Mickie Mantle #311 rookie?

Question

On the Topps 1952 rookie card #311 for mickie mantle. How can you tell if its not a reprint. Does it say rp or is there something that one has and the other don't

Answer 1

Get advice from a baseball card shop owner.

Answer 2

1. Topps cards from 1952 were quite a bit larger than today's cards. Measure it against a current card and see if this is so with your card.
2. The cardboard used in 1952 was thicker and softer than today's cards.
3. Look at the picture with a magnifying glass. A reprint will show a pattern of dots, or pixels, that would likely reveal its being printed from a computer scan. Look at an older card that you know to be authentic. The color printing on the real card should be solid.
4. Don't be fooled by worn spots, bent corners, etc. A good counterfeiter knows how to make a new card look old.
5. To get the best analysis, take it to a reputable card dealer in a shop or at a card show, and let them have a look. Make sure your card is in a protective sleeve or case and have them examine it in your presence.

NOTE: Topps is producing a reprint of that card at this time. To distinguish it from the original it is both smaller (matches today's cards in size) and the background is yellow, not the original blue. The card also clearly says "reprint" on the back. Remember: a true reprint will say so, but a counterfeit card will not, so you can't always trust what you see or don't see.

Answer 3

It is a larger card than the standard card and interestingly enough, it's not his true rookie card which is a 51 Bowman. The 52 Mantle card is his first Topps card.