1952 to 1958 Topps and Bowman Original-Owner Collection Including Stars (949 cards)

Sold For:

$8,813

Year:

1952

Auction:

2011 Spring

Lot #:

796

Category:

Postwar Baseball - 1950s Cards

This original-owner "shoebox" collection of 949 assorted Topps and Bowman baseball cards, spanning the years 1952 to 1958, is highlighted by numerous stars and key cards, including 1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays, 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle, two 1954 Topps #1 and #250 Ted Williams, three 1954 Topps #10 Jackie Robinson, 1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks rookie, 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax rookie, and two 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente rookies. Seventy-three cards have been graded and encapsulated by PSA. 1) 1952 Topps (123 different out of 407 cards in set): 30% Vg-Ex (includes a few slightly better), 70% range from Pr to Vg (averaging Gd). The group is comprised of 123 different low-numbers (#1-310). Keys: #37 Snider (Pr), 66 Roe (Pr), 175 Martin RC (PSA VG 3), 191 Berra (Pr), 195 Minoso RC (Gd-Vg), 200 Houk RC (Vg), 215 Bauer (Vg), 227 Garagiola (PSA VG-EX+ 4.5), 250 Erskine (Gd-Vg), 261 Mays (PSA GOOD 2), 268 Lemon (Vg), 274 Branca (Gd), and 277 Wynn (Vg). The seven additional cards graded by PSA are as follows: #196 (EX 5), 212 (VG-EX+ 4.5), 218 (EX 5), 235 (VG-EX 4), 242 (VG 3), 251 (VG 3), and 271 (VG 3). 2) 1953 Topps (233 cards, 200 different out of 274 cards in set): 40% range from Vg-Ex to Ex, 60% range from Pr to Vg (averaging Gd). Keys: #1 Robinson (Pr), 10 Burgess SP (Vg-Ex), 27 Campanella (PSA VG-EX 4), 37 Mathews (PSA VG 3), 43 McDougald SP (Fr), 54 Feller (Fr), 61 Wynn SP (PSA VG-EX 4), 77 Mize (Vg), 78 Schoendienst (Vg), 81 Black SP (PSA VG-EX 4), 82 Mantle (PSA PR 1), 86 Martin SP (PSA VG-EX 4), 87 Lopat SP (Vg-Ex), 104 Berra (Gd-Vg), 114 Rizzuto (PSA VG-EX 4), two 119 Sain SP (Gd-Vg and Pr), 138 Kell (Vg-Ex), two 147 Spahn (Vg-Ex and Gd), 149 DiMaggio (Vg), 151 Wilhelm SP (Vg-Ex), 162 Kluszewski SP (Ex), 191 Kiner (Vg), 207 Ford (PSA VG+ 3.5), and two 220 Paige (PSA EX 5 and GOOD+ 2.5). 3) 1954 Topps (268 cards, 186 different out of 250 cards in set): 70% range from Ex to Ex-Mt (with a few slightly better), 25% range from Vg to Vg-Ex, and 5% slightly lesser. Keys: #1 Williams (PSA VG 3), 3 Irvin (Vg-Ex), three 10 Robinson (two PSA VG-EX 4 and GOOD 2), 13 Martin (PSA VG-EX 4), 17 Rizzuto (PSA VG-EX+ 4.5), two 20 Spahn (PSA EX 5 and VG-EX+ 4.5), 30 Mathews (PSA EX 5), two 32 Snider (both PSA EX 5), three 36 Wilhelm (PSA EX 5 and two Vg-Ex), two 37 Ford (PSA VG-EX 4 and Gd), two 45 Ashburn (Ex and Vg), 50 Berra (PSA EX+ 5.5), 70 Doby (PSA EX 5), 90 Mays (PSA EX-MT 6), 94 Banks RC (PSA EX 5), 102 Hodges (PSA EX 5), 132 Lasorda RC (Vg), 239 Skowron RC (PSA EX 5), and 250 Williams (PSA EX-MT 6). The three additional cards graded by PSA are as follows: #29 (EX 5), 35 (EX 5), and 166 (EX+ 5.5). 4) 1955 Topps (141 cards, 111 different out of 206 cards in set): 15% Nr/Mt, 65% range from Ex to Ex-Mt, 15% range from Vg to Vg-Ex, and 5% slightly lesser. Keys: #2 Williams (PSA EX-MT 6), 4 Kaline (PSA EX-MT 6 [MC]), 31 Spahn (PSA VG-EX 4), 50 Robinson (Gd-Vg), 123 Koufax RC (PSA VG-EX 4), 125 Boyer RC (Vg-Ex), two 164 Clemente (PSA EX 5 and VG-EX 4), 187 Hodges (PSA EX 5), 189 Rizzuto (PSA EX 5), 194 Mays (PSA EX-MT 6), and 198 Berra (PSA EX 5). The twelve additional cards graded by PSA are as follows: #163 (NM 7), 167 (EX 5), 171 (NM 7), 184 (EX-MT+ 6.5), 185 (EX-MT 6), 188 (NM 7), 190 (EX-MT 6), 196 (EX-MT 6), 199 (EX-MT 6), 200 (EX-MT 6), 204 (VG-EX 4), 207 (EX-MT 6). 5) 1955 Bowman (98 different out of 320 cards in set): 85% range from Ex to Ex-Mt, 15% range from Vg to Vg-Ex (with a couple slightly lesser). Keys: #134 Feller (Ex), 158 Hodges (Gd-Vg), 168 Berra (PSA EX-MT 6), 179 Aaron (PSA EX-MT+ 6.5), 197 Kiner (PSA EX 5 [MC]), and 295 (PSA EX-MT+ 6.5). 6) 1956 Topps (52 cards, 47 different): 35% Ex, 65% range from Gd to Vg-Ex (averaging Vg). Keys: #1 Harridge (Vg-Ex), 15 Banks (Vg), 31 Aaron (PSA EX 5), 200 Feller (Gd), 260 Reese (Gd), and 292 Aparicio RC (Vg). 7) 1957 Topps (23 different): 15% Ex, 70% range from Gd to Vg-Ex (averaging Vg), 15% slightly lesser. Keys: #18 Drysdale RC (PSA VG 3), 20 Aaron (PSA GOOD 2), 35 Robinson RC (Pr), 210 Campanella (Vg), 212 Colavito RC (Vg-Ex), 302 Koufax (PSA EX 5), and 400 Dodgers' Sluggers (Vg). 8) 1958 Topps (11 different): #25 Drysdale (Vg-Ex), 47 Maris RC (Fr), 90 Roberts (Pr), 314 Snider/Alston (Gd-Vg), 400 Fox (Vg), and 417 Furillo (Vg). The remaining five commons grade Vg-Ex (#42, 244, 282, 376, 394). This is a very substantial original "shoebox" collection of Topps and Bowman bubble-gum cards, which has been stored away for decades, completely unpicked, highlighted by many key cards and Hall of Famers. The SMR value for just forty of the seventy-three PSA-graded cards (not including the thirty-three cards graded lower than PSA EX 5 and 876 raw cards) is $4,963. The total book value of this collection is obviously a multiple of this amount. Complete inventory list is available upon request via email or fax. Total: 949 cards. Reserve $2,000. Estimate $5,000+. SOLD FOR $8,813