Quote:
Originally Posted by Forever Young
I have been thinking of buying a 1952 Mantle Topps rookie. Does nayone knOW anything about this one? What are your thoughts on BVG? What is the going rate for a centered 3-4 with good color(the one below a good deal)?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Genuine-orig...item2c6e99fbd2 |
Hi Ben,
I've been considering the same thing for a couple of years now. I know from our previous discussions that we both are very confident with evaluating Type 1 photos (I still would have loved to have gotten the '51 Type I photo of Mantle used for the '52 Topps card but not at the price it went for). At least for me , cards are an entirely different ball game. I still have all of my 50's Bowman and Topps cards from childhood, so I know the feel, smell, gloss etc. of the real thing for each issue.
But for me to spend a considerable amount of money (10-15k) on a 1952 Topps Mantle would raise a number of issues. First would I prefer the eye appeal over the grade? Probably. Corners and to some extent centering would take a back seat to color saturation, registration and a clean surface and borders. Which TPA? PSA would be my choice. Where and how to buy? I agree with what others have said that seeing it in person is the ideal approach and going with a major company like Memory Lane, Heritage, etc. also makes sense. Personally, I would avoid Ebay and if I could not do it in person, then one of the major auction houses. Over 25 years ago, I was offered '52 Topps Mantles on two different occasions and turned them both down, not because of price but because of my naivety with regard to authenticity and grading.
Even though the '51 Bowman is his true rookie card and for comparable grades can be had for much less than the '52 Topps, I still prefer the large size and iconic image of the '52 Topps. Whatever you decide, all my best for obtaining what you want.
Cheers,
Craig