(LOT 13)
1962 Topps #300 Willie Mays PSA 9 MINT - Only ONE PSA Example Graded Higher!
1962 TOPPS MINT MAYS!!! It's easier to find a needle in a haystack than to locate a PSA 9 MINT 1962 Topps #300 Willie Mays subject, with this magnificent offering being one of only nine examples listed on the illustrious PSA Pop Chart! Indeed folks, of the roughly 3,700 PSA encapsulated examples, a microscopic 0.2% have achieved the hallowed 9 assessment, with only a SOLE 10 GEM MINT Mays sitting atop the census report. One of the most condition-sensitive issues is the 1962 Topps set, which includes extremely fragile brown borders. Similar to the 1911 T205 Gold Border, 1955 Bowman Brown Border, and 1971 Topps Black Border issues, 1962 Topps cards are commonly seen with unsightly border flaws, with the sensitive wood grain surfaces ultra-susceptible to flaking and overall general wear.

Miraculous, to say the least, the past 61 years have not damaged this Cooperstown-worthy gem whatsoever, with the wood grain frame revealing virtually all of its original pack-fresh quality. In 1962, the Say Hey Kid would lead the San Francisco Giants to the National League pennant, walloping 49 home runs and driving in a formidable 141 runs. Although the Giants would eventually lose a tightly contested seven-game World Series to the mighty Yankees, Mays continued to accumulate the star-player recognition he surely deserved. By the start of the '62 campaign, Mays and Mantle were considered baseball's two foremost players (with all due respect to Hank Aaron), with their prodigious home runs and center field play standing tall amongst their inferior peers.

The Say Hey Kid was the undisputed finest five-tool player in baseball, and his 660 lifetime homers, 1,903 runs batted in, 3,283 hits, .302 lifetime batting average, unparalleled center field play, and base running prowess easily place him as one of our National Pastime's five greatest all-time players. Synonymous with the incomparable skillsets of the immortal Willie Mays is this breathtaking PSA 9 MINT memento that boasts near perfect centering, an additional stigma for many 1962 Topps subjects that unfortunately depict skewed images. A brilliant Mays batting image literally jumps off the card as a smiling Willie is completing his mighty swing that led to a myriad of colossal round-trippers at both the Polo Grounds and Candlestick Park.

Crystal-clear clarity and sparkling hues steal the show, with the previously mentioned world-class centering and remarkable pristine borders likewise substantiating the near-impossible MINT assessment. Immaculate surfaces and razor-sharp corners are the final exclamation points for one of the finest 1962 Mays subjects extant. We simply cannot imagine that single PSA 10 possibly emanating finer eye appeal than this extraordinary keepsake that appears as if it has just been pulled from a 1962 Topps wax pack sold at a local mom and pop candy store. Interestingly enough, this exact same card sold for a record-setting $120,000 in the spring of 2022, a testament to the daunting task of locating any 9 MINT example. To reiterate, its rare for the grade status is the compelling factor prompting the most sophisticated enthusiasts to pursue its captivating ownership, and we will gracefully defer to the esteemed collector to ultimately determine its true worth!

MIN BID $40,000

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