1955 Topps Cello Ripped Open

[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.