(LOT 79)
1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays Rookie PSA 7 NM
SAY HEY KID NM ROOKIE!!!... Who could have ever imagined that the 1951 campaign would see two sensational rookie centerfielders emerge in the Big Apple, with both Mickey Charles Mantle and Willie Mays ultimately becoming two of the greatest players in MLB history. You would almost have a better chance of hitting the lotto than witnessing the inaugural appearance of these two hallowed Hall of Famers in the exact same season. While The Mick went on to become the strongest hitter ever, it was the Say Hey Kid who would be embarking on a career that led to many historians ranking him as our National Pastime's finest all-time five-tool player. Incredible as it may seem, a third superb centerfielder had already commenced his career in Brooklyn, with the Dodger's Duke Snider an established all-star by the time Mays and Mantle took Gotham by storm.

The highly coveted rookie cards for Willie and Mickey just happen to be included in the renowned 1951 Bowman Gum set, with the #305 Mays subject standing tall as his undisputed inaugural cardboard keepsake. Regarding the legendary Willie Mays, one of the most underrated post WWII cards had always been his 1951 Bowman rookie card, since like Mantle, it was overshadowed by his 1952 Topps subject. For past several years, however, this concept has surely turned the corner with the 1951 Bowman Mays now achieving the immense values it truly merits. In 2021, a PSA 8 example fetched a record setting $338K pricing point while a PSA 7 reached $90K in the spring of 2022. Indeed, the "true" Willie Mays rookie card has finally earned its due respect among the hobby's premier collectors, with significant potential for future prosperity.

As a worthy testament to his unbridled immortality, offered here is a magnificent 1951 Bowman Mays rookie card in an ultra-desirable PSA 7 NEAR-MINT holder, with the lofty assessment immediately placing this offering as a momentous collectible. There isn't a single baseball historian that omits the legendary Giants centerfielder on their top five all-time baseball player list. Mays could hit for average and power, run the bases, throw and play centerfield as well if not better than anyone who ever played the game. Whether it was his amazing "over the shoulder" catch in the 1954 World Series in the deepest confines of the Polo Grounds, his 660 round-trippers, his cannon-like arm or unparalleled base running skills, Mays legacy will outlast eternity, and we cannot imagine a finer testament to his unparalleled legacy than a high-grade Bowman rookie card.

Many qualities of this pack-fresh example are consistent with a higher assessment, including a brilliant lithographic image of Mays preparing to clout another one of his mighty home runs. Sharp corners, relatively clean surfaces, and bright white borders all combine to raise the bar on its overall condition. For full disclosure, its only stigmas appear to be a typical off-centered image that in this case, favors the lower left borders, as well as what appears to be an extremely faint gum stain situated near the verso's upper left edge. Irrelevant to say the least, its abundance of pack-fresh attributes, tsunami-like pricing points and irrefutable rookie card stature all combine to justify its rightful place in any world-class compilation. One of the hobby's foremost investment cards, high-grade examples such as this exalted keepsake know no bounds, with its current retail pricing most likely falling into the classic category of "today's retail being tomorrow's wholesale!"

MIN BID $12,500
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