What is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle really worth?

Graymouse · Sep 7, 2010

The purpose of this thread is to get a discussion going about the true value of the Topps 1952 Mantle card. Also I would like to read the opinion of this board on value of the 52 Mantle.

In my opinion I believe that the Topps '52 Mantle is the most overpriced and overhyped card of post-war era.

scotty21690 · Sep 7, 2010

Graymouse said:
In my opinion I believe that the Topps '52 Mantle is the most overpriced and overhyped card of post-war era.

I concur, not sure why it is worth more than his 51' rookie card... :?

TomMurry · Sep 7, 2010

scotty21690 said:
Graymouse said:

In my opinion I believe that the Topps '52 Mantle is the most overpriced and overhyped card of post-war era.

Click to expand...

I concur, not sure why it is worth more than his 51' rookie card... :?

Supply and demand. The 52 was a more popular set and is much much rarer.

Pinbreaker · Sep 7, 2010

You have to remember Topps dumped a ton of those cards out in the bay..

Too bad UD didn't do the same for Griffey's RC.. instead they made a ton more!!

fkw · Sep 7, 2010

I agree, it is the most overhyped card of its era....

The 1952 Topps Mantle was double printed within the last series of cards. That means there are twice as many Mantles as any other player in the last series. But the last series is shortprinted overall as well and sold far slower than the other series because it came out at the end of the baseball season. Some store's wouldnt order the last few series because they still had backstock on the earlier series. Its also rumored/known that Topps ended up dumping cases and cases of the last series in the ocean because they didnt sell.

With thats said.... The 1952 Mantle is NOT a rare card, it may be much scarcer overall compared to the 1951 Bowmans, but it exists in numbers well into the thousands.

The hype will live on a bit longer, Mantle as a player is/was overrated, and many of the NYC baby boomers are getting up there in age, so IMO the hype will die down in the years to come. Now that he's been retired for 40+ years, not many card collectors can say they saw Mantle play.

200lbhockeyplayer · Sep 7, 2010

Pinbreaker said:
You have to remember Topps dumped a ton of those cards out in the bay..

Too bad UD didn't do the same for Griffey's RC.. instead they made a ton more!!

I don't know what Upper Deck printed more of...1989 Ken Griffey, 2001 Upper Deck Golf, or 2009-10 Series One Hockey. All three saw multiple printings after the initial runs dried up.

That said, the 1952 Mantle, while overpriced, is "THE" iconic card of a one of the most iconic players by the most iconic card manufacturer.

Graymouse · Sep 8, 2010

fkw said:
I agree, it is the most overhyped card of its era....

The 1952 Topps Mantle was double printed within the last series of cards. That means there are twice as many Mantles as any other player in the last series. But the last series is shortprinted overall as well and sold far slower than the other series because it came out at the end of the baseball season. Some store's wouldnt order the last few series because they still had backstock on the earlier series. Its also rumored/known that Topps ended up dumping cases and cases of the last series in the ocean because they didnt sell.

With thats said.... The 1952 Mantle is NOT a rare card, it may be much scarcer overall compared to the 1951 Bowmans, but it exists in numbers well into the thousands.

The hype will live on a bit longer, Mantle as a player is/was overrated, and many of the NYC baby boomers are getting up there in age, so IMO the hype will die down in the years to come. Now that he's been retired for 40+ years, not many card collectors can say they saw Mantle play.

Very well said! I could not of said it better. I think most of his popularity for the most part came from him being a Yankee. I mean if Mantle was on the say......Kansas City Athletics or some other lowely baseball team of the 50's and 60's I truely believe he would not have half the hype that he enjoys today. Mantle didn't even have a .300 lifetime batting average! His best year was in 1956 when he won the triple crown. After that season he pretty much became an average player.

As for his '52 topps, I agree it is an iconic set but paying 40k+ for a NM sample of Mantle's card is crazy! Just because its the most expensive card in the pre-war era doesn't make it an iconic card in my opinion. Perhaps if Mantle didn't drink his life away he probably could have been more then what he is now. There is no reason to talk about what could have been vs what is. These are his career stats.

Career statistics
Batting average .298
Home runs: 536
Hits: 2,415
Runs batted in: 1,509

mannyramirezcollec · Sep 8, 2010

Graymouse said:
fkw said:

I agree, it is the most overhyped card of its era....

The 1952 Topps Mantle was double printed within the last series of cards. That means there are twice as many Mantles as any other player in the last series. But the last series is shortprinted overall as well and sold far slower than the other series because it came out at the end of the baseball season. Some store's wouldnt order the last few series because they still had backstock on the earlier series. Its also rumored/known that Topps ended up dumping cases and cases of the last series in the ocean because they didnt sell.

With thats said.... The 1952 Mantle is NOT a rare card, it may be much scarcer overall compared to the 1951 Bowmans, but it exists in numbers well into the thousands.

The hype will live on a bit longer, Mantle as a player is/was overrated, and many of the NYC baby boomers are getting up there in age, so IMO the hype will die down in the years to come. Now that he's been retired for 40+ years, not many card collectors can say they saw Mantle play.

Click to expand...

Very well said! I could not of said it better. I think most of his popularity for the most part came from him being a Yankee. I mean if Mantle was on the say......Kansas City Athletics or some other lowely baseball team of the 50's and 60's I truely believe he would not have half the hype that he enjoys today. Mantle didn't even have a .300 lifetime batting average! His best year was in 1956 when he won the triple crown. After that season he pretty much became an average player.

As for his '52 topps, I agree it is an iconic set but paying 40k+ for a NM sample of Mantle's card is crazy! Just because its the most expensive card in the pre-war era doesn't make it an iconic card in my opinion. Perhaps if Mantle didn't drink his life away he probably could have been more then what he is now. There is no reason to talk about what could have been vs what is. These are his career stats.

Career statistics
Batting average .298
Home runs: 536
Hits: 2,415
Runs batted in: 1,509

His knee "blowing up" didnt help either

Those numbers are incredible btw

AUTaxMan · Sep 8, 2010

mannyramirezcollec said:
His knee "blowing up" didnt help either

Those numbers are incredible btw

Remember, he injured his knee his rookie year. Stepped on a sprinkler head in the 51 World Series I believe. Put up those numbers in spite of the troubles it caused for the rest of his career.

SamHell · Sep 8, 2010

Graymouse said:
Very well said! I could not of said it better. I think most of his popularity for the most part came from him being a Yankee. I mean if Mantle was on the say......Kansas City Athletics or some other lowely baseball team of the 50's and 60's I truely believe he would not have half the hype that he enjoys today. Mantle didn't even have a .300 lifetime batting average! His best year was in 1956 when he won the triple crown. After that season he pretty much became an average player.

I will agree that part of the Mantle 'legacy' has to do with him being a Yankee and playing on all those great team's added to his popularity but I do have to take exception to your last sentence. Mantle after 1956 had seasons with OPS of 1.177(1957), 1.035(1958), 1.135(1961), 1.091(1962) and 1.015(1964). The rest of the seasons well above average as well. He might not have been the all around player of his youth, but he was still one of the best hitters in baseball.

1995BBRefractorGuy · Oct 28, 2010

+1 for having a '51 and keeping the change.

Baseball Nut · Oct 30, 2010

Any know the co-ordinates of where these cards were dumped. It would be better than find gold doubloons if they survived. :lol:

vintagerookies51 · Oct 31, 2010

I have a '51 mantle and I think the reason the '52 is worth more is because of the high series, but it's still not that much rarer than the bowman.

RepublicaninMass · Nov 12, 2010

the card keeps going up in value, everytime I have thought it was going to sink it has kept going up. I'd like a decent low grade example, but I am not going to over pay. PLus he is a Yankee, and in Red Sox territory that doesnt sit well. Plenty of better cards of his out there, not too many more iconic though

ThoseBackPages · Nov 16, 2010

PSA 1 in 2005 = $1200
PSA 1 in 2010 = $3000+

sports-vault · Apr 7, 2011

GarkoCollector said:
scotty21690 said:

Graymouse said:

In my opinion I believe that the Topps '52 Mantle is the most overpriced and overhyped card of post-war era.

Click to expand...

I concur, not sure why it is worth more than his 51' rookie card... :?

Click to expand...

Supply and demand. The 52 was a more popular set and is much much rarer.

It seems that theres a lot more 52 Topps than 51 Topps!

TBTwinsFan · Apr 7, 2011

sports-vault said:
GarkoCollector said:

scotty21690 said:

Graymouse said:

In my opinion I believe that the Topps '52 Mantle is the most overpriced and overhyped card of post-war era.

Click to expand...

I concur, not sure why it is worth more than his 51' rookie card... :?

Click to expand...

Supply and demand. The 52 was a more popular set and is much much rarer.

Click to expand...

It seems that theres a lot more 52 Topps than 51 Topps!

Topps, to this day, kicks themselves and makes numerous reprints of "what could have been."

Simply speaking, Mantle has no Topps RC.

abeabe · Apr 8, 2011

We can continue the whole RC vs 1st topps card debate that has raged for years. Or the why so many HOFers are yankees? If your gonna question players being in the Hall, the list would quite long before you could question Mantle. It happens to be that his card was a higher # and considered by most to be his rookie. I wouldn't mind owning either card that's for sure!!

TBTwinsFan · Apr 8, 2011

abeabe said:
We can continue the whole RC vs 1st topps card debate that has raged for years. Or the why so many HOFers are yankees? If your gonna question players being in the Hall, the list would quite long before you could question Mantle. It happens to be that his card was a higher # and considered by most to be his rookie. I wouldn't mind owning either card that's for sure!!

It is so hyped that people THINK it's his rookie card.

I don't really see that debate until we get into prospects vs. MLB RC.

fkw · Apr 11, 2011

"""It is so hyped that people THINK it's his rookie card."""
I agree 100%

Also the value will always be there because everyday some newbie with a fat wallet becomes a baseball card collector, and its the 2nd more recognized card in existence and far more obtainable than one of the est.65 known T206 Honus Wagners would be.

For a player who batted in the 3 or 4 spot on the Yankees for most of his career.... Mantle had ONLY 4 seasons of 100+ RBIs in 18 years..... that is not a great player IMO
..... if so, Jeff Kent was 2X the player as Mantle

, and Manny Ramirez 3X

:lol:

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