Lot # 2589: 1957-1958 Topps Basketball Near-Complete Set (79/80) Including #77 Bill Russell Rookie SGC VG 3

Crisp, clean and sharp-looking near-complete set of 1957-1958 Topps basketball consisting of 79 cards (out of 80 in the set), highlighted by the rookie cards of Boston Celtics Hall of Famers Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. Missing only #15 Ramsey for completion. Condition is 51% Ex to Ex-Mt (mostly Ex) and 49% Vg to Vg-Ex (including one Gd). Five cards have been professionally graded and encapsulated by SGC. Keys: #1 Clifton (10/90 T/B, otherwise Ex), 2 Yardley RC (Vg-Ex), 3 Johnston RC (Vg-Ex+), 5 Sharman RC (Vg-Ex+), 10 Arizin RC (EX+ 5.5), 12 Martin RC (Ex+), 13 Schayes RC (Vg-Ex), 16 McGuire RC (Ex), 17 Cousy RC (VG+ 3.5), 19 Heinsohn RC (5/95 T/B, otherwise Ex), 24 Pettit RC (VG/EX 4), 27 Macauley RC (Ex), 28 Mikkelsen RC (Ex-Mt), 29 Naulls SP (Vg-Ex), 32 Kerr SP (Ex), 33 Costello RC (Ex due mostly to centering), 37 Hagan RC (Vg-Ex), 39 Loscutoff SP (Vg-Ex+), 42 Stokes RC (EX 5), 43 Hundley RC (Vg), 44 Gola RC (Vg-Ex+), 56 Houbregs (Ex), 59 Bianchi SP (Ex), 62 Gallatin RC (Vg-Ex+), 71 Twyman RC (Ex), 74 Leonard RC SP (Ex), 75 Phillip SP (Vg-Ex), 77 Russell RC (VG 3), 78 Lovellette RC (Vg+), and 80 Schnittker SP (next card showing, otherwise Ex). This is Topps' first basketball set, and the only basketball set Topps issued during the 1950s. It apparently did not sell well as Topps did not follow up with another basketball set until 1969. The set includes the rookie cards of all of the major stars of the era. 1957 Topps Basketball is well known for production-related problems, making the assembling of high-quality sets particularly challenging. This is a very attractive near-complete set (minus one) of this extremely significant basketball issue. Total: 79 cards.