Lot # 1134: 1951 Topps Blue and Red Backs Complete Set Pair (2 Sets, 104 Cards)

The 1951 Red and Blue Back sets are extremely significant as these were the first major baseball-card sets ever issued by Topps. Offered as a single lot are complete sets of both the 1951 Topps Red Backs and 1951 Topps Blue Backs, each with 52 cards plus one Red Back variation, for a total of 105 cards. Four cards have been professionally graded and encapsulated by PSA. This pair consists of the following: 1) 1951 Topps Red Back (52) Plus One Variation: Condition is 9% Nr/Mt, 9% Ex to Ex-Mt, 52% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 30% Gd (including 11% lesser). Keys: #1 Berra (NM 7), 5 Rizzuto (Vg), 6 Reynolds (Pr), 8 Wynn (Vg-Ex due to wrinkle on reverse), 15 Kiner (Pr, paper loss on reverse), 20 D. DiMaggio (Vg), 22 Feller (Gd), 30 Spahn (Gd+), 31 Hodges (Gd+), 36b Zernial/Philadelphia in bio (Gd+), 38 Snider (Gd), 39 Kluszewski (Vg+), 50 Irvin (Vg+), 52a Holmes/Boston (erasure marks, otherwise Gd+), and 52b Holmes/Hartford (Pr). 2) 1951 Topps Blue Back (52): Condition is 17% Nr/Mt to Nr/Mt-Mt (including one higher), 19% Ex to Ex-Mt, 45% Vg to Vg-Ex, and 19% Gd (including a couple lesser). Keys: #1 Yost (Vg), 3 Ashburn (NM-MT 8), 6 Schoendienst (Gd), 9 Sain (Vg-Ex due to wrinkle on reverse), 10 Page (Fr), 20 Branca (Gd-Vg), 30 Slaughter (EX-MT 6), 37 Doerr (Vg), 39 Lopat (MINT 9), 45 Pierce (Fr-Gd), 50 Mize (Vg+), and 52 Chapman (Gd+). The 1951 Red and Blue Back Topps sets are among the most significant yet overlooked of all early Topps cards, and in our opinion, they represent an extraordinary value. Total: 105 cards.