(LOT 180)
Willie Mays 1958 Hires Root Beer w/Tab #25 (PSA Mint 9) HIGHEST GRADED Example!
One of the more eclectic issues from the 1950's is the seldom surfacing Hires Root Beer cards that were inserted in Hires Root Beer soda cartons. The basic card was attached to a wedge-shaped tab that served the twofold purpose of offering a fan club membership as well as securing the card within the soda carton. Measuring approximately 3-3/8" to 3-5/8" tall (without the tab) and 2-3/8" to 2-5/8" wide, the remaining examples still including the highly coveted a tab are an additional 3-1/2" in length.

The entire set includes 66 subjects with checklist numbers starting at 10 and ending at 76 (#69 was never issued). One of this gathering's most celebrated subjects is the incomparable Hall of Fame centerfielder Willie Mays who continues to reside on many historians lists as baseball's greatest all-time center fielder. Synonymous with that notion comes along this absolutely breathtaking PSA "Mint 9" 1958 Hires Root Beer w/Tab offering that along with a meager 3 other examples stands tall as the finest of its kind!

Enthusiasts surely realize this is an extremely fragile issue, more than justifying the incredible aesthetics emanating from this "Say Hey Kid" marvel. Willie Mays' classic batting pose depicts a remarkable array of rich hues and is affixed within a nearly immaculate oval structured wood grain background. The tab reflects bold red text and a radiant yellow surface, highlighted by the extremely imposing header "JOIN THE HIRES BASEBALL CLUB TODAY".

Defying "father time", the perimeter edging and corners are razor sharp, with the tab completely attached to its contiguous Mays card. The super clean verso includes the mail in information on the tab portion with a Hires Root Beer bottle and some Willie Mays brief bio information affixed to the card portion. An amazing 1950's keepsake, its pinnacle-like assessment is a perfect testament to Willie May's bona-fide niche in our National Pastime's glorious history, with many historians still ranking Mays as the greatest "5-tool" player who ever graced a baseball diamond!

MIN BID $1,000

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