Winter Auction 2021 Ending March 6-7
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/7/2021
Graded GEM MINT 10 by PSA. Hall of Famer, in his coveted Rookie Card appearance. Among nearly 9,700 copies recorded in PSA’s census reporting, substantially fewer than one percent have attained the company's highest tier. Here is a virtually flawless rookie card of the archetypal football superstar. Walter Payton created a singular pattern of success and sportsmanship that many others have tried to emulate. Unlike some of his competitors, however, with their more modern and better-manufactured key cards, Payton's one and only gum card rookie piece is extremely problematic in terms of condition. Even pack-fresh specimens tend to be haunted by their coarse card stock and haphazard-quality printing. This gem refused to succumb to those tendencies, and is a feast for the eyes. Its centering is essentially perfect, its corners are untouched, and Payton's photograph has the highest visual fidelity imaginable. Potentially the worthy cornerstone of any Hall of Fame or Chicago Bears collection, this sparkling Payton rookie is fundamentally unimprovable. Pristine Gem Mint condition, and almost certainly one of the finest examples in the hobby.