(LOT 517)
1952 Topps #407 Eddie Mathews Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT
BROOKFIELD BOMBER!!! Eddie Mathews is the only player to have played in all three of the Braves home cities of Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta. For more than 16 years, Mathews often played in the shadow of his teammate Hank Aaron, but Mathews carved his own path as one of the finest sluggers of the 1950s and '60s. It's no mistake that his home run swing was featured on the cover of the inaugural issue of Sports Illustrated in 1954. The nine-time All-Star belted 512 lifetime dingers, and until the great Brooks Robinson or Mike Schmidt came along, Mathews was generally considered the greatest 3rd baseman of all time. He embodied the slick fielding of Brooks and the power of Schmitty. With Aaron leading the way for most of the offensive categories for the Braves organization, and Chipper Jones assuming second place having played his entire 19-year career in Atlanta, Eddie Mathews holds second place in Wins Above Replacement, home runs and walks. Twenty-three years after his passing and 55 years after his retirement, Eddie remains third behind Aaron and Jones in games, at-bats, runs scored, total bases and RBIs.

When the Topps Bubble Gum Company released their landmark 1952 set, save for the iconic #311 Mickey Mantle card, they just might have saved the best for last by choosing the great HOF 3rd-sacker Eddie Mathews as its final #407 subject. The #407 Eddie Mathews example is his true rookie card, residing as one of the most significant post-WWII cards in the hobby. Seldom surfacing in high-grade, presented here is an outstanding '52 Topps Mathews in a PSA 8 NM-MT holder, with only four examples earning superior grades! It has been more than 2-1/2 years since the last PSA 8 Mathews Rookie sold for a record $161,215.

This 1952 Topps #407 Mathews image is absolutely brilliant, eluding any major blemishes while emanating near-perfect clarity and a splendid array of vibrant blue tints. The right-angled corners are consistent with the assessment, the bright white borders have defied 72 years of wear, and the reverse is still super clean. We can only conclude that the miniscule off-centering favoring the left edge a bottom left corner touch prevented this card from achieving a higher assessment. Yet, the dynamic duo of a brilliant portrait image of Eddie Mathews on his undisputed rookie card far exceeds the aforementioned centering issue, with this most significant cardboard memento residing as one of the most monumental post-WWII issues ever produced!

MIN BID $25,000
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