July 21, 2022: Summer Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/21/2022
Presented is a complete set of one of the most unusual Topps mainstream issues, the tri-card 1980 basketball set that features three perforated cards within the traditional format of 2 1/2-by-3 ½ inches, yielding individual cards of 1 1/6-by-2 ½ inches, though the cards are most typically found on the secondary market in the unperforated condition. The overall condition is essentially as issued, largely Near-Mint to Mint, with a few Near-Mint or Ex-Mt cards. It’s a simply spectacular, uniform and consistent presentation of an iconic basketball issue. The unique offering features one of the most prominent and expensive Rookie cards of the modern era, the Bird/Erving/Magic card (PSA 5) that presents the first-ever Topps cards of the two players who would revitalize an entire league, neatly bookending perhaps the most exciting performer from the by-then defunct American Basketball Association. The offered set features eight other slabbed cards, all providing a nice glimpse into the wider condition range: Magic/Bird/Sikma – PSA 8, Bird/Cartwright/Drew – PSA 8, Bridge/Bird/Brewer – PSA 7, Van Breda/Erving/Magic – PSA 7, Brown/Bird/Brewer – PSA 6, Cheeks/Magic/Boone – PSA 6, MayBird/Sikma – PSA 6 and Long/Magic/Boone – PSA 6. The quirky issue has easily the most-indecipherable checklisting concept the company ever proffered; it comes out to 88 perforated panels of three cards, but since Topps produced two distinct printing sheets and changed the players around, the complete set comes to 176 different cards.
1980 Topps Basketball High-Grade Complete Set, PSA 5 Bird/Erving/Magic (176)
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