November 17, 2022: Fall Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/17/2022
This is a stunning array of the unique 1981 Topps Basketball issue, basically Nr-Mt to Near-Mint to Mint blazers, essentially as-issued cards with truly astounding levels of duplication, often of the great Hall of Famers and legendary figures from the period. These cards are essentially problem free, with vivid colors, exceptional gloss and sharp photos, jostled only by the occasional bit of gum staining on the reverse of a handful of cards. One of the more unusual/bizarre numbering arrangements for a Topps Basketball issue, the 1981-82 set consists of 110 cards, plus additional 44-card runs of Nos. 67-110, constituting a master set with the East, West and Midwest groupings. The offered array features incredible numbers from the 1-66 First Series, then smaller numbers from then on, typically an average of about 19 cards per player from 1-66 (No Larry Bird and no Magic, plus a single No. 65 Celtics Leaders), and a handful of cards – typically four or five – from 67 to about No. 100. In a separate element distinct from the loose cards, there is a 1-110 Midwest Set, a No. 1-66 set and a second 1-66 set missing Bird and Magic. Breakdown of 1-66 Hall of Famers, Rookies: No. 3 Archibald (21), 6 Parish (16), 7 Gilmore (14), 11 Issel (19), 12 Thompson (18), 14 Moses Malone (12), 15 Murphy (15), 17 Birdsong (22), 20 Abdul-Jabbar (18), 23 Wilkes (23), 30 Erving (16), 32 Jones (23), 34 Dennis Johnson (17), 37 Gervin (14), 39 Sikma (16), 40 Dantley (18), 41 Griffith Rookie (20) and 42 Hayes (22).
1981 Topps Basketball Massive High-Grade Group, Sets (2,100)
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