Value of '52 Topps Mantle in 1973?

[Johnny630]

Wow Brian great story !! You Mom sounds awesome !

[Bestdj777]

Brian, sounds like a fantastic card. When you were very actively collecting, I couldn't imagine many collections rivaling some of the gems you had in yours.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by Bestdj777

Brian, sounds like a fantastic card. When you were very actively collecting, I couldn't imagine many collections rivaling some of the gems you had in yours.

Thanks, Chris. Thirty years ago, Powell was really on the prowl for the nicer, exotic Mantles. As I have detailed on here before, my beloved '52 Topps Mickey was consigned to a Mr. Mint Alan Rosen auction that appeared in the fall of 1995. At the time I consigned this gem, several months before, I had absolutely no idea our dear Mickey was ill. Had I known, I probably would have held on to it. Be that as it may, I was trying to raise money for a down payment on a house. I want to stress something. This doing was by no means at the nagging of my dear wife; in fact, I vaguely recall she asked me a couple of times, "Are you sure you want to sell it?" She knew it was one of my favorite cards. It was totally my idea. You see, my wife, son, and I were living in a 100-year-old apartment that was the upstairs of an Ace Hardware store. It was hot as blazes in the summer, and cold and drafty in the winter. After a few years of enduring these conditions, I realized I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!

My guess as to the condition of my '52 Topps Mick, according to what I think PSA would grade it, would be a 6.5, EXCELLENT-MINT+. The picture just glowed, for the photo clarity was perfect, with no print spots, scuffs, nor indentations, whatsoever. Centering was 37.5 to 62.5, both ways, which was fine with me, given the perfect picture characteristics. Also, the intensity of the colors was the best, given mine was the variety with the black line circumventing the yellow Yanks' logo rectangle. I loved that card.

But, I loved my dear wife and son more.

As a guy who tended to keep records of things, I kept the precious letter I'd received from Larry Fritsch offering me his last top grade '52 T. Mantle he had for sale. Since it was a beautiful letter, I held on to it. However, I'll share it with Dave, since it would lend major help to his story.

My very best to you and your family, Chris.

--- Brian Powell

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by brian1961

Thanks, Chris. Thirty years ago, Powell was really on the prowl for the nicer, exotic Mantles. As I have detailed on here before, my beloved '52 Topps Mickey was consigned to a Mr. Mint Alan Rosen auction that appeared in the fall of 1995. At the time I consigned this gem, several months before, I had absolutely no idea our dear Mickey was ill. Had I known, I probably would have held on to it. Be that as it may, I was trying to raise money for a down payment on a house. I want to stress something. This doing was by no means at the nagging of my dear wife; in fact, I vaguely recall she asked me a couple of times, "Are you sure you want to sell it?" She knew it was one of my favorite cards. It was totally my idea. You see, my wife, son, and I were living in a 100-year-old apartment that was the upstairs of an Ace Hardware store. It was hot as blazes in the summer, and cold and drafty in the winter. After a few years of enduring these conditions, I realized I HAD TO DO SOMETHING!

My guess as to the condition of my '52 Topps Mick, according to what I think PSA would grade it, would be a 6.5, EXCELLENT-MINT+. The picture just glowed, for the photo clarity was perfect, with no print spots, scuffs, nor indentations, whatsoever. Centering was 37.5 to 62.5, both ways, which was fine with me, given the perfect picture characteristics. Also, the intensity of the colors was the best, given mine was the variety with the black line circumventing the yellow Yanks' logo rectangle. I loved that card.

But, I loved my dear wife and son more.

As a guy who tended to keep records of things, I kept the precious letter I'd received from Larry Fritsch offering me his last top grade '52 T. Mantle he had for sale. Since it was a beautiful letter, I held on to it. However, I'll share it with Dave, since it would lend major help to his story.

My very best to you and your family, Chris.

--- Brian Powell

Sounds like you have a great wife too!

[buymycards]

I don't have any 1973 info, but I have the 1976 Sport Americana Bicentennial Edition.

It shows the 1952 Topps Hi #'s at $10 each, and while there aren't any individual listings, it says "Individual Superstars in the last series range from $18 to $50. So, $50 for the Mantle in 1976?

It also lists 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth valued at $20 and LaJoie at $400.

T206's show Wagner at $1000, Plank $400, Magie error $100, Demmitt and O'Hara $25. Cobb is not listed or priced.

Rick

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by buymycards

T206's show Wagner at $1000, Plank $400, Magie error $100, Demmitt and O'Hara $25. Cobb is not listed or priced.

Rick

The T206 big boys before 1980 pretty much had to be one-off anomalies. Wagners don't sell every day today, they certainly didn't back then either. If you actually had one for sale I can imagine that "book value" was at most a loose reference. You would probably look to sell it for all you could get.

[brian1961]

Originally Posted by Johnny630

Wow Brian great story !! You Mom sounds awesome !

Thanks a million, Johnny. She was indeed awesome. At this time, she was also a widow, and had to be frugal. As I ponder her sacrifice of buying this card I wanted so badly, AND RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, I tear up; I just can't help it.

Have a swell rest of the weekend and week ahead.

--- Brian Powell

[Johnny630]

Your welcome ! Great Story and Memories.
Have a great week.

[Fuddjcal]

Just ran across this thread and here's my story...In 1973 at 12 years old, I saved all summer to buy a 1952 Topps Mantle for $75.00. I think it was an ad in a magazine called Trader Speaks or Collectors digest or something like that?

My Dad thought I was nuts but I gave him the money and my parents wrote the check and I mailed it in. I would check the mailbox every day...

When my package finally came there was NO MANTLE in there. There was a 1955 Koufax, a 1955 Warren Spahn and a 1956 Roy Campanella...ALSO INCLUDED was a $25.00 CREDIT MEMO!!!

What almost was, left me with a bad taste in my mouth and it was shortly after that I quit collecting until the mid to late 1980's as a young adult. While everyone was collecting the new crap, I was buying all the sets from 60's and early 70's. They were in a house fire in the mid 90's and surprisingly where they were stored, none of them were damaged if you can believe it? Maybe smelled a little from smoke. LOL

I sold them after a divorce, just to get by in 1994 shortly after the fire. Now that I'm established with my own business and some expendable income, I have started to buy back some of my favorite cards from the 50's and 60's just to blow a few bucks now and then...So there you have it, a sickening story of what might have been.

75 bucks! OUCH THAT SMARTS reliving that.