Vintage Undervalued Roookies

[packs]

The 51 Bowman Mantle. Might be a centerpiece card for a lot of people but the value lags so far behind the Topps that it's difficult to understand the pricing. Even when it comes to DiMaggio, whose most popular "rookie" is the 1939 Play Ball, when the 1936 Goudey does come up it always outsells it's later issued and more mainstream counterpart. Not sure why the same isn't true for the 51 Mantle, even if it's not Topps.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

The 51 Bowman Mantle. Might be a centerpiece card for a lot of people but the value lags so far behind the Topps that it's difficult to understand the pricing. Even when it comes to DiMaggio, whose most popular "rookie" is the 1939 Play Ball, when the 1936 Goudey does come up it always outsells it's later issued and more mainstream counterpart. Not sure why the same isn't true for the 51 Mantle, even if it's not Topps.

There are more 51 Bowmans than 52 Topps despite the Topps being a DP. 52 Topps is Mantle's rarest regular issue card. I also think the difficulty of completing a 52 Topps set because of the high numbers is a major factor. 52 Topps is the t206 set of post war collecting. That contributes to the demand.

[Johnny630]

To me there has been a major swing from The collector base to the Investor Base of card owners.

It looks like this decade the same will repeat itself driving this hobby to further highs.

[packs]

Originally Posted by rats60

There are more 51 Bowmans than 52 Topps despite the Topps being a DP. 52 Topps is Mantle's rarest regular issue card. I also think the difficulty of completing a 52 Topps set because of the high numbers is a major factor. 52 Topps is the t206 set of post war collecting. That contributes to the demand.

But so what? We're talking about a true rookie card of a folk hero. There's no reason for it to lag like it does. PSA 1 Bowman will run you what, somewhere around 5K? A 52 missing a border sold for 11K in a recent Heritage auction.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

But so what? We're talking about a true rookie card of a folk hero. There's no reason for it to lag like it does. PSA 1 Bowman will run you what, somewhere around 5K? A 52 missing a border sold for 11K in a recent Heritage auction.

All you can expect is for the 51 Bowman to be worth more than other post war rookie cards. It is never going to catch the 52 Topps. Supply is more and demand is less. They are starting to move up in price. It will be interesting to see what they do in this months Heritage auction.

[packs]

Originally Posted by rats60

All you can expect is for the 51 Bowman to be worth more than other post war rookie cards. It is never going to catch the 52 Topps. Supply is more and demand is less. They are starting to move up in price. It will be interesting to see what they do in this months Heritage auction.

Same doesn't seem to be true for the Mays though.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by packs

Same doesn't seem to be true for the Mays though.

52 Topps Mays is not a high number and there are more 52 Topps than 51 Bowman Mays. I think the 51 Bowman Mantle is under valued compared to 52 Topps but it always has been. I have a PSA 7 Mantle RC so I am hoping it closes the gap. It is just that there are a lot of people with unlimited funds that are drawn to the 52. It is no different that someone paying 732k for a Jordan RC or 3.9 million for a Trout superfractor. These guys want a card to show off and it needs to be something a non collector would recognize. That is 52T not 51B.

[dio]

Originally Posted by rats60

All you can expect is for the 51 Bowman to be worth more than other post war rookie cards. It is never going to catch the 52 Topps. Supply is more and demand is less. They are starting to move up in price. It will be interesting to see what they do in this months Heritage auction.

Yes, It will never catch the 52 topps. However, i think at the end it will get closer to 52 topps
psa 1 52 topps, clean sweep one, i would say a middle one, not too bad, not great. now is at 38k(after buyer fee) will see how it goes
psa 1 bowman cleansweep i think maybe a little above average 1 is at 9k now, take the same condition maybe 8k
so 38k vs 8k. I would think eventually might catch up to the ratio of 38k to 20-25k in the future , still the 51 bowman is his true rookie

[packs]

The 51 Bowman is also a high number in its own right.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by rats60

All you can expect is for the 51 Bowman to be worth more than other post war rookie cards. It is never going to catch the 52 Topps. Supply is more and demand is less. They are starting to move up in price. It will be interesting to see what they do in this months Heritage auction.

Clean Sweep Auction ending tonight has both a PSA 1 1951 Bowman Mantle and 1952 Topps Mantle. Right now, the Topps is at $31,800 and the Bowman is at $9317 (current bids without b.p.). They are both decent looking 1's although the centering on the Bowman is much worse than the Topps. It will be interesting to see where they both end.

[troutbum97]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Clean Sweep Auction ending tonight has both a PSA 1 1951 Bowman Mantle and 1952 Topps Mantle. Right now, the Topps is at $31,800 and the Bowman is at $9317 (current bids without b.p.). They are both decent looking 1's although the centering on the Bowman is much worse than the Topps. It will be interesting to see where they both end.

$11,000+ for a PSA 1 o/c 1951 Mantle?

[Kutcher55]

39 Play Ball DiMaggio seems very undervalued. First Joe D card other than the '38 mini-me Goudey nonsense and an absolutely classic photo. Yet the '41 Playball trades at multiples more. Hey I love '41 playball but the '39 DiMaggio is a much better card IMO.

I think the '52 Topps Mays is off-the-charts iconic and a very good investment although it has doubled in the past 2 months so I guess it's half as good an investment as it was two months ago lol.

I think the '41 PlayBall Peewee Reese is a good buy. He was a great man and a pretty darn good ballplayer too.

1989 Topps Traded Randy Kutcher cards are also criminally undervalued.

[dio]

Originally Posted by troutbum97

$11,000+ for a PSA 1 o/c 1951 Mantle?

Taking off. Get it before it's too late. Price ratio between 52 topps and 51 bowman is just too great. Ppl finally realize it's undervalued

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

The 51 Bowman Mantle. Might be a centerpiece card for a lot of people but the value lags so far behind the Topps that it's difficult to understand the pricing. Even when it comes to DiMaggio, whose most popular "rookie" is the 1939 Play Ball, when the 1936 Goudey does come up it always outsells it's later issued and more mainstream counterpart. Not sure why the same isn't true for the 51 Mantle, even if it's not Topps.

We've all been conditioned to think the 311 is the most iconic card on earth. There's a self-fulfilling prophecy aspect to it.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

We've all been conditioned to think the 311 is the most iconic card on earth. There's a self-fulfilling prophecy aspect to it.

That is just the Yankees fans. Everyone knows the Wagner is the most iconic card. It has been for 90 years and I don't see it ever changing.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by rats60

That is just the Yankees fans. Everyone knows the Wagner is the most iconic card. It has been for 90 years and I don't see it ever changing.

Right, but (until recently?) the Mantle while pricey was far more accessible than the Wagner. I'll qualify my statement to say the most iconic accessible (sort of) card.

[The Nasty Nati]

1939 Play Ball Ted Williams RC I think has been undervalued for years, even with today's prices.