Lot # 28: 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie PSA VG 3

Monumental Mick! Graded VG 3 by PSA. Pre-dating the iconic 1952 Topps version by a full season, the offered 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle high number is rightfully considered the New York Yankees Hall of Fame slugger's "true" rookie card. The boyhood hero to millions of American youth bats from the right side of the plate on this crease-free horizontal rendering that displays moderate, but not excessive, corner wear and limited factory errant centering common to the issue. The switch-hitting Oklahoma phenom emerges from a cloudy spring training ballpark setting with dazzling player/uniform surface colors and precise registration. Despite mild reverse wax staining, the reverse prospectus is otherwise problem-free. A standout “Commerce Comet” that has been held by our consignor’s family since the product’s release almost 75 years ago.     

From our consignor: "This set is original to the 13-year-old boy who collected and traded with friends for a penny growing up in New Jersey while shooting marbles, fishing and listening to Yankee games on the family radio. Prior to this sale, it has never seen the market or left our family homes. Rich with his love of the game, our father died an Orioles fan in early 2025 at 87 years of age. He would keep these cards secured away but would always bring them out to show other baseball fans and share stories of his youth. It is his family’s hope that the new owner of these cards appreciates them with as much love as he did growing up in South River, NJ with two immigrant parents (Italian & Lithuanian) surrounded by a large family and a lot of great Italian food to go around."