****TRIGGER ALERT: I haven't contacted the seller and I'm not casting aspersions if the card is in fact legitimate.****
Upon hearing about today's 15% off coupon code, I started scouring ebay for cards and this 1961 high number Mantle hit me square in the face. The offer was expiring within minutes, so there was no time to contact the seller (who has 100% feedback, BTW) and ask any questions. It just looks way off to me, with those unbelievably pure white (and completely unblemished and, therefore, unnatural) borders, the perfect corners, the overly pink/red skin tones and what not, all inside what looks to be an extremely old flip. Doesn't this card look like it came from the 1996 Topps insert set? Is this sucker legit? Am I wrong and just falling for a photoshop job reminiscent of Battlefield's work?? (I did check PSA's website, and the cert. number is/was real.) And, no, I didn't pull the trigger.
(Link to auction edited out.)
s-l500.jpg
Here's a screenshot of a clearly legitimate one from ebay for comparison...
Screen Shot 2018-07-11 at 11.23.26 PM copy.jpg
Edited to add: I guess I answered my own questions. Here's the above card after only about 3 seconds of photoshop work. Yowza...
Screen Shot 2018-07-11 at 11.23.26 PM copy2.jpg
So, I guess nevermind.