The Curious Case of 1972 Harmon Killebrew...

[jmoran19]

here's the full 1972 first series sheet.

Killebrew IA is on right half, column 9 row 8 and 11

John

[JollyElm]

Hey, John, thanks for posting that! Been looking for one for quite some time. In the example I created (above), I was very close to getting the proper placement right. Pretty cool.


As stated, there is a huge percentage of Killebrew IA cards that are cut on an angle, but when you look at, say, #17, Dave Duncan, cards (two of which appear in the same column as the Killer cards), they are obviously O/C virtually across the board, but there is barely an angular cut to be found in the group.

Take a look here to see a whole bunch of Killebrews (with a ton of angle cuts):
https://www.comc.com/Cards,sl,=1972+52

And here to see a bevy of Duncans:
https://www.comc.com/Cards,sl,=1972+17

How does this make sense?? If the blade was straight and the sheet was cut on an angle, the offending angular cut of the Killebrews should appear on a similar percentage of all the other cards in the row and (most likely) on all the cards printed on the sheet.

What in high heck is going on?????

[steve B]

Since the masks would have been done by hand, it's possible the card is a bit crooked on the sheet. I expanded to 200% and still couldn't see any difference, but it would be pretty small.

[JollyElm]

Update:

I found one of the best centered Killer cards I have ever seen. Of course, if you measure the thickness of the white areas on the sides, I'm sure mathematically speaking the tiniest hair of a left-leaning tilt would be apparent, but it is very, very close to non-existent.

1972killebrew52centered.jpg

[jb67]

Going to be hard to beat the centering on that one.

[JollyElm]

Hallelujah, time for an update!! I am thrilled to death to have grabbed up this virtually perfectly-centered card today...

1972killebrew52psa8mine.jpg


You have to imagine that the vast majority of people sending in cards to be graded are sending in the best versions they can find. In other words, the untold millions of way off-centered and tilted Killebrew cards were left at home and only the 'cream of the crop' were submitted, so the Killers sitting in high-grade slabs represent the 'best' there is out there. With that in mind, I searched for all the past PSA 8 sales I could find (there really aren't too many), and virtually every one of them is still hampered by 'weak' (obviously subject to opinion) centering and/or varying degrees of tilt. Perfectly centered ones seem to be non-existent...

1972killebrewia52psa8A.jpg
1972killebrewia52psa8B.jpg

Same is true for many of the PSA 9's...
1972killebrewiapsa9.jpg

Conclusion: The 1972 Topps #52 Harmon Killebrew 'In Action' card continues to be an OCD sufferer's worst nightmare!!!