Lot # 1131: 1954 Red Man Tobacco Near-Complete Set (45/50)

Near-complete set of forty-five different cards (out of fifty in the set) from the 1954 Red Man Tobacco series plus both variations of #19N and four duplicates (#5N Irvin, 9N, 16N Snider, and 21N). This was the third of the four Red Man sets issued from 1952 to 1955. Red Man Tobacco cards are among the most beautiful cards ever issued and also represent one of the best values of all cards from the 1950s. These cards have long been a special favorite of collectors, and with good reason: They are far rarer than Topps issues from the era; they are unusual; they are relatively small sets; and each set includes so many great stars from the golden era of the early 1950s. The fact that Red Man cards are very challenging to collect in high grade gives them a mystique and all-the-greater appeal to serious collectors. Red Man Tobacco cards are never going out of style with advanced collectors. Red Mans do not get a lot of attention compared to Topps and Bowman but are one of the premier sets of the 1950s. The tab at the bottom of the card has been removed on twenty-one of the cards in this collection. The condition (without reference to the missing tabs, where applicable) is 10% Vg-Ex to Ex, 64% Gd to Vg, and 26% lesser (including one trimmed). Keys (without tabs, unless noted): #1N Ashburn (Fr), 3A Fox/with tab (Fr), 4A Kell/Chicago, with tab (Vg+), two 5N Irvin/with tab (Ex and Fr), 10N Schoendienst/with tab (Vg), 11N Spahn (Fr), 13N Campanella (Ex), 15N Reese (Vg-Ex+), two 16N Snider (Vg, with tab, and Vg, without tab), 17A Rizzuto (Gd+), 18N Roberts (Fr), 19Na Slaughter (Vg-Ex), 19Nb Bell (Gd), 20A Berra (Vg), 21A Lemon/with tab (Vg), 22N Hodges (Vg+), 23N Mathews (Vg), and 25N Mays (Vg). Missing the following five cards for completion: #3N, 6N Kluszewski, 8N, 16A Ford, and 24N. This is a very attractive and mostly mid-grade near-complete set of this striking and unusual issue, and one that we think represents an outstanding value compared to the value of most other cards from the 1950s. Total: 50 cards (near set of 45 plus one variation and four duplicates).