A CURATED SELECTION OF GREAT CARDS
90. 1954 Johnston Cookies #5 Hank Aaron (HOF RC) – PSA VG-EX 4
92. 1957 Topps Basketball #77 Bill Russell (HOF RC) – PSA EX-MT 6
Hall of Fame center Bill Russell won an astounding 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics during his 13-year career, who unquestionably depended on his outstanding defense and scoring for their historic run of titles. He’s one of basketball’s all-time players, and this 1957 Topps rookie ranks among our hobby’s most coveted cards, especially in higher grades. This PSA EX-MT 6 offers a young, towering Russell in an action-
The 1953-55 Johnston Cookies sets of Milwaukee Braves hold a special place in the heart of many postwar collectors, thanks to their distinctive look and special roster of players and future Hall of Fame selections, including Warran Spahn and Eddie Mathews. None rank higher among these regional food cards than 1954’s beautiful rookie card of Hank Aaron, who broke into Milwaukee’s lineup as an injury replacement for Bobby Thomson. (This set numbered its cards by player uniform, and Hank wore #5 as a rookie; Aaron would shift to right field upon Thomson’s return and change to his legendary #44.) This Aaron rookie retains bright color, a clean front, and above- average corners for the PSA VG-EX 4 grade. Its lower edge on each side shows ink toning, perhaps from stacking among sheets of similar cards. Little detracts from that superlative central image of the young slugger, making it an ideal piece of any collection that prioritizes strong player images. PSA’s population report shows that Hank’s 1954 Johnston Cookies rookie grades at about 5% the rate of 1954 Topps, making this a challenge to find in any condition, let alone presentable and accessible! A truly special example from this set.
packed scene against the Rochester Royals. Centering is nudged eastward, with clean surfaces on each side. Lightly fuzzed corners and slight foxing on his back nameplate merit its technical score. Russell’s card otherwise stands out for its compelling presentation and overall appeal. Collectors seeking a sharp, mid-to-high-grade example need look no further! Note that these Rochester Royals relocated to Cincinnati for their 1957 season, making this card a modest anachronism before it even reached wax packs! Sharp-eyed collectors should be able to spot which Topps photos show “Rochester” jerseys and which were updated following that move to Cincy.
MINIMUM BID: $2,500
MINIMUM BID: $750
93. 1972 Comspec Kareem Abdul- Jabbar (HOF) – PSA VG 3
91. 1961 Fleer Basketball #47 Wilt Chamberlain In Action (HOF RC) – PSA NM-MT 8
Outstanding card from the 1972 Comspec issue, a rare issue printed on light cardstock, each featuring a color image of the player set against a deep, solid color background. Many collectors believe that the cards were distributed only in Southern California, helping add to their scarcity, and complete, 36-card sets are nearly impossible to find. One of the issue’s key cards, that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, is presented here. A beautiful example, the VG 3 grade was assessed by PSA due to light wear, though the card does boast the
Sharp example of the “In Action” card of Wilt Chamberlain from his rookie issue, the popular and valuable 1961 Fleer basketball set. Though the centering is slightly to the northwest on the canvas, the image and color of the card are very strong, free of the kinds of print defects often seen with this issue. While Chamberlain’s portrait card in this issue is one of the hobby’s key rookie cards, the action shot pictures Wilt the Stilt in mid- dunk, a great image of one of the most exciting elements of the game.
eye appeal of a higher-grade example. A key rarity, presenting one of the game’s most legendary players early in his Hall of Fame career.
MINIMUM BID: $750
MINIMUM BID: $1,500
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