(LOT 12)
1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron Rookie PSA 9 MINT
"He's sitting on 714... Here's the pitch by Downing... Swinging... There's a drive into left-centerfield... That ball is going to be out of here... It's Gone... It's 715... There's a new home-run champion of all-time and its Henry Aaron!"

Such was the iconic call of Henry Aaron's historic 715th home run by Braves legendary announcer, the late Milo Hamilton. On April 8th 1974 at Fulton County Stadium, Aaron stepped into the batter's box in the bottom of the 4th inning against the Dodger's hard-throwing southpaw Al Downing. After taking ball one in the dirt, Aaron crushed Downing's next fastball into the bullpen as Dodger's outfielder Bill Buckner helplessly watched the ball sail over the left-centerfield fence. The unthinkable had happened with Aaron finally surpassing Babe Ruth's magical 714 mark!

That magnificent moment could virtually freeze time and render even the most advanced enthusiast absolutely speechless, sparking a monumental collector interest for the immortal Henry Aaron. His lifetime achievements read like a "War and Peace" novel, justifying why most hobbyists covet his most esteemed cardboard artifacts with Aaron's 1954 Topps Rookie card his most desirable and valuable issue. There continues to be an infinite-like demand and pricing surge for the inaugural cards of Mantle, Mays, J. Robinson, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax and so many more. This is clearly evident by the prices realized by elevated assessments for hobby icons such as the 52 Topps Mantle, 1955 Clemente and 1954 Aaron rookies. Incredible as it may seem, a PSA 8.5 1952 Topps Mantles has realized a staggering $1.13 Million, a 1955 Topps Clemente has sold for $486,000 and on two separate occasions, a PSA Mint 9 Aaron has posted $300,000+ figures, with a record breaking $358,000 sale in August 2016!

With regard to Hank Aaron, one of the most undervalued post WWII cards has always been his 1954 Topps rookie card. Fortunately, this inexplicable disservice to "Hammerin Hank's" first cardboard issue no longer exists, with on-going sales of his high-grade 1954 Topps gem continuing to achieve lofty price tags. Presented here just happens to be one of the finest preserved 1954 Hank Aaron Topps rookie cards extant, a breathtaking PSA Mint 9 copy that has been bested by only 2 Gem Mint 10 examples! Hard to believe, that of the 4,300+ PSA encapsulated copies, only a fractional 0.5% (22 copies) have achieve the "Mint 9" plateau, with this "time defying" marvel the potential cornerstone of any world-class "Hammerin' Hank" or Rookie Card collection. Furthermore, it is clearly evident that this museum worthy masterpiece merits a premier standing among those few "Mint 9" copies, with its "near-perfect" technical attributes arguably meriting it accolades synonymous with the two existing Gem Mint 10 specimens.

Due to the ongoing steroids issue in professional baseball, many die hard baseball fans still consider Aaron's 755 lifetime home runs the all-time mark, dismissing Bond's "tainted" 762 statistical high mark. Additionally, Aaron is a member of the elusive 3,000 hit club and is the undisputed owner of the most lifetime R.B.I.'s in Major League history. For these reasons alone, more hobby enthusiasts are beginning to "jump aboard" the Aaron bandwagon, seizing his prized high-grade cardboard artifacts as they continue to achieve stratospheric pricing levels. Similar to legendary cards such as the Babe Ruth M101 and Mickey Mantle '51 Bowman rookie issues, the Aaron rookie was significantly undervalued for quite some time, only recently earning its rightful place among the hobby's most desirable and valuable cardboard keepsakes.

Regarding its 'jaw-dropping" aesthetics, the crystal clear Aaron portrait image and vivid black & white fielding pose are both set against an immaculate orange sunburst-like background, with the classic illustration atypically exhibiting breathtaking eye appeal of the Home Run King with three snow white borders. Blistering sharp right-angled corners, seemingly flawless surfaces, a razor sharp perimeter and a pristine-like verso complete one of the finest Hank Aaron rookie cards on the planet. Considering Aaron's immortal standing among baseball's greatest Cooperstown Inductees, his "Mint 9" 1954 Topps rookie card may continue to exhibit considerable growth potential, bearing in mind that from a sheer statistical perspective, he stands "heads and tails" above his greatest 1950's/'60's peers; reflecting superior achievements versus the legendary Mantle, Mays and Clemente!

MIN BID $50,000
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