Why is there no 1954 Topps Mantle?

[Mantlefan]

I'm curious why there's no 1954 Topps Mickey Mantle. I tried to Google this to find the history on it and I just can't find an answer. I know this has probably been discussed. I'm really interested and why there was not one produced.

[Birdman284]

Originally Posted by Mantlefan

I'm curious why there's no 1954 Topps Mickey Mantle. I tried to Google this to find the history on it and I just can't find an answer. I know this has probably been discussed. I'm really interested and why there was not one produced.

There was something of a card war between Bowman and Topps in the early 50s. Both tried to get players under exclusive contracts. Bowman had Mantle in 1954 and 1955 and prevented Topps from having him on cards. In 1952 & 1953 he was under contract for both companies and appears in both sets.

Topps won the war by buying control of Bowman prior to the 1956 season (and thus owning the brand name that they revived in the early 90s)

[Mantlefan]

Originally Posted by Birdman284

There was something of a card war between Bowman and Topps in the early 50s. Both tried to get players under exclusive contracts. Bowman had Mantle in 1954 and 1955 and prevented Topps from having him on cards. In 1952 & 1953 he was under contract for both companies and appears in both sets.

Topps won the war by buying control of Bowman prior to the 1956 season (and thus owning the brand name that they revived in the early 90s)

Interesting thanks for the info. I didn't know there was such thing as exclusive contracts with 1 card company back then that's interesting. I'll have to research how much money he was paid by Topps and how much Bowman paid him. Curious what the money difference was.

[HOFAutoRookies]

Originally Posted by Mantlefan

Interesting thanks for the info. I didn't know there was such thing as exclusive contracts with 1 card company back then that's interesting. I'll have to research how much money he was paid by Topps and how much Bowman paid him. Curious what the money difference was.

Oh yes. I don't know if you follow modern, but Matt Wieters is the perfect example of this on 2007-08.

[begsu1013]

actually there is an official '54 topps mantle...and the rest of the yankess team that year.

however it was only issued in the #2 issue of sports illustrated.

i've been picking these up over the years and probably getting close to actually requesting it to be holdered by psa bc it fits every definition of being slabbable bc it was not pack issued...

only thing that sucks about the '54 topps si cards is that half of them are black and white and naturally the mantle card is one of them!

[begsu1013]

top row, second card from the right:

1954 TOPPS SPORTS ILLUSTRATED INSERT CARD SHEET YANKEES MICKEY MANTLE + | eBay

[HOFAutoRookies]

Damn, Bob. I had no idea. Those are gorgeous.

[duwal]

Originally Posted by Birdman284

There was something of a card war between Bowman and Topps in the early 50s. Both tried to get players under exclusive contracts. Bowman had Mantle in 1954 and 1955 and prevented Topps from having him on cards. In 1952 & 1953 he was under contract for both companies and appears in both sets.

Topps won the war by buying control of Bowman prior to the 1956 season (and thus owning the brand name that they revived in the early 90s)

Yeah it was very interesting. Kind of like Stan Musial where his first appearance on a Topps card wasn't until 1956 and that was just the St. Louis Cardinals team card. His first solo Topps card wasn't until 1958 as an all-star card while as we know his actual rookie card was 10 years earlier in Bowman's 1948 set

[mfw13]

There have been a couple of 1954 Topps Mantle's issued since then (in 1994 Archives and as an ETopps card), and Bob Lemke did a very nice custom a while back.

Mickey Mantle New York Yankees rare custom card by Bob Lemke 1954 style #254 | eBay

[begsu1013]

Originally Posted by HOFAutoRookies

Damn, Bob. I had no idea. Those are gorgeous.

yes, i just wish it woulda ended up a color card...but should have no problem getting slabbed as "1954 topps s.i" where as the berra card in the si version shouldnt be slabbed bc it was actually issued in '54 topps packs...

probably amassed around 30 copies and gonna talk w scott (ops mgr) at national about getting a few slabbed before i rip them all apart...

but yes, guys, there is an actual '54 topps mantle card issued in 1954. 😉

[ThePumaLives]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

top row, second card from the right:

1954 TOPPS SPORTS ILLUSTRATED INSERT CARD SHEET YANKEES MICKEY MANTLE + | eBay

If PSA starts grading these, how high do the prices on these issues increase?

[Drdduet]

The SI "cards" are made of paper ftr.

[begsu1013]

Originally Posted by Drdduet

The SI "cards" are made of paper ftr.

correct, thick glossy paper.

but and still an official 1954 topps card!

[Drdduet]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

correct, thick glossy paper.

but and still an official 1954 topps card!

And somewhat undervalued IMO

[begsu1013]

i agree.

and if they get slabbed i think they would fetch decent money.

but not crazy money. in tact mags still surface quite regularly.

[jdandns]

Originally Posted by mfw13

There have been a couple of 1954 Topps Mantle's issued since then (in 1994 Archives and as an ETopps card), and Bob Lemke did a very nice custom a while back.

Mickey Mantle New York Yankees rare custom card by Bob Lemke 1954 style #254 | eBay

The 1994 Archives Mantle "card that never was" (and the 2 Ted Williams reprints from the set) in an unusual move, were not issued in packs of 1954 (1994) Topps Archives, but rather in packs of 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes of Baseball. Both the Mick and the Splinter had exclusive contacts with UD at the time, necessitating the odd move, if I'm not mistaken. Whatever the case, it was nice to see the industry giants put rivalry aside and join forces to issue a deluxe complete 40th Anniversary reissue of the original 258 card set, and also create a sharp looking #259 Mantle as it might have looked were they allowed to issue one in '54.
I loved chasing that trio, and still have my own set of them. Crazy that even those are over 20 years old now.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by jdandns

The 1994 Archives Mantle "card that never was" (and the 2 Ted Williams reprints from the set) in an unusual move, were not issued in packs of 1954 (1994) Topps Archives, but rather in packs of 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes of Baseball. Both the Mick and the Splinter had exclusive contacts with UD at the time, necessitating the odd move, if I'm not mistaken. Whatever the case, it was nice to see the industry giants put rivalry aside and join forces to issue a deluxe complete 40th Anniversary reissue of the original 258 card set, and also create a sharp looking #259 Mantle as it might have looked were they allowed to issue one in '54.
I loved chasing that trio, and still have my own set of them. Crazy that even those are over 20 years old now.

It was a 250 card set. The last 8 cards were fantasy rookie cards including Roberto Clemente and Harmon Killebrew.

[jdandns]

Of course, sorry about that. So Ted was the first and last card in the original set, numbers 1 and 250.

[sthoemke]

Should the B/W 1954 Sports Illustarted Mantle really be considered an official "Topps" card?

It was obviously printed by Sports Illustarted, who most likely designed it as well.

Futhermore, card does not have the Topps' logo or copyright statement.

[begsu1013]

Originally Posted by sthoemke

Should the B/W 1954 Sports Illustarted Mantle really be considered an official "Topps" card?

It was obviously printed by Sports Illustarted, who most likely designed it as well.

absurd.

was definitely NOT designed by sports illustrated.

take a look at the rest of the cards...the ford, the berra, etc.

they are the exact same images/layout as the pack issued cards.

and let us not forget, this was the second ever edition of sports illustrated...

i strongly doubt they decided to devote time and resources to creating baseball cards nor believe topps would allow them to replicate their overall design of the '54 set.

furthermore the mag clearly states "w the '54 topps yankee cards".

maybe sy berger was a myth and it was actually the sports illustrated execs that dumped all the '52 topps cards into the atlantic as well?!?!

[rats60]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

absurd.

was definitely NOT designed by sports illustrated.

take a look at the rest of the cards...the ford, the berra, etc.

they are the exact same images/layout as the pack issued cards.

and let us not forget, this was the second ever edition of sports illustrated...

i strongly doubt they decided to devote time and resources to creating baseball cards nor believe topps would allow them to replicate their overall design of the '54 set.

furthermore the mag clearly states "w the '54 topps yankee cards".

maybe sy berger was a myth and it was actually the sports illustrated execs that dumped all the '52 topps cards into the atlantic as well?!?!

They allowed SI to use their designs and reprint cards from the 1954 Topps set. Why wouldn't they allow SI to design new cards of players that weren't in the 1954 Topps set?

Hobby magazines in the 80s and 90s routinely designed fantasy cards using card companies design. I highly doubt that Topps had anything to do with creating the Mantle card. They would have opened themselves up to a lawsuit from Bowman who held exclusive rights to Mantle for trading cards. SI however could do it as part of their magazine by owning rights to pictures or drawings.

[begsu1013]

this aint the 80's or 90's.

and "w/ the '54 topps yankees cards"

enough said.

[begsu1013]

oh and if you have any further doubt,

this particular issue came out in just the 3rd week of janurary.

designed and done back in '53.


why dont you grab a copy, get the facts and stop talking fantasy or 80's/90's,

bc the realistic answer is topps just simply had to pull the card due to the contract.

edit: and one last hole in your boat! if mantle was under exclusive contract for bowman baseball cards, why would a new magazine throw its hat into the legal ring and risk everything by creating a mantle card? it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. the '54 topps yankees.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

oh and if you have any further doubt,

this particular issue came out in just the 3rd week of janurary.

designed and done back in '53.


why dont you grab a copy, get the facts and stop talking fantasy or 80's/90's.

The 2nd issue of Sports Illustrated had a cover date of Aug 25, 1954. It came out late summer after Topps had released most if not all of their 1954 baseball cards. You clearly don't have a clue.

[begsu1013]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

and one last hole in your boat! if mantle was under exclusive contract for bowman baseball cards, why would a new magazine throw its hat into the legal ring and risk everything by creating a mantle card? it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. the '54 topps yankees.

hmmm?