any guess on how many 52 mantles exist??

[rats60]

Originally Posted by BearBailey

There are thousands of mantles out there, if you go to any big show you still see plenty of them although in the past few years I do feel they are lower grade than in the past. 52 topps mantle has always been a supply side issue, too much demand and not enough supply. Most people I know who have mantles got them all before grading was common, and none of them have gotten them graded.

But how many upgraded ones do you see? We know how many are graded, but we don't know how many have been regraded. I think that it is one of the most regraded cards in the hobby. The value of the card plus the value added by a bump make the cost of regrading small.

The 1952 high numbers are scarce and went to very few parts of the country. I just don't see there being many unknown copies out there and I doubt that there are many high graded ones upgraded.

[Hot Springs Bathers]

I live in a town of under 50,000 and have been collecting since the early 1970s. I know of three gentlemen here in town that own 1952 Topps Mantles and none of these fellows are collectors.

Decades ago I posted ads wanting to buy cards which met with little success but on one occasion I was asked to look at one of these fellows childhood collection. Many 52s including a Mantle. Over the years through my baseball history research people have brought their cards to me to ask what they are worth. Thus the other two Mantles. None are graded, one resides in a top holder the other two in plastic sheets.

If my average sized southern town has three ungraded that I know of there must be thousands out there nationwide. I think the number of ungraded will dwindle when these are passed to heirs who discover their value. All three of these men know the approximate value and could care less. They belong to their youth and have tremendous sentimental value.