July 15, 2021: Summer Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/15/2021
Presented are three important near sets of late 1960s hockey issues, offered in a highly collectible condition and showcasing most of the legendary stars of the era. Included in the mix is the quirky 1969 NHLPA issue, the odd-sized – 1 7/8-by-5 3/8 inches – bilingual and unnumbered set that is arguably in the best condition of the three but jostled by the reality that roughly ½ of the near set has been trimmed, lopping about 3/8th of an inch off the top. Here’s the breakdown of the three near sets: 1968 Topps Hockey (130/132), missing No. 16 Hull and No. 29 Howe. Condition is largely Very Good to Ex-Mt, with the emphasis to the upper end of the spectrum and quite a few Near-Mint cards, boasting sharp, vivid colors and crisp red, white and blue card backs. Keys and condition anomalies: No. 1 Cheevers – Very Good, 2 Orr – VG, 7 Esposito – VG, 20 Mikita – Good, 28 Delvecchio – Ex-Mt, 34 Sawchuck – VG-Ex, 56 Worsley – Excellent, 61 Beliveau – Near-Mint, 67 Giacomin – Nr-Mt, 89 Parent – Ex-Mt, 121 Checklist – Ex-Mt, 123 Horton – Nr-Mt and 131 Ullman – VG-Ex; 1969 Topps Hockey (121/132), missing Nos. 8, 40, 57, 70 Hull, 74, 81, 99, 106, 110, 117 and 132 Checklist. Condition is largely Ex-Mt, with a few below and several Near-Mint. Keys and condition anomalies: No. 1 Worsley – Very Good, 4 Savard Rookie – Ex-Mt-Plus, 10 Beliveau – Ex-Mt-Plus, 12 Hall – VG-Ex (Stamp affixed), 22 Cheevers – Near-Mint, 24 Orr – Ex-Mt, 31 Sanderson – VG-Ex, 42 Ratelle – VG-Ex (Stamp affixed), 45 Horton – Ex-Mt, 52 – VG, 61 Howe – Ex-Mt, 64 Delvecchio – Excellent, 76 Mikita – VG-Ex and 89 Parent – Ex (Stamp affixed); 1969 NHLPA (142/144), missing two of the unnumbered cards, one of which is Beliveau. The near set is broadly Near-Mint or even better, with some Ex-Mt, with Hall of Famers and stars generally conforming to the wider condition range. Keys include Howe (Near-Mint-Plus), Hull (Nr-Mt), Mikita (Excellent-Plus), Orr (Nr-Mt), Esposito (Nr-Mt), Cheevers (Ex-Mt-Plus) and Plante (Ex-Mt-Plus). As noted above, about ½ of the group has been trimmed at the top to about 5 inches, including Tremblay, Hodge, Clarke, Gilbert, Giacomin, Worsley, Goldsworthy, Mahovlich, Johnston, Bucyk and Sanderson, to name a few.
1968 and 1969 Topps Hockey Near Sets, 1969 NHLPA Near Set (3)
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