Masterpieces and Uncommon Commons XXV
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on:
2/12/2010
You will get no arguments from advanced enthusiasts regarding the impact of the Topps Bubble Gum Company on the post World War II card market. Bar none, Topps has successfully staked claim I the card hobby as the post 1950’s “king of the hill”, justifying why thousands of avid collectors actively attempt to build their earliest sets. If one of your lifetime cardboard collecting goals is to assemble a high grade 1950’s Topps set loaded with key Hall of Famers and rookie cards, the anticipated effort in fulfilling this dream just may be over. Presented here is an absolutely breathtaking 1957 Topps basic set, 100% complete, and currently ranked 16th on the PSA Set Registry with an outstanding 8.018 G.P.A./Set Rating! Of the total 407 subjects, an incredible 402 cards have been encapsulated in “PSA 8” holders with the remaining five cards fortunate enough to achieve the hallowed “PSA 9” grade! Commencing in 1952, the popularity of the Topps baseball cards continued to grow throughout the 1950’s with their 1957 set, arguably, one of their most desirable sets ever distributed. Consisting of 407 subjects (excluding checklists) and measuring 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”, this was the first Topps set to utilize real player color images on the obverse side, rather than previously hand colored black & white photos. Additionally, this issue also pioneered the use of complete player statistics on the reverse side.
No 1950’s Topps issue could possibly boast the significant number of prominent Hall of Famers and rookie cards included in this set. Starting with the “Splendid Splinter”, Ted Williams ironically holds the place as subject #1, which many experts believe his hitting prowess stands in baseball history. The myriad of legendary players is virtually a Cooperstown “Who’s Who” list with 31 different HOF inductees including Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax, Banks, Snider, Campanella, Spahn, Mathews, F. Robinson, etc., just to name a few. Throw in the 10 notable rookie cards and the fact that they are all residing in PSA 8 holders (oops…except for Roberto Clemente who just happens to be graded a PSA 9!), and you have a set worthy of the highest hobby accolades. If this doesn’t “wet your appetite”, please consider the following statistical information relating to PSA’s “pop” report, compiled at the time this was written:
• How impressive is the PSA 8.018 rating? Consider that PSA has currently encapsulated virtually 160,000 cards from the 1957 Topps set with the average grade approximately “6.77”. Therefore, this offering exceeds the average PSA grade by a rough “1.25” grade!
• Only 2.9% (excluding qualifiers) of the total cards have achieved a higher grade than the 8.018 rating.
• Of the 407 cards, 402 or 98.8% are PSA Mint 8’s with the remaining 5 cards encapsulated in PSA 9 holders.
• A staggering 51.3% of the total 407 subjects have grades only exceeded by less than 10 cards with many of these cards included in the rather scarce 265-352 numbered subjects! Additionally, 22% of the total set has only been bested by a mere 5 subjects or less with the details as follows:
o 3 cards with NONE graded higher
o 8 cards with 1 graded higher
o 11 cards with 2 graded higher
o 23 cards with 3 graded higher
o 24 cards with 4 graded higher
o 21 cards with 5 graded higher
• An incredible 31 Hall of Famers and 10 notable rookie cards are included in the set. The Roberto Clemente card is one of the five “PSA 9’s” included in the set with only one example graded higher!
• Five of the ten rookie cards are Hall of Famers including Brooks Robinson, Don Drysdale, Frank Robinson, Jim Bunning and Bill Mazeroski.
Not much more to say! Very impressive indeed considering the period of time it must have taken to assemble 405 cards in PSA 8 holders and the five cards that are PSA 9’s! A majority of the offered cards provide nothing but the utmost superior images, pinpoint corners, sharp edging and bold typography, with virtually every subject’s aesthetics associated with a “pack-fresh” card. While it is unfathomable to believe that fifteen other sets could possibly surpass this miraculous offering, keep in mind that a fractional grade of only “0.37” separates this set from the fifth highest set on the PSA Set Registry, validating the fine line distinguishing the premier 1957 sets in existence. We can practically assure you that this offering’s new owner will experience no buyers remorse once they flip through the astounding number of its brilliant cards, justifying why it is worthy of any “World Class” collection!
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