(LOT 4)
1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays PSA 8 NM-MT
'52 TOPPS SAY HEY KID!!! The immortal Say Hey Kid will forever reside on every historian's list as one of our National Pastime's pinnacle all-time players. His batting, power, fielding, throwing and baserunning exploits set the benchmark for the five-tool player concept, and he currently holds the distinguished title of baseball's greatest living ballplayer. This is why avid enthusiasts scramble to seize his most desirable and valuable cards, with his two most prestigious cards being his 1951 Bowman Rookie and 1952 inaugural Topps subject. Advanced collectors assembling high-grade 1952 Topps sets as well as the most hallowed cardboard keepsakes painstakingly seek a high-grade 1952 Topps Mays, and this sensational PSA 8 NM-MT seldom surfaces for the taking.

Consider that PSA has encapsulated nearly 2,900 examples with a mere 2.1% achieving this grade, and only 11 hallowed specimens have been graded higher! The flashes of brilliance Mays depicted in his 1951 rookie campaign excited a myriad of the Big Apple fan base. Swatting 20 round-trippers, portraying gazelle base running skills, and catching virtually everything hit his way, Mays would appropriately capture the Rookie of the Year Award, with the NY Giants' fans anxiously awaited his 1952 season. Unfortunately, due to the Korean War, Mays was drafted after playing in only 34 games, and he would not see action again until the 1954 season. Topps celebrated his superb inaugural campaign with an imposing Mays #261 subject, and the Say Hey Kid never looked better than in this classic half-body portrait pose of the immortal center fielder.

The youthful-looking Mays couldn't possibly imagine the incredible career he was about to embark on when he posed for this legendary photo, highlighted by brilliant hues and crystal-clear clarity. The exalted image reveals near-perfect top-to-bottom centering, with the right-to-left alignment portraying roughly 60/40 to 65/35 positioning. Most significant is the absence of any glaring image tilt that so often plagues the aesthetics of the '52 Topps Mays. A bold violet background, square corners exhibiting slight wear consistent with the grade, impeccable print clarity and pack-fresh surfaces provide the final exclamation points for this museum-worthy masterpiece that is rarely offered, showcasing the illustrious PSA 8 assessment.

It's no secret that high-grade 1950s stars are currently realizing stratospheric pricing points for Cooperstown's finest legends such as Mantle, Clemente Aaron, Koufax and Mays, with record-setting prices seemingly recorded each and every passing day. Justifying that notion are numerous PSA 8 NM-MT '52 Topps Mays subjects fetching between $200K and $260K since 2021, a telltale sign that this card's revered popularity will continue escalating its incredible investment potential for years to come. Due to the extremely rare occurrence of one of the few existing 9 MINT examples appearing at auction, we expect an intense tug-of-war for this world-class offering that proudly stands alongside the Mantle, Robinson and Mathews subjects as one of the four most exalted 1952 Topps heirlooms. Issued some 71 years ago, it effectively turns back the clock to an era when the legendary Willie Mays would embark on a career for the ages, unequivocally placing him as one of baseball's greatest Cooperstown inductees!

MIN BID $25,000

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