October 24, 2024: Fall Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/24/2024
Presented here is an attractive complete set of 1956 Topps Baseball, one of the most important issues of the Golden Era of the 1950s, found here in a highly collectible condition and boasting seven of the keys in PSA slabs and featuring all of the Team card variations from the First Series. The offered set is pretty evenly divided between Ex-Mt, Excellent and Very Good to VG-Ex, with a handful of cards above reaching Near-Mint status. It comes out to 2 percent Near-Mint, 35 percent Ex-Mt, 35 percent Excellent, 20 percent VG-Ex and only 8 percent Very Good. It makes for a pleasing presentation, uniform and consistent, with the slabbed Hall of Famers and the 12 Team card variations conforming to the wider condition range. As noted, seven key cards have been PSA slabbed and graded: No. 5 Ted Williams – PSA 7, No. 30 Jackie Robinson – PSA 3 (MK), No. 31 Henry Aaron – PSA 4, No. 33 Roberto Clemente – PSA 4, No. 79 Sandy Koufax – PSA 4, No. 130 Willie Mays – PSA 6 and No. 135 Mickey Mantle – PSA 4; there are also three slabbed commons, PSA grades 6.5, 6 and 5. It’s worth noting that the key No. 135 Mantle presents much better than its technical grade, which stems from a tiny wrinkle of about ¼ of an inch that is discernible only with careful examination. The lot offers a great opportunity to pick up a striking complete set of one of the most important issues in the company’s storied history, the Brooklyn-based Topps’ final issue in the oversized 2 5/8-by-3 ¾-inch size before switching to the now-standard 2 ½-by-3 ½-inch format in 1957. Here’s the breakdown of raw cards: No. 1 Harridge – VG-Ex, 8 Alston – Ex-Mt-Plus, 10 Spahn – Ex-Mt, 15 Banks – Excellent o/c, 30 Kaline – VG-Ex, 25 Kluszewski – Ex-Mt-Plus, 61 Skowron – Near-Mint, 101 Campanella – VG-Ex, 107 Mathews – VG-Ex o/c, 109 Slaughter – Ex, 110 Berra – VG, 113 Rizzuto – Very Good-Plus, 118 Fox – Ex-Plus, 120 Ashburn – Ex-Plus, 125 Minoso – Nr-Mt, 140 Score Rookie – Ex (print mark on reverse), 145 Hodges – Ex-Plus o/c, 150 Snider – VG-Ex, 164 Killebrew – VG-Ex, 165 Schoendienst – Ex, 166 Dodgers Team – VG-Ex, 180 Roberts – Ex-Plus, 181 Martin – VG-Ex, 187 Wynn – Ex-Plus, 194 Irvin – Ex-Plus, 195 Kell – Ex, 200 Feller – Nr-Mt o/c, 208 Howard – Ex-Plus, 225 McDougald – Ex (slight Diamond Cut), 226 Giants Team – Ex-Mt-Plus, 233 Erskine – VG-Ex, 250 Doby – VG, 251 Yankees Team – VG-Ex (slight Diamond Cut), 255 Lemon – Nr-Mt, 260 Reese – Nr-Mt (slight Diamond Cut), 280 Gilliam – VG, 292 Aparicio Rookie – VG-Ex, 307 Wilhelm – Ex, 332 Larsen – presents Ex with print mark, and 340 McDermott – Ex-Plus o/c.
1956 Topps Baseball Complete Set With Team Variations, Williams PSA 7 and Mays PSA 6 (352)
Click above for larger image.