2011 Topps Archives: Mickey Mantle

I want to thank friend of the blog tdlindgren, Steve from wait 'til next year, and Dan from The Other World for starting off the 2011 Topps Archives project with suggestions of who should be included. Many of their choices were of people I thought of right away (Ripken, Billy Williams, Molitor, the Killer B's), others were from way out there (Andy Seminick???). Hey, we have to start somewhere right?

Now in 2001, I'm sure Topps would have killed to have our first subject in the 2001 Topps Archives set. However, UD had the exclusive rights to him, so they couldn't. But now that he's back as a Topps exclusive, I don't think it should come as a surprise to anybody that the first cards of this set are going to be of Mickey Mantle.

First card: 1952 Topps #311. Last card: 1969 Topps #500.

Now, I don't actually have the real Mantle cards, these were blatantly taken from the 1996 Topps Mantle Reprint set. While it was easy to mask the Mantle patch on the 1952 card (all blue background can be covered by MS Paint), it was not as easy with the 1969 card. That's why the Arcvhives logo is much bigger here.

There are 199 players more to go...and I will take a number of players from the first set of comments under advisement.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama