Lot # 1540: 1961 Topps Near-Complete Set (557/587)

Presented is a very sharp-looking near-complete set of one of the era's most popular issues, consisting of 557 different cards (out of 587 in the set). This 1961 Topps set includes five different Mickey Mantle cards and was Topps' first venture into the popular League Leader subset. The Most Valuable Player subset, an extremely difficult high-number run, and the rookie cards of Juan Marichal, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo also highlight this set. Condition is 14% Ex-Mt to Nr/Mt (including a few Nr/Mt-Mt), 64% Vg-Ex to Ex, and 22% Gd to Vg (including 2% lesser and a couple with a slight miscut). The high numbers (#523-589) grade a bit lower than the balance. Keys: #2 Maris (Ex due mostly to centering), 10 B. Robinson (Vg-Ex+), 35 Santo RC (Ex), 44 AL HR Ldrs (Vg), 80 Killebrew (Vg-Ex), 120 Mathews (Vg-Ex), 141 B. Williams RC (Vg-Ex+), 150 Mays (Vg due to tiny tear), 160 Ford (Vg-Ex), 200 Spahn (Vg), 211 Gibson (Vg-Ex), 228 Yankees Team (Ex), 260 Drysdale (Fr-Gd), 287 Yastrzemski (Ex), 290 Musial (85/15 L/R, otherwise Ex), 300 Mantle (Vg-Ex), 307 Mantle WS Gm. 2 (Ex-Mt), 344 Koufax (Vg-Ex), 350 Banks (very small erasure mark, otherwise Ex), 360 F. Robinson (Ex-Mt), 388 Clemente (Vg-Ex), 401 Ruth Hits 60th (95/5 L/R, otherwise Ex), 405 Gehrig Benched (Vg-Ex), 406 Mantle Blasts HR (Ex-Mt), 415 Aaron (faded, otherwise Vg+), 417 Marichal RC (Vg+), 425 Berra (Vg+), 429 Kaline (Ex), 443 Snider (Vg-Ex), 475 Mantle MVP (Vg), 478 Maris MVP (Vg), 482 Mays MVP (Ex-Mt+), 484 Aaron MVP (15/85 L/R and 80/20 T/B, otherwise Ex+), 517 McCovey (Vg-Ex+), 577 Aaron AS (Ex), and 578 Mantle AS (pen marks on reverse, otherwise Vg-Ex). Missing the following thirty cards for completion: #524, 526, 528, 529, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 544, 545, 547, 548, 549, 553, 554, 557, 559, 560, 561, 563, 572, 576 Maris AS, 579 Mays AS, and 581. 1961 will always be remembered as a "magical year" in baseball history, and a quality collection of 1961 Topps as offered here will always be a highly prized "time capsule." Total: 557 cards.