That Mickey Mantle, he sure was somethin’ else on that baseball field. And these days, his baseball cards, especially that 1951 Bowman one, they’re worth a pretty penny, I tell ya. You wouldn’t believe what folks are payin’ for a piece of cardboard with his picture on it. My neighbor, Bessy, she’s got a whole bunch of these old cards, not just Mickey Mantle, but all sorts of those fellas. Says she’s gonna be a millionaire someday. I don’t know about all that, but I do know those 1951 Mickey Mantle baseball cards are hot stuff.
Now, I ain’t no expert on these things. I just hear things around, you know? Bessy, she’s always talkin’ about ’em. She says the 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle is the one everybody wants. It’s like the holy grail of baseball cards. Says it’s because it’s his rookie card, or somethin’ like that. Whatever that means. All I know is, that boy could hit a ball further than anyone I ever seen. Used to watch him play on that old black and white TV we had. Even back then, you could tell he was special.
Back in them days, you could get a pack of baseball cards for a nickel. Maybe even a dime, I forget. Nobody thought they’d be worth anything someday. We just liked lookin’ at the pictures and tradin’ ’em with each other. I remember my youngest, Billy, he used to have a whole shoebox full of ’em. Wonder whatever happened to those things? Probably got thrown out with the trash years ago. Oh well. Who knew?
Bessy, she’s been tellin’ me all about how to tell if one of those Mickey Mantle cards is real or not. She says there’s a bunch of fakes out there, people tryin’ to make a quick buck. Somethin’ about the color, and the way the picture looks, and the paper it’s printed on. It’s all very complicated, if you ask me. I just like lookin’ at the pictures. Reminds me of a simpler time, you know?
She keeps goin’ on about something called “PSA.” Says it’s some company that tells you how good your card is. And if it’s a “PSA 9” or a “PSA 10”, then you hit the jackpot, or something like that. Then she said she saw one that was a “PSA 9.5” that sold for a whole heap of money. Said that one card was worth more than my whole house! Can you believe that? For a baseball card! This old world’s gone plumb crazy, I tell ya.
- 1951 Bowman is the real deal.
- Mickey Mantle was a Yankee.
- That 1951 card is his rookie card, whatever that is.
But you know what, people like what they like. And if they wanna spend their money on Mickey Mantle baseball cards, then that’s their business. Who am I to judge? I just hope they’re happy with it, that’s all. And that they are gettin’ the real deal, not one of those fake ones that Bessy was talkin’ about. If you are gonna spend that kind of money on one, you need to make sure it is real.
She was saying something about him having a contract with Bowman, and that made it so Topps couldn’t have him on their cards for a couple of years. So, that makes those Bowman cards even more special. It is all very interesting, but I can’t keep all of it straight. It was in ’54 and ’55, I think. That was before my time.
These days, you gotta be careful when you’re buyin’ these old cards. There’s all sorts of places online where you can get ’em, but you gotta make sure you’re dealin’ with someone honest. Bessy says she only buys from reputable dealers, whatever that means. She’s always on that computer of hers, lookin’ at auctions and such. Says she’s gonna find the best 1951 Mickey Mantle baseball card out there.
I don’t know much about that, but I do know that Mickey Mantle was a heck of a ballplayer. And if his cards are bringin’ people joy, then that’s a good thing. It’s nice to have somethin’ to collect, somethin’ to be passionate about. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll dig through my old boxes and find one of those 1951 Mickey Mantle cards myself. Then maybe I’ll be the millionaire, and not that old Bessy!
Well, I reckon that’s all I got to say about that. Just remember, if you’re gonna go lookin’ for one of those Mickey Mantle baseball cards, be careful out there. And make sure you know what you’re doin’. It’s a crazy world out there, and people will try to take advantage of you if you’re not careful. Just ask Bessy, she’ll tell ya. She knows all about it. She’s practically an expert on those 1951 Mickey Mantle baseball cards. She is always talkin’ about that 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle one. Lord knows she wants one.
