This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/11/2014
The current high bid for the complete set, $442,500.00, is greater than the aggregate total of the bids on the single cards that comprise this set, $356,330.00 (this lot is currently losing)
When Topps decided to challenge Bowman and enter the baseball card market, they came in with a plan of offering larger sized and uniquely formatted pasteboards that would hopefully appeal to the burgeoning card market. In retrospect, the plan was a complete success, with Topps buying out Bowman in 1956. Whether it was a calculated decision or one brought about by random chance, Topps decided that Andy Pafko would be the featured subject of card #1 of the inaugural set. Pafko was a four time all-star and a popular personality for the Brooklyn Dodgers, but he was far from consideration as one of the best in the game. Meanwhile, Bowman trotted out reigning American League MVP Yogi Berra to kick off their newest collection, the fifth since their premier edition of 1948. In the end, Topps' innovative design won out and the 1952 Topps set remains arguably the most coveted assemblage ever produced, with the 1952 Topps Andy Pafko card serving as a hallmark of the industry. One can only wonder what astronomical prices would be realized if Topps went with Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, or Jackie Robinson as card #1, but the incredible rarity of the Pafko card in high grade and its importance to the hobby make it one of the most elite specimens that doesn't feature a Hall of Famer. The featured item has certainly defied the odds, avoiding the flipping, the trading, and the inevitable rubber-banding that has relegated virtually all '52 Pafkos to "poor to average" condition status. Even more impressive, this PSA 8 monster sports the far more scarce black-back, present on only about 30% of all submissions to PSA. One of 5 to grade PSA 8 with just a lone specimen graded higher, this incredible beauty possesses high-quality NM/MT+ corners that compensate for the typical centering bias toward the upper right corner, mild enough to justify the elite PSA grade. The image quality is superb and there is no trace of any stray print or other encumbrances. The reverse is equally as extraordinary, more accurately centered that the front with a primarily spot-free surface and accurately focused print. Finally, a strong layer of reflective gloss protects the likeness of the Dodgers' slugger, obviously avoiding the fate of excessive handling that has been the downfall of so many others. If you're going to compete with the world's finest collectors, your '52 Topps set has to start off with one of the world's finest specimens. This is it!