730. 1954 Topps Complete Set (250)
The 1954 Topps issue was the company’s first to employ two different pictures of each subject on the card front; an oversized portrait dominating the majority of the card, with a smaller, “action” shot superimposed near the lower corner. Each card also included a team logo. The set’s distinctive design remains attractive among collectors today with a color background (in most cases) framed on three sides by white borders. The cards’ larger siZe makes them susceptible to a variety of wear-related condition issues and they are notoriously difficult to find properly centered. Most important, however, is the inclusion of several key rookie cards, notably those of Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Al Kaline, and Tommy Lasorda. Several of the cards from this issue led by the Aaron but also paced by cards of Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, Kaline and Banks, are currently skyrocketing in value, driving the price of the set northward at a rapid rate. The set presented here is a very strong one, despite being firmly settled in the lower-middle grades. Assembled by a diligent collector
who put the set together card by card, the cards were chosen more for their overall aesthetics than for their technical grade; the result is a pleasing set of cards that falls largely in the center of the grading scale. A technical breakdown of the set would find 1% EX/MT, 10% EX, 32% VG/EX, 38% VG, 15% GOOD, and 4% lesser. Many have eye appeal that surpasses the technical grade. A breakdown of the issue’s key cards, both graded and ungraded, is as follows: #1 Williams (SGC VG 3), #3 Irvin (VG), #10 Robinson (SGC GOOD 2), #17 Rizzuto (F), #20 Spahn (G), #30 Mathews (G), #32 Snider (F), #36 Wilhelm (VG), #37 Ford (F), #45 Ashburn (G), #50 Berra (VG), #70 Doby (VG), #86 Herman (VG/EX), #90 Mays (SGC VG/EX+ 4.5), #94 Banks (SGC VG 3), #102 Hodges (G), #128 Aaron (SGC GOOD 2), #187 Manush (EX), #201 Kaline (SGC VG 3), #238 Skowron (PSA EX 5), and #250 Williams (SGC VG 3). The 1954 Topps set is growing rapidly in popularity due to its important rookies and early cards of Hall of Famers, highly desirable for its attractiveness and large assortment of stars. 250 cards total.
MINIMUM BID: $2,000
SUMMER 2023 PREMIER AUCTION − CLOSES AUGUST 19, 2023 123
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