This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/19/2016
The high number of important debut cards in the 1957 Topps set has left collectors of the follow-up '58 series wanting, but the rookie card of Roger Maris leads the charge as one of the most difficult high-grade rookie cards of the decade. Maris wasn't considered a rising force in the same class as Mantle, Mays, Banks or Kaline, and really didn't show any evidence of stardom until he was dealt to the Yankees in the winter of 1959. From there, Maris put on a home run clinic that brought back to back American League MVP awards and erased a long standing home run record by baseball legend Babe Ruth (*). The featured card of Maris is graded PSA 9, and without a single specimen at the GEM MINT level, represents one of the absolute finest examples in existence. The centering is near perfect side to side with just a slight preference toward the bottom edge, hardly a disqualifier for PSA's top grade, while at least two of the corners are dead GEM MINT and the other two are arguably there as well. The orange pigment surrounding Maris glows, and pushes the image of the Cleveland Indians outfielder to the forefront. The reverse is just about flawless, a perfectly spotless canvas covered with fresh red and black printing that appears as if the card just came directly out of the pack. Prices for a Maris rookie card of this caliber have been inching higher over the past year, but haven't experienced the same explosion as the debut cards of Mantle, Clemente and Koufax. But it's just a matter of time before the elites turn to this spectacular pasteboard and really expose the fantastic investment potential offered here!