Lot # 1099: 1953 Topps Near-Complete Set (270/274)

[written except for SMR value]

Presented is a very attractive and mostly mid-grade near-complete set (270 of 274 cards) of 1953 Topps, one of the most significant of all postwar baseball card issues. Missing the following four cards for completion: #1 Robinson, 82 Mantle, 220 Paige, and 244 Mays. Thirty-three cards have been professionally graded and encapsulated by PSA (30), SGC (1), and GAI (2). PSA Grading Composite: NM 7 (4 cards): #35, 37 Mathews, 207 Ford, and 219 (OC). EX-MT 6 (14 cards): #9, 27 Campanella, 80, 86 Martin SP, 104 Berra, 114 Rizzuto (GAI), 132, 141, 151 Wilhelm SP, 154, 167, 188, 210, and 242. EX+ 5.5 (2 cards): #41 Slaughter (SGC) and 76 Reese (GAI). EX 5 (13 cards): #10 Burgess SP, 31, 43 McDougald SP, 77 Mize, 87 Lopat SP, 100, 119 Sain SP, 186, 213, 239, 258 Gilliam RC, 263 Podres RC SP, and 264 Woodling. The condition of the 237 unencapsulated cards is 6% Ex, 76% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 18% lesser (including a few with color added, five trimmed, and three with altered borders). Unencapsulated Keys: #54 Feller (Vg), 61 Wynn SP (Vg), 62 Irvin (Vg+), 78 Schoendienst (Vg), 81 Black SP (Gd), 138 Kell (Vg-Ex), 147 Spahn (Fr), 149 D. DiMaggio (Vg+), 162 Kluszewski SP (Vg), 191 Kiner (Ex), 228 Newhouser (Vg-Ex), 246 Face RC (color added, otherwise Vg), 254 Roe (trimmed and color added, otherwise Vg+), 265 Jensen SP (Gd+), 273 Haddix RC SP (trimmed, otherwise Vg), and 280 Bolling RC SP (slight trim and color added, otherwise Gd). This is a very attractive mid-grade near-complete set (minus four) of one of card collecting's most popular issues. The equivalent SMR value for just thirty of the graded cards (not including the two cards graded by GAI or the PSA-qualified card and factoring in the half grade at the lower whole-grade level) is $3,505. Total: 270 cards.