Each 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card has its own unique characteristics and tales to tell.
Whether that be centering, the usual wear-and-tear one would expect after more than 70 years, or any number of defects that make each card one of a kind.
But some are more unique than others.
Due to the popularity and value of the legendary card, which was only recently dethroned as the most valuable in the world (and will likely reclaim that throne if any of the three PSA 10 copies change hands publicly), there is no such thing as a worthless 1952 Topps Mantle.
The latest and greatest example of this phenomenon came Thursday night at Huggins and Scott, as an SGC "Authentic-Altered" example, featuring significant paper loss, some sort of trimming or modifications attempted on the perimeter, and, most glaring of all, a pink-colored highlight over Mantle's name, sold for $17,400.
Each time one of these Mantles sells for eye-popping money, it proves two things.
Stories, such as those indicated by the markings on this card — perhaps a life well-lived in the collection of a child — can act as a feature, not a bug. Of course that doesn't mean it is fetching millions like its higher-graded peers, but there is no shortage of attention nor bidders looking to secure the copy for their collection.
Second, scarcity is king. The 1952 Topps Mantle is legendarily rare. It's also legendarily expensive.
For most, the only opportunity to snap up one of the world's most significant cards comes in the form of a tattered, altered and, in this case, "pink" copy.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.