2019 Summer Premium Live and Catalog Auction Lots 1-82 Close Aug 1- 83-end close 8/10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/11/2019
Graded 84 NM 7 by SGC. Hall of Famer, in his first gum card appearance. Among more than 450 copies recorded in SGC’s census reporting, just twenty-eight examples have been placed at a higher tier. An elegant example of Willie Mays' true Rookie Card is presented. Mays made an immediate impact with his New York Giants, inspiring the team to the World Series for the first time since 1937. His horizontally oriented batting portrayal reveals the intensity and fierce competitiveness the great player carried on the field for 22 years. His career total of 660 home runs still ranks near the top of the all-time list, and he added another 283 hits after joining the 3,000 Hit Club. Mays led the league in stolen bases for four consecutive years, from 1956 through 1959. He was indeed the complete ballplayer, and the starting point of his glory is illustrated delightfully by this exceptional keepsake. Visually, the card is extremely pleasing. Its superb registration and bold colors constitute a fabulous illustration, and this spectacle is suitably framed by clean white borders that culminate in well-shaped corners. The card's overall aesthetic is very favorable, and the back shows superior quality with no distractions. This is an admirable Mays debut collectible from its issue's scarcer high number series, in Near Mint condition.