Nonsense Newsletter No. 43: A $12M Mantle, NFL Defensive Players & Some dude finds a 1933 Ruth in the attic (I kid you not).
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In this week’s edition we lament over the recent sale of a 1952 Topps SGC 9.5 Mantle — what does it mean? John Dudley breaks down the NFL’s defensive players and singles out a few who could standout. Plus, we’ve got grading news and even more. So, I ask, is there a better way to spend a little time on a Friday? I didn’t think so. Enjoy this week’s installment of the SCN Newsletter.
Contributor: John McTaggart
The figure is staggering.
The realization how much the hobby has shifted is even more remarkable to me.
Recently, at a Heritage Auction, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle SGC 9.5 sold for an eye-popping $12.6 Million.
It’s one of the highest-graded copies of this iconic card to ever hit the market, and that is significant.
Still, for someone such as myself, someone who has literally been in the hobby for 40 years, it’s amazing, and somewhat bittersweet.
Although there have always been certain cards that have been held higher than most in the hobby, cards such as the ’52 Mantle and the ’86 Fleer Jordan, for example.Â
And these cards have a limited scope of collector because of their pricing, undoubtedly.Â
Contributor: John Dudley
You win championships with defense. That’s a mantra best left to the ‘80s, but it does not mean that collectors should continue to ignore the defensive side of the ball like they have since time immemorial. The 2022 football season is fast approaching, and collectors are rejoicing and scurrying about partaking in and planning all their pre-season festivities and preparations. Like most years, they (myself included) are steadfastly ignoring defensive players in these plans. Sure, they might pick up an Aaron Donald or two, but defensive players are typically avoided more than the guy in the office that just came back from a Covid quarantine.
While every year brings inevitable speculation about this being the year defensive players finally get their much-deserved respect in the hobby, really this does seem like the best shot defensive guys have to break through. Seriously, I mean it. This time it’s really going to happen. I think… Right? Let’s err on the side of optimism here.
Quick Hits
Grading News- Yes, the Mantle sale was incredible, but what's the next card that will cross the 10 million dollar threshold? Bleacher Report has you covered with some interesting answers here.Â
Vintage- It’s a dream come true for most of us — search the attic and find a super-rare 1933 Uncle Jack’s Candy Babe Ruth card. Well, I didn’t find it in my attic, but one lucky fella in Vermont did. Read more about it here
Card Show News- The National announced it is going to Cleveland for 2024. Time to check the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame off those bucket lists. The 2024 National is heading to Cleveland. The show will be the first for the new management team after the 2023 show with the old team in Chicago. More details here.Â
Pop Culture News- 2022 Super Break Pieces of the Past One Time Edition is set to release soon and features quite a checklist of cut-signatures. From presidents to Pablo Picasso, there is a sig for the history buff in your life. Box prices are cheap but cut-signatures only fall one in every master case. There are some interesting relic cards to soften the blow for the many who won’t hit an auto.
John Dudley’s By The Numbers is now live on the Card Shop Live!
The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only, and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.