Lot # 339: Significant 1957 Jim Brown Rookie Card Image - PSA Type III Encapsulated Photo Used for His Iconic 1958 Topps #62 Rookie Subject - Measures Approx. 6-1/2” x 8-1/2”

Category: Photos

Starting Bid: $1,000.00

Bids: 14 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Spring 2021 Rarities Auction",
which ran from 2/27/2021 10:00 AM to
3/20/2021 7:00 PM




(LOT 339)
Significant 1957 Jim Brown Rookie Card Image - PSA Type III Encapsulated Photo Used for His Iconic 1958 Topps #62 Rookie Subject - Measures Approx. 6-1/2" x 8-1/2"

In Memory Lane's Spring 2020 Auction, we sold an amazing Type 1 Jim Brown 1958 Rookie Card photo for the staggering sum of $68K! Indeed, the past several years has seen the photo market literally "explode" with regard to the desirability and value of some of the hobby's most hallowed images including the aforementioned Brown sale, the iconic 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle image ($72K) and the 1965 Joe Namath illustration ($66K). It is our distinct pleasure to now offer another Jim Brown rookie card photo, this one classified as a 1957 PSA Type III image that defines it as a PERIOD photo issued from a duplicate negative.

Although not a Type 1 offering, most significantly, it still resides as a period/vintage photo, issued in September 1957 when the immortal Jim Brown would be embarking on a career that arguably places him as the greatest running back in NFL history! The incomparable "hype" over any Hall of Fame rookie card runs ramped throughout the hobby, for it is any HOF player's inaugural card that is a "must-have" for any serious enthusiast. Fortunately for card collectors, there are typically an abundance of these cards to choose from during the post-WWII era, with the COMNINED PSA and SGC population reports listing roughly 4,500 1958 Topps #62 Jim Brown examples. However, regarding Brown's existing rookie card photos, this just happens to be only the second specimen we have ever come across, with the other known image selling for the aforementioned $68K price tag. The remarkable mystique behind any superior Jim Brown rookie-ear collectible stems from his unparalleled prowess in carrying a pigskin as he rumbled thru opposing defenses.

If you surveyed a myriad of football historians, most would concede that legendary Cleveland Brown superstar Jim Brown was the greatest running back in NFL history. Red Grange, Bronco Nagurski, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, etc.; name them all and virtually all enthusiasts would concur, NONE were as good as the immortal Jim Brown. It is for this reason that avid grid-iron hobbyists actively pursue his most coveted artifacts, with nearly none more desirable than this ultra-rare 1958 Topps rookie card Type III offering. This Jim Brown marvel depicts a spine-tingling black & white central image that collectors are so familiar with from Brown's 1958 Topps #62 rookie subject.

Emanating "eye-popping" aesthetics, the sparkling illustration reveals near-perfect resolution and contrast, with Brown donning his legendary #32 jersey as he gracefully carries the football in his right arm/hand. A few stray creases/wrinkles and modest paper loss along the lower right edge do not impede the spine-tingling eye appeal of the classic central image, with the verso including a SEP 29, 1957 stamp and newspaper caption that so appropriately reads: "TABBED FOR STARDOM – Fullback Jim Brown, drafted by Cleveland Browns from Syracuse University, is looked upon as one of the most promising rookies of pro season. Jim and mates meet New York Giants in league opener Sunday." Never has a newspaper clipping been more prophetic for the iconic Jim Brown ultimately earned "pinnacle stature" as pro-football's finest all-time running back, and this rookie card image issued directly before his inaugural NFL game will forever stand as one of his most compelling mementos!

MIN BID $1,000
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