1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Cards
On April 17, 1952, Mickey Mantle set foot in Yankee Stadium, at age 19 and thus began the American Legend that is Mickey Mantle. He's one of the most recognizable names in history, not just baseball. In less than twenty years, he hit 536 homeruns, played in seven World Series and took home the AL MVP three times.
If you know, you know. The truth is that the 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle #253 is the true Rookie card. It's just a fact. Despite this fact, thousands of collectors still go after the 1952 Topps #311 rookie card driving its value up into the tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, you can probably find a decent Bowman #253 for just over five grand.
As with any card of this caliber, getting a proper grade rating is hugely important. With this card, an official grade can make the difference of tens of thousands of dollars. There aren't many of these cards out there, but one or two do pop up at auction upon occasion. One of these in an SGC Mint condition sold recently for a whopping $38,000. Without a grade, this card might have only commanded a price of $2,500-$4000. Clearly, a proper appraisal is absolutely vital.
Owning one of these cards could truly net you a small fortune. One PSA MT grade 1951 Mickey Mantle Bowman sold for $165,000! More shocking still, a '51 card in Gem Mint Condition sold for a stunning price of $600,000. When a piece of cardboard has people paying over half a million dollars for it, you know there's something special about it.
It's pretty unlikely that a card in that rare condition will be seen on the market anytime soon, considering most experts estimate there may be less than 5 left in existence. The good news though is that a '51 Bowman Mantle in lesser condition could still net a seller a price of several thousand dollars if the time is right. This card seems to stand out as a real treasure to collectors and commands prices that few other cards of its age could approach. Fans are willing to pay prices on par with some of baseball's oldest cards.
