1955
131. Impossibly Rare 1955 Topps Hocus Focus Lou Gehrig (HOF) - PSA VG-EX 4
The Hocus Focus set was a throwback to the 1948-49 series of Magic Photos, which were similarly small cards that required the application of moisture and sunlight to “develop” the picture that 1955
revealed the answer to the question on the card reverse. The Large series of 96 was issued in panelized form in wax packs, while the Small series of 126 was issued as a true insert, with one small card wedged between the inner and outer wrapper of a piece of bubblegum-a method of distribution lacking in all manner of refinement. As a result, the Small cards are several orders of magnitude more difficult than the Large ones and they are, indeed, the rarest regular issue cards ever released to the public by Topps. The Baseball Stars series has 18 subjects in the Large size and 23 in the small. These five additional Baseball Stars have been slow to reveal themselves over the years and the pop counts on these are miniscule. This example of Lou Gehrig’s card from the issue was originally consigned to us for our Summer 2023 auction and remains the only example graded by PSA (none are reflected on SGC’s census). As we wrote back in 2023, the only other example of a Gehrig coming up was in an early 2000s “blind” lot offering from a large but now defunct auction house, and which was then sold anew that year. In researching further, it appears that card was a different one than this, meaning there is at least one other example of a 1955 Hocus Focus Gehrig out in the hobby somewhere. However, this remains perhaps the rarest card of Gehrig ever issued, an impossible card to find (despite the fact that it is the second time we have offered this very example). If your aim is to complete a 1955 Topps Hocus Focus set, you may never see another opportunity.
128. 1955 Topps Hocus Focus #5 Ted Williams (HOF) - PSA GOOD+ 2.5 MINIMUM BID: $2,000
129. 1955 Sports Illustrated Pair w/Topps Baseball Cards MINIMUM BID: $100
130. 1955-1956 Topps Bazooka & Blony Bubble Gum Mail- Order Premium Catalog MINIMUM BID: $25
MINIMUM BID: $1,000
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CLOSES OCTOBER 31, 2026
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