This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/19/2016
Buried in the high-numbered series, many collectors never got the opportunity to land a Jackie Robinson card from Topps' inaugural issue, but the situation was rectified by placing Robinson in the #1 spot to lead off their sophomore collection. As with the Andy Pafko card from the previous year, Robinson's pasteboard took the brunt of abuse from well-intentioned collectors, and the elite example offered here has defied the odds to survive at a grade of 92 NM/MT+ 8.5 as judged by SGC. And while the assessment is already an impressive feat, a perusal of the dynamic pasteboard only furthers to heighten the senses. First off, the centering is outstanding, though it may not immediately catch your eye if, like us, you were distracted by the near perfection of the top two endpoints, which seem to reside somewhere between MINT and GEM MINT. Of course, the black edges and corners at the bottom are a crucial part of the grading process, and this beauty doesn't allow any more than the prefunctory speck or two anywhere along the perimeter. Both surfaces are completely pack-fresh; the front offering a stunning, well-registered image of the Brooklyn legend while the back is a perfectly clean canvas with deep red and black pigment. Any advanced collector looking to add to a world-class set needs to consider this example as its welcoming introduction.