With the crazy market, what will this iconic card bring?
 

I know this isn't Pre-War, but I wanted to get some thoughts from everyone. Heritage has a 1953 Topps Willie Mays #244 PSA 10 Gem Mint Pop 1 up for bids starting on August 5th. For years this was the key card in the set (and maybe it still is, although the Mantle prices say otherwise). While this isn't a rookie card, it is an iconic card. Any guesses what this will fetch?

http://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball/19...umbnail-071515

Great card, but not equal to Mantle. Not even close....

How does that card even exist in that condition ?

That is one of the nicest cards I've ever seen .

+1

Mays PSA 10
 

IMO, it will bring $500K plus.... A Mantle PSA 10, seven figures....

I hadn't seen this one or the PSA 7 Ruth RC. Looks like a few cards that should break 500k. Out of my league but it will be fun to watch.

I think it will go for whatever the last PSA 9 1952 Topps Mays went for...


how much did the last 1952 Mays PSA 9 go for?

maybe, we'll see...

Gem mint can have centering issues?

Tom C

Normally I'd agree with cmize on this one, Mantle usually outsells Mays by quite a bit in any set. But there's only 1 10, and 2 9s on the pop report. If two guys with money want the card I would not be surprised to see this one hit 1m. There won't be a second chance to get one.

It's Early
 

I guess 500k seems like a good number.

The centering would bother me if I was a player for that caliber card

ya...certainly a gorgeous card...but not deserving of a "10."

Thought the same?

I assume, (but who knows with PSA??) if the rest of the card is mint then maybe they'll let slide a little off centering issue??

Either that or the owner re-submitted numerous times until he received his 10?;)

In my opinion not a 10 but a 9. That said its got the 10 designation so it will carry that price. Still I dont see half a stick. I'm gonna guess 350k. It's hard for me to say 500 or a million because if I go that high and project out other high demand and star cards for the set it easily says hey an all 9-10 set of 1953 topps projects out to near 10 million. That to me is beyond nuts and can't possibly be worth that to anyone especially given the quantity printed. Maybe I'm wrong.

Card is gorgeous
 

Ten does not mean perfect. I have no problem from the pics I see of that card being a 10

You're right.

I was under the impression a "Gem Mint 10" would be absolutely perfect in every which way but I see they allow for slight off centering.

http://www.psacard.com/resources/gra...ndards/#detail

With the crazy market, what will this iconic card bring?
 

Im seeing it a little lower than 500k as well. I'll say $400k. Seeing anything Mays go over 500k would be unusual.

Does anyone else see very minor chipping on the bottom border ?

835,335 is my guess

This can still be a 10?

I say north of $500K. The guy with the #1 PSA set will want to solidify his position, while the guys with numbers #2 and #3 will want to catapult over him.

I always find it fun to watch other people spend "rich-people" money! As if spending 500K or 1M on a 1953 Topps card makes sense in any way shape or form.

Card doesn't look like a 10 to me, especially after those blow up images but I can see some pretty spirited money because of the number. I have never really thought of the 1953 Willie Mays as a truly iconic card so I imagine the final price may suffer a bit more than most think IMO. Maybe 250K or so in today's insane market (that being said I reserve the right to be totally wrong :)).

I have never really liked the 1953 Mays card, it usually has a blurry look to it, never really seen one that I thought had a truly crisp image (this one included).

That's a dynamite Willie Mays. With its centering however, it wasn't Darth Grader in the hot seat. Whoever had the privilege, and pressure, of grading that gem must have been enjoying, carefully, his delightfully flavored late morning coffee!

Since PSA allows, fortunately for the owner, not to mention the rest of us, a bit of off-centeredness when grading a card a "10", the final outcome will still be shadowed by the centering. I know deep pockets buys the double-digit gem pasteboards, but if we see such a, what appears to us at least, a glaring discrepancy, the select company of wealthy card connoisseurs will too, and not reward it with high six figures.

After all, they would never want to be thought of, referred to, whispered of, nor spoken of, as a double-digit idiot. Oh, I must emphasize something important about my usage of "idiot" here; it is pronounced "ID-GIT", as our friend Yosemite Sam beautifully butchered the word.

--Brian Powell

The chipping
 

The chipping above the number is not wear but due to the cutting process and would not downgrade the card. The upper right back corner does however look very slightly bumped. I would rather see it loupes as sometimes it isn't bumped but looks it. I still can't say it's a bad grade and if I had the funds and was after a 1953 mays I wouldn't mind owning that card. Looks like a legitimate unaltered from those two corners anyways.

Which do you guys think brings the most, the 10 Ryan, 10 Rose, 10 56 Mantle, 10 53 Mays or the 7 Ruth RC?

10 rose

Looks like heritage is estimating 800k plus for the Mays. My guess for the highest would be the Ruth.

Slab for 800K Mays card.
 

Sorry to go off on a tangent but since we are talking about a card almost worth 1 million dollars. Why is it slabbed in the same type of case that a 20 dollar T206 PSA 1 common is? I mean shouldn't it be protected by a special case made out of titanium or some other strong metal. Shouldn't the TPG companies have a special case for cards that are worth 50k and up? I'd hate to accidentally step on my recently bought 740k card and damage it. This would kinda suck. Sorry maybe this Q has been brought up before and I should have posted on the dumb questions thread.

good point! as much as PSA charges for high buck cards they should be in titanium with gorilla glass!

I have very often wondered this.

Good question.

There's a damn nice SGC 96 in the upcoming Goldin Auction. I'd say it's as nice as the PSA 10 and won't cost you a half million....or more....

With the crazy market, what will this iconic card bring?
 

And they could easily charge it as an "option". That way someone that cherishes a $10k card can get elevates protection or opt for standard case if they prefer synergy over added security. Would also make them plenty more profit.