This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/26/2009
You are looking at the only 1963 Topps Willie Mays example to have been crowned GEM MINT 10 by PSA, a true Pop 1 from nearly 1,200 submissions to the Newport Beach grading firm. It is one of those cards that exudes what we at Mile High like to call that GEM MINT "glow," that unmistakable cleanliness and shine that, even in raw form, leaves the admiring enthusiast with only one possible conclusion: GEM MINT. Indeed, throughout the fall months, any hobbyist who visited Mile High's headquarters had the occasion to inspect the offered masterpiece, and the reactions were always the same: a quiet awe steeped in reverence and appreciation for what is arguably one of the top 10 "Say Hey Kid" cards in existence, easily confirmed by a quick consultation of PSA's population report database. Not only is this a Pop 1 from nearly 1,200 submissions to PSA, but it is 1 of just 122 specimens from nearly 114,000 submissions to PSA from the entire 1963 Topps baseball set to attain GEM status, only a small handful of which are Hall of Farmers. More importantly, the offered specimen joins an extremely compact and select list of other regular Topps issue Mays masterpieces to have attained the pinnacle GEM MINT crown. To date, and up to the year of issue, the hobby has witnessed the unveiling of just 7 comparable specimens from preceding issues. We've seen a single glittering GEM surface from each the 1952 and 1953 Topps set, two examples from the 1959 issue, and one example from each the 1960, 1961, and 1962 sets, and that's it. Mile High is proud to usher into the hobby a Mays monument unlike anything we have ever seen. Graced by pristine centering, impeccably perfect corners, GEM MINT edges, and a precise image literally glowing with factory-fresh colors and a noticeably smooth and even application of shimmering gloss, this is truly a card for the ages, the likes of which we'll probably never see again. Recently graded PSA 10 GEM MINT and offered with our highest recommendation.