Extremely Rare 1971-1972 Topps Basketball Unopened Wax Box (24 Packs) - BBCE

Sold For:

$87,000

Year:

1971

Auction:

2021 Summer

Lot #:

1712

Category:

Unopened Packs and Boxes

Presented is an extremely rare original unopened wax box of 1971-1972 Topps basketball. The box houses twenty-four packs, each containing ten cards and a Topps Trio sticker for a total 264 cards (240 from the set and 24 Trios). Referring to this box as rare may even be understating how difficult it is to find for collectors of unopened material. According to a September 2010 article in the PSA Sports Market Report, unopened-pack expert Steve Hart stated that 1971-1972 Topps basketball "is one of the rarest Topps basketball unopened issues. I have only owned one box of 24 packs in the last 10 years." We are very familiar with this particular box as this is the second time we have had the privilege of offering this rarity. This box originally appeared as Lot 1549 in REA's Spring 2013 auction (realizing $23,700). The offered box, which comes shrink-wrapped by Steve Hart's company, Baseball Card Exchange, is an incredible surviving gem. The set is very popular among collectors for its bright colors and funky text, both telltale signs of an early-1970s issue. The set is loaded with stars and Hall of Famers, including Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson, and rookie cards of Rick Barry, Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Larry Brown, Nate Archibald, and Dan Issel. This was also the first year that Topps included cards of ABA (American Basketball Association) players. While it is impossible to provide guarantees with reference to grading of unopened material, it is entirely possible that this box includes several MINT and GEM MINT examples of many cards in the set. The display box is very attractive with bold colors and only minor shelf wear visible. This is an exceptional unopened box, one of the rarest of all unopened issues, appearing almost exactly as it did on the store shelves fifty years ago! Reserve $10,000.