Every sports card has a different value depending on the player, year, scarcity and its condition. For those of us that are lucky, we may have bought a sports card in the past and now it’s worth way more than it was. Although few cards are worth millions of dollars, one of the most expensive cards in the world is the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. In fact, just recently, this card was sold for 5.2 million dollars. (Related topics: where to sell baseball cards)
This card is valuable due to its scarcity and the fact that it’s one of the most iconic baseball cards ever produced. It was originally double printed by Topps and since Topps didn’t sell through the series, it ended up dumping thousands of these cards into the Atlantic Ocean. Because of its value , there are many counterfeit copies you on the market. It’s also more difficult to identify which ones are fake since there are two versions of this card. That’s why it’s important to know how to identify a real 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, and how to know the difference between the two versions.
Characteristics That Identify The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Card
- The bottom left corner of the type 1 has a missing pixel that makes the corner look not squared off as it is in the type 2.
- The box surrounding the Yankees logo on the type 1 card has a sharp black border, whereas the other version has a more ragged border.
- In the type 1 card, Mickey Mantle’s signature has an “e” that curves upwards at the bottom of the signature (last “e” in his name). On the type 2 card, the “e” does not curve.
- On the type 2 card, there is a small blue pixel missing near the top left of the card.
- On the back of the type 1 card, there are stitches pointing to the left; on type 2, they point to the right.
Those are some of the characteristics in a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card that you should look for. If you want to buy or sell baseball cards, no matter which card it is, you should make sure to check if they’re authentic. Of course, to a trained professional, the feel of the paper stock and the lack of pixilation on a genuine version can be correctly determined.
When you’re ready to sell baseball cards, give us a call at American Legends.
