A highly collectable photo in its own right, this one leaves the small available supply of vintage Mantle original photos in the dust with the addition of a strong blue ink inscription, "To Erwin, Best Wishes, Mickey Mantle", penned near the time of the Rawlings Sporting Goods photo session in 1958. The Mick's boyish good looks, coming through with crystal-clear registration in this image, made him as much of a dream for Madison Avenue as his talent did for the game of baseball. He plays the part of the model well here, pointing at the glove he wears on his left hand. The photo is 8 X 10" and remains in wonderful Near Mint condition, with the inscription rating a conservative 8/10 in overall quality and appeal. The signed photo is accompanied by a Letter of Authenticity from PSA/DNA. Note that the "hot spot" in the photo image is from the camera flash and is not actually on the photo itself.