It really comes down to a personal preference. if your nephew is an avid collection, he probably has his own likes and preferences. I am not a big fan of graded cards to begin with. PSA seems to be the grader of choice for the majority. i like the older black holders of SGC myself. Do you buy a grade or do you buy eye appeal? Year of card may matter. I love the 56 Topps myself, but wanted one of each of his easily obtainable 50s cards. The older you go, probably the more it becomes price wise unless there is a special number issue (high number, etc). Would a 53 Topps painting be more desirable than a 1954 portrait card? Some people may not like the horizontal orientation of the 55 and 56 Topps and prefer the vertical 52, 53 and 54 Topps.
From a personal favorite perspective only, I say go with the cleanest, best centered, best colored 56 Topps card you can get within your budget.
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