November 30, 2017: Sports & Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/30/2017
As American homes were adding television sets at a staggering pace in the 1950’s, the good burghers at Topps understood the allure of the new medium, creating a charming non-sport issue in 1958 that showcased the country’s national obsession with TV westerns. The 1958 Topps TV Westerns issue featured subsets depicting full-color scenes from 11 different popular shows of the era: Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, The Restless Gun, The Californians, Trackdown, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Have Gun Will Travel, Yancy Derrringer, Boots and Saddles, Tales of Wells Fargo and Union Pacific. The number of cards vary between the different shows and is indicated on the cards’ back along with the checklist number of 71. Gunsmoke, one of iconic shows in television history, leads off the issue with a whopping 15 cards, considerably more than any of the others. The cards typically showcase scenes from the show, along with featuring more traditional imagery of some of the major stars, most notably James Arness of Gunsmoke; the appearance of eventual feature film legend Steve McQueen as the star of the series “Wanted Dead or Alive” adds another popular element to the issue. The offered lot is in an attractive Ex-Mt to Near-Mint overall grade, with vivid colors, generally decent centering and super-clean and bright backs.
1958 Topps TV Westerns High-Grade Complete Set (71)
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