Lot # 1509: 1961 Topps Near-Complete Set (586/587)

Presented is a very sharp-looking near-complete set (minus one) of one of the era's most popular issues, crisp and clean throughout. Missing only #300 Mantle for completion (offered individually in this auction). The 1961 Topps set includes five (four in this offering) 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 19% Nr/Mt to Nr/Mt-Mt (mostly Nr/Mt), 69% Ex to Ex-Mt, and 12% Vg to Vg-Ex (including a couple trimmed). Six cards are graded and encapsulated by SGC (5, submitted by REA) and PSA (1). Keys: #2 Maris (EX 5), 10 B. Robinson (Ex-Mt), 35 Santo RC (Ex-Mt), 44 AL HR Ldrs (Ex-Mt+), 80 Killebrew (Ex+), 120 Mathews (Ex-Mt), 141 B. Williams RC (Vg-Ex), 150 Mays (Vg+), 160 Ford (Ex+), 200 Spahn (Ex), 211 Gibson (Vg-Ex+), 228 Yankees Team (Ex-Mt), 260 Drysdale (Ex), 287 Yastrzemski (Ex), 290 Musial (75/25 T/B, otherwise Ex-Mt), 307 Mantle WS Gm. 2 (Ex), 344 Koufax (Ex), 350 Banks (20/80 T/B, otherwise Nr/Mt-Mt), 360 F. Robinson (Ex), 388 Clemente (EX 5), 401 Ruth Hits 60th (Ex), 405 Gehrig Benched (Ex+), 406 Mantle Blasts HR (Ex), 415 Aaron (EX+ 5.5), 417 Marichal RC (25/75 L/R, otherwise Ex-Mt), 425 Berra (Ex+), 429 Kaline (15/85 L/R, otherwise Ex-Mt), 443 Snider (Vg-Ex), 472 Berra MVP (PSA NM 7), 475 Mantle MVP (VG/EX 4), 478 Maris MVP (wax on reverse, otherwise Ex), 482 Mays MVP (Ex+), 484 Aaron MVP (Ex-Mt), 517 McCovey (Vg-Ex+), 576 Maris AS (Ex due to centering), 577 Aaron AS (Ex-Mt), 578 Mantle AS (EX 5), and 579 Mays AS (Vg-Ex+). 1961 will always be remembered as a "magical year" in baseball history, and a high-quality, mid- to high-grade complete set of 1961 Topps as offered here will always be a highly prized time capsule. Total: 586 cards.