(LOT 180)
Extremely Scarce 1951 Topps Connie Mack All-Stars Wrapper in Near-Mint+ Condition
This magnificent 1951 Topps Connie Mack All-Stars wrapper has somehow managed to retain a majority of its original factory issued pristine condition! Measuring approximately 7.2" x 5.1", the wrapper is considered extremely rare, with its near-impossible Near-Mint+ condition unheard of for any ultra-thin condition sensitive 66-year old sports card wrapper. Its origin can be traced back to 1951 when the now iconic Topps Chewing Gum Company began competing with Bowman in the sports card manufacturing process, issuing various sets including the highly popular Connie Mack All-Stars 11 subject compilation. With all 11 players representing Cooperstown inductees, the 2-1/16" x 5-1/4" cards feature die-cut black & white images affixed to a robust red background.

A yellow/red player plaque resides beneath the hallowed poses, and the backgrounds had the potential to be folded out, allowing the cards to transform into a stand-up display piece. This innovative philosophy was gladly welcomed by avid baseball card collectors, proving the enthusiast with an added dimension to the standard flat card. Synonymous with other post-1930's cardboard issues, the versos also included a brief player "bio" within the actual illustration so that it may be read if the owner decided to "pop" out the image into a stand-up artifact. Extremely popular with collectors, some of Mack's premier choices included the immortal Ruth, Gehrig, Wagner, Mathewson, Johnson, and Mack himself (inexplicably, Mack chose to exclude Ty Cobb!).

The wrapper itself portrays a cartoon-like baseball diamond and stadium/grandstand backdrop with a left-handed batter completing his swing (the batter actually appears to be Ted Williams). The yellow, green and red hues have retained their original richness, with a large/bold caption reading "BASEBALL TRADING CARD CANDY". A 9-inning line-score grid is situated directly beneath the field including the bold red verbiage: "Play a regulation nine-inning game!!", and the upper region provides the gum ingredients, a 1951 copyright and the Topps Co. information. Interestingly enough, the bottom text box indicates that the buyer should collect the full deck of 52 baseball stars, versus only the 11 subjects ultimately issued for this set.

Incredibly, no tears or major surface abrasions are evident, the razor-sharp perimeter includes four pinpoint corners, and the only visible flaws are the standard wrapper creases situated in the areas where the thin wrapper was folded to seal the pack. A remarkable heirloom, this wrapper transcends the collector back to a point in time when the Topps Chewing Gum Co. was about to embark on a historic path towards being the premier sports card manufacturer in America! One of the finest condition examples in the hobby with NO TEARS!!!

MIN BID $500
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