I think another important factor in buying an expensive card is WHO you are buying it from. If you are new to the hobby then I would stick to the main auction houses, they sell a number of 52 topps mantles each year in them. There are a couple big dealers that can be trusted, like Levi/707. I would also guess there are a couple trusted collectors on this site that for a finders fee would be able to get you what you want, just get references.
On a card like the 52 mantle I would stay clear away from ebay (unless you fully understand how ebay works) and I would run away from any craigslist or back room type "special" deal.
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