This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/7/2009
Proudly presented is 1 of just 2 examples of Nolan Ryan's notoriously challenging 1973 Topps issue to pass scrutiny at PSA for the hallowed grade of GEM MINT 10! Those familiar with the issue should immediately recognize how utterly spectacular the obverse appears. So immeasurably bold and precise is the image quality, in fact, that even a "citizen," i.e. a non-card person, could easily differentiate this sublime, wet-looking pinnacle of perfection from the untold thousands of inferior specimens, both on record and off. Particularly prominent throughout the obverse is the pristine 100% saturation of the black ink of the image border, the text, and the silhouetted pitcher, bottom right. Like a stamp of approval on perfection, the pitch-black border shows not even a single one of those pesky frog's eyes or print bubbles so characteristic of the issue. Further, the blue text of Ryan's name and the red-orange circle behind the silhouette are also unusually bold and thoroughly saturated for the issue, so much so that, before we even direct our scrutiny to the central image, we can with 100% confidence say that we've simply never seen color like this on any card from the 1973 Topps issue, maybe even from the entire decade. The image, finally, is so mesmerizing, so precise, so pristinely registered, so vivid and conspicuous that I can hardly think of any other words to describe it. In short, it's one of those rare cards that exudes that special "pop," or what we often call "glow," that is characteristic of only the finest of the fine, the obvious GEMS that humble us all with their special qualities. A transcendent card worthy of your utmost consideration, and arguably the single finest card produced by Topps in the last 40 years!