Which 52 Topps do I buy: PSA 6 Mays, or PSA 7 Runnels?

[Brianruns10]

Hello all,

I'm stuck with a tough choice, and maybe you all can nudge me in one direction or another.

Heritage Auctions is doing their annual spring sports card sale, and there are two cards In particular I'm eyeing for my '52 Topps set: 2 Pete Runnels (red back) PSA 7 and 261 Willie Mays, PSA 6.

Both have the same estimated sale price, around $2K. Both have very similar centering, with terrific eye appeal. Both are PSA (for my registry set) and both fall in the grade range I seek for my set, PSA 6-7.

Alas, I can only afford one.

On the one hand, it's WILLIE MAYS. 9 times out of 10, that'd be the card to buy. And I DO covet that card.

But the Runnels card is something special...population wise, it's almost as tough to get in near mint/mint as the Pafko. If we compare Runnels to Mays at PSA 7, Mays has 80 graded examples, with 95 more that graded higher. The Runnels, by comparison, has only 31 examples at PSA 7 and a mere 13 grading higher.

So there's another part of me that figures...I'll have more opportunities to buy a nice Mays in PSA 6 in the future, of which there are 168 graded in addition to the higher graded examples. But it might be a great while longer before I find another Runnels that is so nice, and it may be the better opportunity.

So what say you all? Do I go for starpower and pick up the Mays, one of the crown jewels of the '52 set, or do I go for the sleeper, a common card that is far, far more difficult to find in high grade condition?

Below are links to the two cards so you may see for yourself what I'm looking at:

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7105&lotNo=80473

http://sports.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7105&lotNo=80454


Thanks all!
BR