Beautiful Wrecks: The Most Beat-Up 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Cards in the Hobby

In response to a tweet asking for a “beautiful image that will change your life,” Will Stern of cllct posted one of the most annihilated 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards you’ll ever see.

Some kid clearly put a lot of work into it decades ago, and the hobby is better for it! Someone asked Will how much it was worth in that condition, implying $10-20k, but Will thinks more because of the story behind it. BlowoutBuzz wrote a few more words about the card in January 2016 and included this photo from PSA, implying questionable authenticity.

I replied to Will with another well-loved Mantle I saw at the 2024 National, displayed proudly at 707SportsCards’ booth in Cleveland, with another rough example next to it, too!

Update 30 August 2025: Here’s a photo from 707’s booth at the 2025 National with a few more legendary 52 Topps Mantle cards.

It got me thinking: over the years, the worst ’52 Mantles have become their own kind of legend. So here are a few more hobby survivors, creased, trimmed, inked, and loved to death.

The Most Coveted Miscut Card in the Hobby

I had this SGC slabbed photo of a 1952 Topps #312 Jackie Robinson in my archives since August 2021, and you can see a bit of the 1952 Topps Mantle on the left side. In 2023, CSG recertified it and put “Partial #311 Mickey Mantle” on the flip. SCP Auctions then sold it in May 2023 for $48,316.80.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle CSG Skinned Back

A lot of the “subpar” ’52 Topps Mantles seem to be CSG slabbed these days, including this “trimmed” and skinned back example, also from early 2023.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle CSG Trimmed With Two Hole Punches

In the article sharing that skinned-back example, CSG shared a few others as well, including this trimmed example with two holes punched in it that sold on eBay in early 2022 for $11,877.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle CSG Extensive Color Added

CSG also shared the following example, which they certified in May 2022, that was essentially colored in.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle BVG Scrapbook Trimmed

Here’s another ’52 Mantle that looks a lot like the Skinned Back example.

Sports Collectors Daily shared that Greg Morris Cards sold it on eBay in March 2024 for $7,201.

1952 Topps #311 Micke Mantle Taped Up

SCD shared that this Taped Up copy sold for over $10k in 2021.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Extremely “Faded”

Here’s another fun BVG-authenticated copy that Goldin sold in August 2024 for $14,640. The back isn’t that bad, though!

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Single Hole Punched

More recently, in February 2025, Huggins sold this single-hole punched example for $16,200. cllct wrote a few words about it.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Bearded

Here’s a funny copy I found on WaxPackGods who said it sold on eBay in July 2018 for $4,251.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Heavily Handled

Goldin sold this incredible worn example for $13,685 in August 2025. CGC covered this example on their blog.

Kudos to whoever wrote the description:

The offered example lays claim to what must have been a fascinating history. The card wasn’t touched only gingerly, then carefully put away. Instead, it experienced a journey, during which it was clearly handled frequently, then stored under less than auspicious circumstances. (Perhaps even a quick, accidental flow through a storm drain occurred, or a trip through an old Maytag’s rinse cycle. Yes, these could be chapters of the singular relic’s story.) Examination of the card reveals a number of wrinkles, significant corner rounding, surface and print attrition (to include areas of missing material), and regions of amber-toned shading among its technical “faults.” So, certainly, the piece has been physically compromised. 

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Cert Deactivated

I saw this example while exploring saleson Card Ladder, who show that it was sold in June 2025 as a Best Offer on eBay for $17,500. However, PSA says the cert has been deactivated, so maybe it’s a fake.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Pinkish Scrawl

This SGC Altered example was a part of Huggins & Scott’s Summer 2025 Auction; it sold for $17,400. They wrote, “Obvious condition factors abound including perimeter modifications, a pinkish scrawl across Mick’s facsimile signature and acute paper loss/residue on the ‘laces face righ’ reverse.”

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Evidence of Trimming

Evidence of Trimming. Indeed, strong evidence.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Evidence of Trimming 2

Speaking of trimming, here’s a better photo of one of the 52 Mantle’s from 707’s 2025 National booth I shared earlier.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Evidence of Trimming 3

One more “bordered’ example from rt_collections28 on Instagram.

1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Chunk Missing

The front of this one doesn’t look THAT awful, sure it’s missing a chunk, but the paper loss on the back really earns its right to be on this list.

Sure, there are million-dollar high-grade Mantles, but even the wrecks aren’t cheap. Demand stays high no matter the condition. So what’s a collector who wants a ’52 Mantle to do? Save up.

Happy collecting!