Is the 1952 Topps Andy Pafko an overrated card?

[mintacular]

Yes, it is overrated and I too think the "1" and "Last Card" premium is more of an old wives tale than reality....I can't tell you how many people also don't understand the "NM" drop-off if the #1 card is not "NM", i.e. they want 10% on a low grade Pafko and when I try to tell them that high point is only relevant if the card is NM they get a glazed look on their eyeballs...Kinda like a dealer who sells low grade $20 t's for $60 cause that is 10% of book...

As for Pafko, it is a popular set, the first card in that set, and a recognizable card in that set so I think it deserves some premium over the other low # commons...

[vintagetoppsguy]

Originally Posted by mintacular

Yes, it is overrated and I too think the "1" and "Last Card" premium is more of an old wives tale than reality....I can't tell you how many people also don't understand the "NM" drop-off if the #1 card is not "NM", i.e. they want 10% on a low grade Pafko and when I try to tell them that high point is only relevant if the card is NM they get a glazed look on their eyeballs...Kinda like a dealer who sells low grade $20 t's for $60 cause that is 10% of book...

As for Pafko, it is a popular set, the first card in that set, and a recognizable card in that set so I think it deserves some premium over the other low # commons...

I agree with Pat. I don't necessarily think it's overrated, but most people (well, actually most dealers) don't understand that "NM" drop off (and a significant one) that Pat is referring to.

[Zach Wheat]

I agree with Doug & Pat. I think there should be some premium, but the premium is overstated.

ZWheat

[toppcat]

The Pafko went through at least three printings and as well all know, is not a scarce card. As noted above, it does have some good things going for it and is a well composed card with great eye appeal. The whole first card/last card hype has elevated it to almost mythic status and that rising tide is lifting all boats. The fact it is a Brooklyn Dodger also helps boost it and that is true with any 50's card. I overpaid for my Pafko (a 2, with good eye appeal which I cracked) but was happy to get it. It's frustrating but that's reality.

[Doug]

I won a PSA 2 Pafko last night on eBay and I found it kind of frustrating that it cost more than both the PSA 4 1952 Topps Duke Snider and PSA 4.5 Phil Rizzuto that I picked up a few days ago. I still don't think it makes sense, but I guess that's just how it goes.

[ALR-bishop]

I have a red back and black back. Bought one on ebay, red, and traded for the black one with Levi. Mathews, Pafko and Mantle may all be overpriced, but someone keeps bidding on them. Maybe when all of us baby boomers are dead you younger x guys can pick them all up cheap

[Doug]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I have a red back and black back. Bought one on ebay, red, and traded for the black one with Levi. Mathews, Pafko and Mantle may all be overpriced, but someone keeps bidding on them. Maybe when all of us baby boomers are dead you younger x guys can pick them all up cheap

I just went ahead and got mine now since by then our money will be probably be worthless and the inflation will be so high that they will be even more expensive!

[Brianruns10]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I have a red back and black back. Bought one on ebay, red, and traded for the black one with Levi. Mathews, Pafko and Mantle may all be overpriced, but someone keeps bidding on them. Maybe when all of us baby boomers are dead you younger x guys can pick them all up cheap

I agree with you on 2 of 3. The Pafko is definitely overrated in lower grades, given it went through three printings, and I see a bunch on ebay. I certainly wouldn't pay much for a low grade one, and I'd definitely be one to save up for a scarce, higher grade 6 or 7.

Ditto with the Mantle, which I think is a hugely overrated card. It's NOT his rookie, it's a double print, and he was popular, and people were prone to save him. I see tons of these cards on ebay, and they just sit, sit, sit.

But the Matthews...I actually think this card is a bit of a sleeper, given that it is the "least" valuable of the three. It's a high number, it was single printed, and he was a rookie, and rather an unknown quantity...meaning people were less likely to save him. Then you've got the rubberband problem. Finally, there is centering. This card comes atrociously centered on nearly every example I've seen. So when I found an example PSA EX5 dead centered front AND back, I jumped on it. Depending on which price guide you consult, I got it for less, or a little more than book value, so right now I consider it at even cost. But I'm convinced it was a good buy, because after watching auctions for six months before, and for the time since I bought it, I've not seen a similar card come up.

[novakjr]

It is a very over-rated card...BUT at the same time it is a really, really nice card. I think Patrick hit it on the head, when he referred to the fact that most people forget about the NM drop off when it comes to first and last cards...But then again, people still pay a premium for those cards even when they're beat to hell. And as long as they keep paying, dealers will keep charging.. The Pafko however, has since been immortalized in Kevin Smith and Bruce Willis' collective brain-fart, "Cop Out". Hell, the card was pretty much the focal point of the plot. As a big Kevin Smith fan, it kinda adds to the appeal of the card though..

Off the top of my head, as far as high BV goes, the Pafko(I believe) is the 3rd or 4th most expensive standard issue Topps card ever produced. After the Mantle, Mathews and possibly the Mays. So, in any grade, it's a key card for anyone putting together a '51 or '52-current Topps run.. And that is probably the main reason that the NM drop off doesn't necessarily apply to the Pafko, or at least not to the extremes of other first/last.. It's basically a card, where the hype has created more hype..