Ok this GAI Mantle has to be good..

[Jsquared123]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I'm not sure what your game plan is.

Are you trying to save money by buying a GAI Mantle and having it reslabbed by a "respected" TPA? If so, I'd advise you to find more productive uses for your time.

For starters, you will have to be supremely confident in your knowledge of Mantle, which doesn't appear to be the case since you are seeking outside internet opinions. I say this because in order for this idea to work, you would have to buy the card and remove it from the GAI slab before sending it to PSA. If you left it in the slab when submitting to them, they would take one look at the slab and not give it any more thought before immediately failing it, even if it was authentic.

Of course, once you cracked the slab, the person you bought it from is completely off the hook to give you any sort of refund.

It's a losing proposition. Find better ways of getting a low priced Mantle.

If you're just curious if GAI ever authenticated a genuine Mantle, sure they did. Many times over. The large volume of authentic material signed by Mantle coupled with the number of truly naive GAI customers who thought they were a reputable service proves it. Of course, no knowledgeable dealer was getting their Mantle material authenticated by GAI; only crooked dealers who already knew their material was fraudulent.

Whatever your interest is in this regard, it's a complete waste of time and effort.

Appreciate the well thought out response. You are correct on all fronts. As for my motives and reasoning, it is probably a bit of all those reasons. I am also a bit partial to the starting lineup brand being a kid when those were popular. I had the Don Mattingly and Mike Pagliarulo figurines around that same timeframe so anything associated with that portion of the collecting niche has intrigued me now as an adult with a bit more disposable income to burn here and there.

Bold, authentic Mantle's on cards or even Perez Steele postcards are getting tougher to find much under the 1k mark these days. And forget anything on a playing days Topps card being "affordable". I guess if I want quality, I will have to pay up and not look to cut the proverbial corner.