October 24, 2024: Fall Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/24/2024
Presented is the most spectacular example of the historic 1964 Philadelphia Gum Football issue that we’ve ever encountered, which is saying quite a bit. With an SGC 92 No. 30 Jim Brown headlining an amazing array of six (6) PSA 9’s, a BVG 8.5 and 161 PSA 8’s, it’s easy to understand why this set is virtually unimprovable; the raw cards (28) conform neatly to the wider condition range of their slabbed counterparts, wonderful Near-Mint to Near-Mint to Mint blazers, a group that includes eight (8) Hall of Famers listed below. The pristine cards boast vivid colors and gloss on the front and uncommonly clean and attractive card backs, most notably with the crisp and vivid spot-color blue. After several years of wrangling over exclusive player contracts between the entrenched National Football League and its new rival the American Football League, the contentious maneuvering spilled over into the cardboard realm as 1964 unfolded. After almost a decade of producing cards of the NFL, Topps lost that contract to the Philadelphia Gum Co., which would produce cards for the older league for four seasons starting that fall. Of such historic note comes this inaugural issue, a striking compilation of sensational condition cards from that first-ever offering. Here’s the breakdown: PSA 9 (6) – Nos. 32, 49, 138, 159, 170 and 182; BVG 8.5 – Jim Katcavage; PSA 8 (161), including all the Hall of Famers except for the eight (8) listed below under raw cards. Raw cards (28), including HOFers Adderley Rookie, Mackey, Parker, Meredith (not HOF), Lane, Tarkenton, Tittle and Krupa. And that’s it. The iconic set could hardly be in better hands, and certainly not in any better condition.
1964 Philadelphia Gum Super High-Grade Football Set, 161 PSA 8’s, Brown SGC 92 (198)
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