This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/16/2017
The current high bids for the cumulative group of singles, $125,406.00, is currently higher than the total for the complete set, $105,439.00 (this lot is currently winning)
Who could possibly have predicted that 65 years after an upstart trading card company decided to delve into the baseball genre that the name Andy Pafko would become so familiar within the hobby? With all the planning and innovative design that went into the implementation of Topps' inaugural series, it would be interesting to know how much time, if any, was devoted by Topps executives to deciding who would lead off their premier collection as card #1. After all, Bowman had a virtually monopoly on the baseball card market and whomever was chosen to lead off the new Topps brand could be viewed as the face of the franchise. Having seen rival Bowman start off their 1951 series with the rookie card of future Hall of Famer Whitey Ford, who posted a 9-1 record in his debut for the Yankees, and follow up with reigning A. L. MVP Yogi Berra in the pole position in their 1952 collection, you would have thought that Topps might follow suit by making a splash with a name like Mays, Robinson, or even Mantle as card #1. Nope, for reasons unknown, it was Brooklyn Dodgers outfielder Andy Pafko that was tagged, making him one of the most recognized "common" players in the baseball card world. The featured 1952 Topps card #1 is graded PSA 7 and sports the red back, brilliantly lighting up the clean cardboard reverse. The centering typically favors the right side while the corners and edges have no trouble upholding the standard of NM quality. The image of Pafko shows excellent registration and a strong presence of deep Dodger blue color, all protected by a hearty layer of factory-fresh gloss. If you haven't yet secured one for your upper-grade collection, it's time to get in because it won't get any easier down the road.