Fans Wouldn’t Dump A Mantle Now Collectors Favor Remaining Copies Of Ex-Yankee’s 1952 Topps Card
Which would you rather own: a 1995 Mustang convertible or a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card? Now that Mantle’s medical battle has bumped O.J. Simpson from the front page, you’d be surprised how many folks might opt for Door No. 2.
Both items sell in the $25,000 range. The Mustang comes in your choice of colors; the 1952 Mantle in basic blue. The card requires virtually no maintenance and gets infinitely better gas mileage than the car. Unfortunately, both require insurance in the state of New York.
There are three pieces that define baseball-card collecting: the ‘52 Mantle, the 1910 Honus Wagner and the 1963 Topps Pete Rose Rookie card. But the amazing tale behind the Mantle card puts the other two to shame.
These days, it’s old sneakers and medical waste, but in the fall of 1952, Mickey Mantle cards were washing up on the Jersey Shore.
After issuing a number of small-scale sets in 1951, Topps decided to go bigtime in 1952 and declared war on Bowman, the reigning trading-card king.
Although Topps’ first series debuted toward the beginning of the season, it took the Brooklyn company until July 14, 1952, to get the Yankees’ rising-star center fielder under contract. Mantle was paid $50 for his signature; most of the other players in the set got $5.
It was well into the season, but still in time for the final series. But by the time that seventh series hit the candy stores, the pennant races were virtually over and youngsters were exchanging their pennies for the new Bowman football cards.
Topps found itself stuck with cases upon cases of unwanted cardboard pictures of baseball players and decided to dispose of them.
Sy Berger, now a Topps vice president, drew the garbage detail. “Unable to make arrangements at the incinerator, I had the cards loaded onto two big trucks, which took them - and me - to a floating barge and out to sea,” Berger said, recalling the incident.
“While I watched, and gobbled seasick pills, the cards were dumped into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey.”
No one at Topps has a guess as to how many Mantle cards went to their watery grave. But they went in good company. Other stars in the ill-fated series included Jackie Robinson ($1,500), Roy Campanella ($2,000), Pee Wee Reese ($1,200) and Eddie Mathews ($2,500).
If this story leaves you feeling the way Berger did when Mantle, Campy and Pee Wee walked the plank, be strong. If not for Topps’ beach party, those cards would be far more plentiful today - and considerably less valuable. Mantlemania and the ensuing card craze might never have happened.
xxxx Measuring Mantle The most valuable and most popular Mantle cards, according to Doug Kale, editor of Sports Card Trader: Most valuable: 1. 1952 Topps ($25,000); 2. 1951 Bowman ($9,000); 3. 1953 Topps ($3,800); 4. 1953 Bowman ($2,900); 5. 1952 Bowman ($2,700). Most popular: 1. 1952 Topps; 2. 1953 Bowman; 3. 1957 Topps ($450); 4. 1969 Topps ($325); 5. 1960 Topps ($475).