The true "rookie card" of the Yankee Hall of Famer, this is a lovely collector-grade example that has retained much of its original color and clarity. Accurately graded FAIR 20 by SGC, the primary condition flaw appears as small areas of surface discoloration at the top left and bottom right corner, likely from some sort of adhesive used to store the card in a scrapbook. The card does exhibit corner and surface wear consistent with the grade, as well as some ink notations at the upper left corner of the reverse that would leave the card at the FR level regardless of the aforementioned corner discolorations. A card with significant collector demand in all grades, the true Mantle rookie is highly sought after among collectors of all types. Many hobbyists give Mantle credit for the popularity of the hobby with the Baby Boom generation actively seeking out nostalgic reminders of their childhoods. It would be hard to argue. Mantle cards continue to increase in value with his earliest cards continuing to fetch thousands of dollars even in lower grades. Like his popular 1952 version, the 1951 Bowman Mantle is part of the tougher-to-find second series. The card image is even today one of the most attractive Mantle images on a baseball card. A fantastic collector-grade example of one of the postwar hobby's most iconic cards.