(LOT 57)
1952 Bowman #218 Willie Mays PSA 8 NM-MT
Any early baseball card depicting the immortal Willie Mays ranks high on any advanced collector's list with his 1951 Bowman rookie card and 1952 Topps keepsakes leading the way. Running right behind these two rookie cards in stature is Willie's highly coveted 1952 high-number (#218) Bowman 2nd year card that is presented here in a sensational PSA 8, with only 5 PSA specimens graded higher! Indeed, "scarce for the grade", PSA has encapsulated 1,150+ of these highly coveted mementos gems with only 5% achieving this outstanding assessment. There is not much to say about Mays that most avid baseball fans don't already know. Highly regarded as baseball's greatest all-around player ever, Mays walloped 660 lifetime homers over 24 incredible seasons as well as catching virtually every batted ball directed his way. No wonder when Willie Mays was once asked to simplify the way he plays the game he so eloquently responded: "They throw the ball I hit it…they hit the ball I catch it"! While he will forever be remembered for his 1954 World Series game#1 spectacular "over the shoulder" catch in the Polo Ground's deepest confines from a Vic Wertz batted ball, not even that "jaw dropping" moment exceeds the sheer brilliance of this offering's unparalleled aesthetics. The lithographic image is crystal clear, emanating the brightest array of colored hues culminating with a "3-D like" cloudy sky setting. Fine centering (reflecting only a modest favoritism towards the lower left edges), snow white borders, pinpoint corner tips, a gleaming obverse side surface and a pristine back are all additional compliments for one of the superior 1952 Willie Mays specimens in circulation. While there are five "Mint 9" copies residing on the PSA "Pop" charts, we cannot imagine any one of them surpassing the overall brilliance of this magnificent gem that is synonymous with the "Say Hey Kid's" unparalleled legacy!
MIN BID $12,500
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