This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/11/2019
Setting your sights on assembling a 1952 Topps set, even in modest grade, is a daunting task that many collectors spend a lifetime to achieve. Unquestionably the most important post-war assemblage ever created, the 407-card inaugural issue was a ground-breaking achievement as it was the first to employ “jumbo-sized” cards (2-5/8" by 3-3/4"), the first to incorporate colored team logos in the card design, and the first to display complete statistics for the previous year as well as the player's lifetime. One of the great obstacles to assembling a complete set is the extreme scarcity and price of the high-numbered cards (#311-407), specifically card #311, the first Topps appearance of Mickey Mantle. While not a true rookie card, it is still considered the ultimate pasteboard of the post-war era and likely always will be. The featured set is mostly lower to mid-grade with some PSA evaluated cards at the EX level and higher, up to NM/MT on a few, including the always difficult #175 Billy Martin. Of course, the star of the show is Mickey Mantle, and his card #311 is graded PSA 4, a very sharp and clean card for the grade with a typical shift toward the right side that prevents from moving even higher up the grading scale. Other graded cards are as follows: PSA 8 - #198 and 209. PSA 7 - #193 and 216 Ashburn. PSA 6.5 - #114 and 369 Groat. PSA 6 - #5, 41, 65 Slaughter, 88 Feller, 113 and 313 Thomson. PSA 5 - #11 Rizzuto, 66, 91 Schoendienst, 93, 115, 127, 159, 197, 261 Mays, 297 and 400 Dickey. PSA 4.5 - #34, 64,106 and 206. PSA 4 - #33 Spahn, 37 Snider, 59 Roberts, 62, 84, 100, 125, 292, 358, 377, 387, 394 Herman, 396 D. Williams, 397, 402 and 403. PSA 3.5 - #215, 328, 338, 388 and 392 Wilhelm. PSA 3 - #67, 339, 345, 366 and 395. PSA 2.5 - #321 Black, 375 and 379. PSA 2 - #69, 340, 372 McDougald, and 407 Mathews. PSA 1.5 - #1 Pafko. Also includes #191 Berra graded BVG 4.5 and 312 J. Robinson graded SGC 50 VG/EX 4. The rest of the set (excluding the high numbers series) is 5% EX/MT or better 15% EX, 30% VG/EX, 25% VG and 25% GOOD with the ungraded high-numbers at 20% VG/EX. 25% VG, 30% GOOD and 25% POOR to FAIR. Key cards include #2 Runnels GOOD, 10 Rosen GOOD, 26 Irvin VG/EX (OC), 29 Kluszewski GOOD, 36 Hodges VG, 129 Mize EX, 195 Minoso EX+, 243 Doby VG (MK), 277 Wynn VG, 314 Campanella GOOD, 315 Durocher FAIR, 333 Reese GOOD, 342 Labine RC FAIR, 384 Crosetti GOOD and 406 Nuxhall RC VG.