Mantle Momentum

Last year I added my first ever playing-era flagship Topps Mickey Mantle card to my collection when I picked up a copy of his 1966 card.  Adding that one to my collection was such a great feeling that I soon decided to pursue another.

Well, my parents were kind enough to give me a $50 eBay gift card for Christmas last year and I began the hunt.  I settled on this beauty!

I've always loved the 1964 Topps set, and it seems like 2019 has been the unofficial Year of '64 Topps here on the blog.  I grabbed low-grade copies of the Pete Rose and Sandy Koufax cards from this release earlier in the year, and now both of those are topped by The Mick!

Due to the grade of "Good 2.5", this puppy was available for relatively cheap coin.  It was just a shade over $100 to begin with, and with that $50 eBay gift card covering close to half of the cost of the card I capitalized on the opportunity to add this one to my collection.

Here's a better look at the front, bearing in mind that my scanner struggles with PSA slabs.  I like this one quite a bit more than the '66 card.  In both instances he's pictured in a standard batting stance pre-game.  On this card though, Mantle still looks stoic and strong, an imposing presence, whereas that seems to be the case to a lesser degree just a couple of years later.  I like the design of '64 Topps over '66 as well, so this is cemented as my new favorite Mantle card for sure.

The '64 backs aren't all that exciting, but here's a look at it just to show you that it's in great shape with no paper loss or staining.  A nice, clean card of one of our hobby's biggest names.

So, there's my second legit Mantle.  I couldn't be happier.  I'm glad that I was able to use a gift from my parents to add a card this iconic to my collection.  I'll surely cherish this one for as long as I participate in this hobby.

Thanks for stopping by!