1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311

Beautiful coloring but I cannot escape the damage that is all over the card itself.

Well-centered. The image and color are good. Surface wear and crease detract.

For me, the centering carries this to a very respectable eye appeal grade. The wear holds it back just a bit, but it still presents well all things considered.

What catches my eye is how big and bold and well centered the card is. Very very hard to find. Then the crease and condition issues that hold back the image quality and the colors. The Face avoids the worst of it and does display well. but then add in the ink spots or something on the right side middle and corners and it is dragged down. Still a card I would be proud to own but more as a place holder

The centering combined with how his face serendipitously evaded the worst of the wear helps the eye appeal escape the lower tiers, to me. Despite considerable wear that would normally warrant a lower badge, and even in the presence of some stray ink marks, I still find myself a softee when his face is viewable and the framing is even. This is a great copy when wear of this degree is needed to keep the card inside a budget strikezone.