering the pinhole.

I have a feeling I should go with the 53 because it's the more popular of the two issues, but at the same time, I'm thinking the 52 bowman might rise because the 52 topps have become so expensive. Would love to hear some more experienced collectors takes on this.

You're overthinking it. I compared pricing on my Mantles from 2 years ago to now and they all moved about the same. High grades vs low grades, 50s vs 60s, $300 cards vs $3000 cards, none of it made a difference. Every group went up the same percentage.

The 52B and 53T are both nice cards. Get one that appeals to you and enjoy it. You will get the other one soon enough, I bet, so don't worry about it.

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53 Topps Mantle is one the top 5 most beautiful baseball cards in my humble opinion. I prefer it over any other Mantle including 52 Topps.

53B is my favorite. I agree 53T is a nice looking card but 52B is a great looking Mick too. I never really liked 52T either- borders are too big, the background color is usually muddy and Mickey has his mouth open.

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I think if you are doing a run, you need to leave yourself options. Instead of looking for one particular card, be open to buying either and take the first good deal you find.

I voted 52 Bowman on purely sentimental reasons. I got my first one at an auction at a monthly card show of the West Coast Card Club in 1978. Cost me plenty: $3.25. Forty years later I picked up one in very similar condition:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...%20Mantle.jpeg

Cost a bit more :D

Love'm both - great cards! While the 53T has a lot of collector cache, I'd go with the 52B. My rationale is that lesser grade 53Ts are more prone to showing wear/chipping on the red border that might take away a little eye appeal. Good luck whichever direction you go...

I’d go with the 53 Topps. The 53 Bowman is a rather small and unimpressive card once in hand.

I think this is the most reasonable approach, I do have my eye on a few auctions at the moment. Will monitor the prices,and hopefully hit something!

Good Luck!
_

53T not even close.

Here's mine side-by-side...now if I only had the '51 & '52...

https://i.imgur.com/kob78iSl.jpg?1

Both are beautiful cards and you’ll wind up having both in the long term. My advice as a fellow Mantle collector would be to let the eye appeal and affordability of the specimens currently available determine your choice.

I don't think you'll regret either one, but my $0.02 is if you can find a 53T where the red box isn't chipped too badly, go with that one.

I think the 52 Bowman is the Mona Lisa of baseball cards. Definitely my favorite Mantle. Also, I believe it’s his first card in pinstripes (someone correct me if I’m wrong).

I believe you are correct, since his 51 Issue was a photo in the Yankees Road Grey, and so was his 52 Topps I believe. His 52 Berk Ross issue, also used the same photo of his from his 1951 bowman issue, where he happened to be wearing number 6!

I really love both of the cards, really depends on whichever comes to me at a better price, I've decided.

Easy vote for me, since I've never been a fan of '53 Topps. The '52 Bowman is probably my favorite regular issue Mantle.

https://caimages.collectors.com/psai...e_original.jpg

Card envy
 

Man, that's a beautiful '52 Bowman card, Bob. My ungraded example is only about EX+, but I did only pay about fifty bucks for it back in 1982 and was pleased to have it at that time. Mainly because, in recalling my experiences as an eight-year-old collector in 1952, it was extremely frustrating to me that the third series waxpacks I bought with my precious nickels produced stacks of commons, including the card numbers on either side of 101, but I never saw a Mantle. I just knew that whoever was on that card must have been special because I kept finding duplicates of Peanuts Lowry, Sibby Sisti and others, but never a 101. I still wonder if I was just that unlucky, or if that card was somehow limited in distribution in my area, since I also had trouble finding other Yankees in the set.:rolleyes:

More likely due to the fact that card #101 weighed 0.4 grams more than a normal card, so pack searches at Target (or Walmart) could bring their scale and easily find one. Things never change. :o

Snark?
 

Yuk... in 1952, Walmart and Target stores didn't exist, and wouldn't for another ten years. But, the idea that the '52 Bowman Mantle card was heavier than others is intriguing - makes me wonder why I never thought of lugging my family's ten-pound bathroom scale down to the Mom&Pops to weigh all of their waxpacks.:rolleyes: