1955 Topps Cello Ripped Open

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by bbcard1

do you think he did much better than $2000?

Probably a little, but not much. That Clemente is probably a 8 PD which is worth maybe $2000? The Mays an 8 OC, which is maybe worth $500?

[Republicaninmass]

Lots of low pop cards in there, if they had only been straight 8's all around!

[baseball tourist]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Probably a little, but not much. That Clemente is probably a 8 PD which is worth maybe $2000? The Mays an 8 OC, which is maybe worth $500?

There were two Mays.

[MW1]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Probably a little, but not much. That Clemente is probably a 8 PD which is worth maybe $2000? The Mays an 8 OC, which is maybe worth $500?

An 8 PD Clemente would sell for much more than $2000. That's at least a $5000 card...maybe more.

[slidekellyslide]

So if this is all legit then Topps cello packs were a mixture of low numbers and high numbers in 55? Is there any other documented 55 cello rips? Also why wouldn't you take video opening a $1700 pack of cards?

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by MW1

That's at least a $5000 card...maybe more.

I respectfully disagree. I think my guess was a best case scenario. What if there's a small surface wrinkle? Then it's a 5 PD. How much is it worth then?

I also agree with Dan, I'm a little skeptical of the whole thing. It's funny how every card was OC with the exception of the Clemente.

[MW1]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I respectfully disagree. I think my guess was a best case scenario. What if there's a small surface wrinkle? Then it's a 5 PD. How much is it worth then?

I also agree with Dan, I'm a little skeptical of the whole thing. It's funny how every card was OC with the exception of the Clemente.

Even if the card were only graded a 7 PD, it would still probably reach $5000 but the corners look stronger than "NM." I was trying to be conservative in my estimate. The last two unqualified 8s to sell in auction realized over $35K and $44k. The Clemente rookie has risen considerably in value over the last two years as have many other key rc's from the 1950s.

I haven't opened any cellos from 1955 Topps but I have opened wax packs and the centering does indeed vary so yes, I would say that the Clemente could definitely be a legitimate card in that sequence.

[midwaylandscaping]

No pink elephants in that room

Edit: Or I should just say, I agree with SlideKellySlide, and i'll leave it at that.

[jason.1969]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

I also agree with Dan, I'm a little skeptical of the whole thing. It's funny how every card was OC with the exception of the Clemente.

Not sure I'm reading this right. Are you saying the pack had been opened before but that the real cards were replaced with 2 Mays cards and a Clemente RC?

Or that the guy who bought it didn't really get those cards and just pretended to?

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by jason.1969

Or that the guy who bought it didn't really get those cards and just pretended to?

Come on, would it really be the first time a CU member faked a pack rip?

https://forums.collectors.com/messag...rd1=jordan+rip

[vintagetoppsguy]

19 horribly off centered cards and 1 dead centered Clemente. It's a Christmas miracle.

[PM770]

Thanks for posting that CU link. It got threadjacked a couple of times but was still a $h!+storm all the way through

[Exhibitman]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

19 horribly off centered cards and 1 dead centered Clemente. It's a Christmas miracle.

It's a Festivus miracle, for the rest of us. And for the airing of grievances:

I know the pack was legit because the consignor was legit. That said, I gotta call BS on the rip itself as presented. I believe the two Mays cards were in there because they were horribly OC the same as the other cards and they had the same print defect [fish eye] in his name at virtually the same place, which means there was bit of dirt on the transfer roller that was gradually moving across, so they were probably printed within a sheet or two of each other then sent to cutting and collating together. But the Clemente has different corner wear than the cards before and after it. If the rip was depicted sequentially, the Clemente was not in there between those two cards. If the rip was depicted out of sequence, perhaps to create suspense, then the whole thing is about as real as an episode of American Pickers.

As for the money, I think the winner would do just fine off the items as shown. Assuming the Clemente is not altered, I don't think anyone would realistically label that card as less than a vg-ex specimen. I'd call it ex or better, and if I wanted one of them, I'd pay a grand for a card with that kind of eye appeal, and I'm a skinflint. And with the two Mays cards and the commons I think the bidder will get back his money readily and then some.

[bbcard1]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

19 horribly off centered cards and 1 dead centered Clemente. It's a Christmas miracle.

print mark is pretty bad IMO. Don't know how the grading companies would see it, but it ain't all that.

[jason.1969]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Come on, would it really be the first time a CU member faked a pack rip?

https://forums.collectors.com/messag...rd1=jordan+rip

Wow! I see what you mean. And add to it the drama of the RC being the very last card!

[Donscards]

I opened a 1955 topps cello pack maybe 25 years ago---it had 24 cards--20 cards were high numbered and 4 were low---the centering was very nice and it was loaded--I will not say what I got out of the pack because u wouldn't believe me---but my point is the cello pack was mixed---Don

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by vintagetoppsguy

Come on, would it really be the first time a CU member faked a pack rip?

https://forums.collectors.com/messag...rd1=jordan+rip

I am not a card guy, have enough problems with autographs, but why would someone do this? Over sized ego??

[GoudeyGum]

I hope this does not open the floodgates of packs with "popped seals" showing up at auctions. I do not mean to cast doubt on this specific pack.