PSA Magazine: 2023 June #018

Verify. Track. Vault.

Editor's Note

Smartphones have been one of the most significant changes to the hobby landscape over the last 20 years. Nearly every aspect of the hobby can now be transacted in the palm of your hand. Today, we can buy, sell, research and share our love for trading cards from anywhere in the world, simply by pressing a few buttons.

PSA has long recognized the importance of smartphones in the trading card world and was quick to create applications to benefit our customers. By using the PSA and Set Registry apps, collectors can completely manage their collections from their phones. Checking submission status, sending items to the Collectors Vault, accessing Pop Reports and APR, adding items to Set Registry inventories, and creating new Registry sets can all be done easily via your smartphone.

But our hobby doesn’t revolve solely around hard data and spreadsheets; we collect cards because it’s fun. Along those lines we recently released two new features that were designed specifically to enhance the thrill we get in grading our cards: Grade Reveal and Slab Studio, which are both available to iOS and Android users who download the PSA app.

Using the images we now take of every card we grade, the PSA app offers a fun new way to view the results of your submissions. Simply click the blue “Reveal”

button near the bottom of your order screen and an image of the back of the first card in your order will be revealed. Slide your finger across the image to flip the card around to its front to reveal the grade. Tap to bring up the next card and repeat the process for every remaining card in your order for a customized showand-tell of your submission.

Your card images can also be used in PSA’s newly launched Slab Studio program. This new function allows you to produce customized visual elements for showcasing your PSA-graded cards. The final designs are perfect for sharing and celebrating your collection on social media.

Keep your eyes open for even more changes and new functions to be added to the PSA and Set Registry apps. Our team of engineers works tirelessly to present the newest and most beneficial tools available for both collection management and hobby enjoyment.

Best,

Nat Turner CEO, Collectors

Early in April, Bobby Witt Jr. went yard for his first home run of the season. The next day, a listing for one of his shinier rookie cards left the building. It’s a tale as old as cardboard … a ballplayer hits for a highlight, a baseball card changes hands.

Except that this was no routine pop fly pickup; the buyer of the card was none other than the Royals’ phenom himself.

Ripping wax and tearing up baseballs.

Picking short hops and snagging short prints.

On-card and breaking live.

Bobby is in the hobby, y’all!

“I’ll put it this way: When I wake up, the first thing I do is grab my phone and look at cards,” says Witt. “It’s gotten to that point, so I guess I’m pretty obsessed with it.”

Obsessed, and made for this.

Picture the mullet: years in the making and a righteous magnet for cameras seeking flagship product material. “That’s become my thing, but growing up, I always had one,” he adds. Can collectors expect more flow? “Hey, there’s always room for improvement.”

Consider that as a high school sophomore, his autograph was fully incubated in homework margins and sheets of sticker-autos. “I’m in high school, and I’ve got to sign a thousand stickers for USA Baseball. I’m thinking, what can I do to shorten this thing up? Now I’m having fun with it by occasionally adding a ‘#7’ to matching serial-numbered cards.” He’s also taking those PSA Autograph grades personally. “Watching for streaks, making sure the pen is right … I’m trying for perfection here.”

Travel to his Texas hometown and check the hallway closet stuffed with cards of his dad’s own 16-year MLB career. “He always told me to throw them in the spokes of my bike. This past offseason we ripped a bunch of boxes together, and now I’m the one with cards everywhere.”

Along the way, make a stop at Grapevine’s SMP Sports Cards where the good folks at Bobby’s LCS keep an eye out for his favorite things: modern shortstop legends, Patriots rookies, and Prizm parallels of another Kansas City son (he’s currently seven colors deep in the Patrick Mahomes secondyear rainbow).

But nothing says collector like regulating spending habits with a reward system, and here’s Bobby’s: each time he cracks a homer, he buys a card of himself. Of course, curating a showcase in one’s own image requires enough talent to be included in all the proper product checklists, and Bobby is up there with good company. Ballplayer Evan Longoria turned him onto the idea of collecting himself early, and it was Mike Trout who patented and passed along the homer-for-cardboard system, although Trout apparently trades big bangs for high-end boxes.

Bobby smiles. “Yeah, it sounded like things were getting expensive, so I said OK—just a card. I started with the Topps Chrome Sapphire Rookie Debut Gold. After I hit my second, I needed a game plan. Everything numbered to 50? All Gold Refractors? I went online to look for something cool and saw my Topps Chrome Gilded Cast in Gold, numbered to 199. Alright then, Gold it is.”

Beyond the showcase and power surge notwithstanding, Bobby Witt Jr. collects for reasons shared by many: an escape from the daily grind, a love of the game, and a familial throughline. Although, he didn’t just spend the offseason ripping through packs with his dad; they actually co-signed cards for the 2022 Topps x Bobby Witt Jr. set—a Crown Collection he himself curated.

Perhaps someday there’ll be MVP chants, but right now, these three words will do: one of us

COLLECTION PROJECTION

Between home run incentives and lone star roots, Witt’s collectability goes the distance.

Hit bombs, stack Golds!

2022 TOPPS CHROME UPDATE S/E

BOBBY WITT JR. #100

Trace the home run chase here to the shot heard ‘round the world of Bobby Witt Jr. Gold listings.

2022 TOPPS GILDED COLLECTION

BOBBY WITT JR.

#CGABWJ

CAST IN GOLD AUTOGRAPHS

After his second blast, it was this Gilded rookie that locked in the golden groove of his home run chase; the etched borders an opulent fit for the treasure chest showcase in progress.

2022 TOPPS X BOBBY WITT JR. CROWN COLLECTION BOBBY WITT JR/ BOBBY WITT SR. #31

DUAL AUTOGRAPHS

Generational talent is on display as Bobby Witt Sr. makes an on-card cameo in his son’s curated set. Signature-wise, the finishing flourish doesn’t fall far from the tree.

2022 TOPPS X BOBBY WITT JR. CROWN COLLECTION BOBBY WITT JR. #BIT5

BIGGER IN TEXAS DIE-CUT

The insert tips the cap to Bobby’s homestate with a checklist that lassos together tried and true Texasbred big leaguers like Nolan Ryan and Clayton Kershaw.

2022 TOPPS UPDATE

BOBBY WITT JR.

#US100 SP

Does any modern card offer more in the way of mullet mojo? A Short Print up front and a party in the back.

2022 TOPPS PROJECT100

BOBBY WITT JR.

#39

Topps Project100 tapped graphic designer and street artist L'Amour Supreme for a look that animates the five-tool talent with five ways to flow.

2022 TOPPS UPDATE

BOBBY WITT JR. #US100

FATHER'S DAY POWDER BLUE

The classic Father’s Day flagship parallel hits closer to home considering the paternal pedigree and color-match implications.

2022 TOPPS X DEREK JETER: CALL OF THE CAPTAIN/ BOBBY WITT JR. #41 SKY BLUE

See Bobby slide into The Captain’s third Topps curation with easy breezy appeal. The #17 he wore during his Colleyville Heritage High School days combined his two shortstop idols: Derek Jeter (#2) and Dustin Pedroia (#15).

Lorcana — Disney’s brand new TCG slated to hit hobby stores on August 18 and retail stores on September 1 — pulls from Disney’s vast cast of characters and drops them into the fictional realm of “Lorcana,” where players compete using opposing decks.

And it’s already spreading happy thoughts around the hobby.

That’s thanks, in part, to Disney teasing its first glimpse of Lorcana at the D23 Expo in September 2022 with a limited-edition D23 Expo Collector Set. Its six 1st-Edition holofoil promo cards showcase Lorcana’s ability to summon Disney’s heroes and villains from the past and present: Captain Hook, Cruella di Vil, Elsa, Maleficent, Robin Hood, and Stitch.

Distributed as a free

exclusive, Mickey Mouse also made a convention cameo as a bonus nonholo 1st-Edition promo dressed up in his “Brave Little Tailor” garb.

Each treats the cast members like magic. Rather than reusing previously seen assets from other Disney merchandise, each card features dramatic, stylish, neverbefore-seen illustrations from a wide array of artists and animators.

Sales are feeling a pixiedusted boost as well.

PSA 10 graded copies of each card have maintained an average auction price of $2,000-to-$3,000, with some sales reaching up to $5,000 for a single promo. To date, PSA has graded over 300 of each Collector’s Sets promos, with the non-foil Mickey Mouse promo trending toward a population of 1,000.

It’s clear that the hobby is hungry for more, and in Q3 of this year, collectors will be further enchanted by a Lorcana product line. Starter decks, gift boxes, bundles, and “The First Chapter” booster boxes are expected, while fan favorite Disney icons like Aladdin, Moana, Mulan, and Simba have been teased as future additions.

“I really hope I get to see a Tarzan card,” noted Roxanne Ghezzi, senior TCG specialist at PSA. “That movie is one of my all-time favorites.”

Though still months out from the launch date, it’s fun to imagine how this new TCG will develop and what PSA-worthy hits might emerge. Like its contemporaries, might Lorcana include “Full Arts,” or artwork that expands outside of card borders? Will other Disney-owned intellectual properties such as Star Wars, Marvel, or Pixar be folded in? Is it fair to expect more exclusive promos at this year’s D23 Expo?

All of the above. We hope so, at least.

“Full Arts seem like the lowest-hanging fruit for the Lorcana team to lean into, but I think we will likely see alternate arts and numbered cards as well,” said Greg Marquez, marketing associate for PSA. Ghezzi feels similarly. “I think it would be awesome to see textured Full Arts. That would blow my mind, a textured Full Art Simba card—gosh.”

With game design helmed by Ryan Miller and Steve Warner, both of Wizards of the Coast fame, there is much to fantasize about as Lorcana nears its debut and players line up to see how deep this rabbit hole goes.

Edition

Tiffany Mark McGwire #401 84 USA Baseball Team PSA 9 $1,006.09 Monthly % Change +113%

2016 Bowman Chrome Fernando Tatis Jr. #FT Prospect Auto.

2011 Bowman Sterling Mike Trout #22

1993 Pinnacle Derek Jeter #457

2018 Bowman Luis Robert #CPALR

1957 Topps

Topps

1958 Topps

1961 Topps

12011 Topps Freddie Freeman #145

1985 Topps

2019 Topps

2020 Bowman Bobby Witt Jr. #CPABWJ Chrome Prospects Auto. Refractor /499 PSA

1985 Topps

2016 Select

2020

2000

1977 Topps

2020 Optic

Located almost halfway between New York and Los Angeles and almost halfway between Seattle and Miami, the city has a cultural history that rivals few and a sports history that rivals fewer.

Yes, there are a few new kings in town — Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Bobby Witt Jr. — but the city's sports history is rich and lofty, across several different fields of play, and for decades.

Buck O'Neil and Satchel Paige of the Negro League's Monarchs begat Sal Bando and Joe Rudi of the then-Kansas City Athletics, who begat Len Dawson and Curley Culp of the AFL-turnedNFL Chiefs, who begat Nate "Tiny" Archibald of the NBA's then-Kansas City Kings, who begat George Brett of the upstart Royals. The city has been home to 10 NCAA Tournament Final Fours, as well as the 2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game and the 2013 MLS All-Star Game, and in 2026, KCMO will serve as one of 11 host cities for the 2026 World Cup.

And now, with the Chiefs owning yet another Super Bowl trophy and with the Royals possessing one of baseball's great young talents, the city is once again in the limelight in which it belongs.

Great cards and beyond to come out of Cowtown → → →

2001 FLEER JACKIE ROBINSON STITCHES IN TIME – UNIFORM

Just two years before breaking baseball's color barrier, Jackie Robinson spent the summer of 1945 playing alongside Paige with the Monarchs. Robinson batted .387 with five home runs and 13 stolen bases before he was signed in the offseason by Brooklyn Dodgers President and General Manager Branch Rickey. Robinson would make his MLB debut in 1947 and played a decade with the Dodgers, winning a World Series with the club in 1955 and finishing his career with a .313 batting average.

While most of his modern cards and memorabilia cards feature Robinson from his Dodger days, his 2001 Fleer Stitches In Time game-worn uniform card pays homage to Robinson's stint with the Monarchs. As of late April, a PSA 7 of the rare relic card was listed on eBay for less than $400.

ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH TYPE 1 SATCHEL PAIGE PSA AUTH

By the mid-1940s, Satchel Paige, one of the great heroes of baseball, was already well into one of the most legendary careers of all time. This beautiful Type 1 photo, authenticated by PSA, is one of just a handful of iconic Type 1s that capture Paige in his iconic Kansas City Monarchs uniform.

By the time Paige made his MLB debut in 1948 with the Cleveland Indians at the age of 41, he'd already been a professional pitcher for more than two decades including nearly a decade with the Monarchs, whom he played for in 1935 and from 1939-47. Another rare Paige Type 1 photograph from the time period, featuring former Yankees star pitcher Lefty Gomez, fetched over $3,000 on eBay in mid-February.

1963 FLEER LEN DAWSON #47

Talk about a tough grade: Len Dawson's 1963 Fleer rookie card has been graded 559 times, with precisely zero PSA 10 designations. Only 26 have captured PSA 9 status, and those rarely pop up for sale.

That rarity feels appropriate, considering it took a half-dozen years for Dawson to make his cardboard debut. All it took was one of the great passing seasons in AFL history. In 1962, Dawson led the league in touchdowns and yards per attempt and led the Dallas Texans to a title. The next year, the Texans would move to Kansas City and become the Chiefs and Dawson would finally get his cardboard glory.

2013 PANINI SELECT TRAVIS

KELCE

#242 GOLD PRIZM

What Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has done to the position is a little like what Ray Kroc did for fast food. Without him, would we have ever heard of McDonald's? Similarly, without Kelce, would we have heard of Patrick Mahomes?

Hyperbole? Perhaps. But Kelce had back-toback 1,000-yard seasons before Mahomes became QB1—and five straight since. With all apologies to Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, the Mahomes-Kelce connection is well on its way to becoming the most fruitful QB/TE tandem in league history.

It's not often that one of Kelce's top rookie cards comes up for sale — especially from the first year of an iconic set like Panini Select — but someone snagged a deal on eBay in early March when they scored a PSA 9 in Gold Prizm form for under $4,000.

1985 TOPPS GEORGE BRETT #228

Like the Dawson Fleer rookie, George Brett's 1985 Topps #228 rookie card is a tough grade. Out of the 12,944 graded copies of the card, only 11 have come back as PSA 10, and another 315 have earned PSA 9 status. The iconic rookie card captures a bright-eyed and bushy-haired future Hall of Famer on the cusp of greatness. He'd go on to lead the American League in batting three times in his 21-year career with the Royals, who he led to the 1985 World Series. A 13-time All-Star, Brett finished his career with 3,154 career hits and a lifetime .305 batting average, leading to his first-ballot induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 with 98.2 percent of the vote. There's a reason scarce PSA 10 versions of his rookie card have sold for more than $40,000.

1994 TOPPS FINEST JOE MONTANA #172 FINEST REFRACTOR

Early year football Refractors still have some very low PSA populations including Joe Cool's ‘94 Topps Finest Refractor, his first Refractor ever. Only 125 have been graded, with just six PSA 10s and 81 PSA 9s. Montana's first Refractor, ironically, came out in his very last season, his second with the Chiefs after a 14-year career with the San Francisco 49ers. Montana could not capture his Golden Gate magic in the Midwest, but he showed he still had some gas in the tank after back-to-back, injury-plagued seasons. His time in Kansas City is still remembered fondly by Chiefs fans.

1973 TOPPS NATE ARCHIBALD #1

There's a reason why Nate Archibald was the No. 1 card in the 1973 Topps NBA set. His 1972-73 campaign — the newly coined Kings' first in Kansas City, after 15 years as the Cincinnati Royals — remains one of the great seasons by a point guard in NBA history.

Archibald led the league in scoring, and his 34 points per game remains a record for a point guard. He also set a record with 910 assists that year. His status as the game's preeminent PG was cemented that year and commemorated in '73 Topps. Only 150 versions have been graded, with zero PSA 10s and only seven PSA 9s.

2002 BOWMAN DRAFT ZACK GREINKE #6 CHROME –REFRACTOR

Yet another from the fine-tooth-comb collection, Zack Greinke's 2002 Bowman Draft Chrome rookie card is an amazingly tough grade, in all variations. Out of the 483 submitted versions of his base, Refractor, Gold Refractor and Xfractor cards, just 27 have received 10s. His coveted Refractor rookie has just two PSA 10s in the population report out of the 59 graded in total.

That's a big reason why these cards have crept up in value. The other big reason: There just aren't many other rookie cards. He was only in a few sets in 2002 — Bowman Draft and Upper Deck Prospect Premieres, which features his first autographed card — and only a handful more in 2003. His Topps debut wouldn't come until 2004.

2017 PANINI PRIZM PATRICK MAHOMES #269 GOLD VINYL

Of course, we have to cap off the list with two cards of the GOATATM (Greatest of All Time At The Moment). Is Mahomes already there? Not quite yet. But his cards sure reflect a measure of certainty befitting a quarterback who has opened his career with five Pro Bowls, three Super Bowl appearances and two Super Bowl wins— along with two Super Bowl MVPs — in his first five years as a starter.

Yes, Mahomes' multi-color National Treasures RPAs have commanded sometimes heftier sums, but the $570,000 that his 2017 Panini Prizm Gold Vinyl parallel secured at auction — limited to five copies and one of two graded PSA 10 — isn't too shabby.

2017 PANINI DONRUSS OPTIC PATRICK MAHOMES/LEN DAWSON

#20

ILLUSIONS

– GOLD

With all due respect to Montana, Alex Smith and dozens more, there are only two valid arguments for the greatest KC QB of all time: Dawson and the current king, Mahomes. They’ve shared plenty of cardboard, but their 2017 Panini Donruss Optic Illusions insert card — released in Mahomes’ rookie year — is arguably the coolest, particularly the colormatch Red parallel, limited to just 99 copies, and the Gold version, limited to only 10. All versions remain one of the few relative bargains for rookies remaining in Mahomes’ coveted catalog.

Fast Five

A BRIEF Q&A WITH TEAM MEMBER MATT HENDLER

Photography by Nick Estrada

WHAT IS YOUR TITLE AND WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU DO AT COLLECTORS?

I am a Product Manager for the Vault Operations team. I work to help build new tools to assist the Operations team with cataloging new items.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT WORKING AT COLLECTORS?

I love getting to work with people who are passionate about cards as well as our customers. I get to learn from passionate collectors who are knowledgeable about the genres in which they collect that are often areas I would have never known about.

WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND AS A COLLECTOR?

I first started collecting when I was in middle school; I was mostly a Kansas City Royals collector but opened a bunch of random products at the time. I stopped during high school and college but got back into collecting in late 2018. That year I randomly decided one day to go on eBay and the collector instinct inside me just kicked back on.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ITEM IN YOUR ENTIRE PERSONAL COLLECTION?

My favorite item would be my 1958 Jose Innocente Pelé Rookie that I purchased in person in Brazil. I had to bring cash to meet up with a seller that I had worked with previously. After the sale, we went and got lunch together in São Paulo!

WHAT WOULD BE THE "GRAIL" COLLECTIBLE THAT YOU HOPE TO OWN ONE DAY?

I have two grails on my list: a 1953 Balas Americana Garrincha Rookie in ‘never-stuck-in-an-album’ condition and the 2020 Super Bowl LIV jersey worn by Patrick Mahomes. Garrincha is one of the greatest soccer players ever and is considered to be the best dribbler of all time. His 1953 Brazil issue sticker is

almost impossible to find and almost non-existent, never having been stuck in an album back in the 1950s. Other than that, I’d love to have the jersey Mahomes wore during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win over the 49ers, which was one of the best nights of my life since I am a KC native.

It happened so fast; a changing of the guard clocked at about 220 miles per hour.

When Max Verstappen overtook Lewis Hamilton in the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, he didn’t just edge the racing legend. He sprinted.

And now with Verstappen lapping the Formula 1 field, at least one question is fair game.

Are we witnessing the beginnings of a new dynasty?

In so many ways, cars and cardboard collided with the force of a million horsepower in the spring of 2021.

In mid-September 2020, months into a pandemic that saw card prices soar alongside the popularity of the sport sensationalized by Netflix's Formula 1: Drive to Survive series, Topps announced an exclusive multi-year global license with Formula 1.

With the release of 2020 Topps Chrome Formula 1 in April 2021 and the immensely popular 2020 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition set a month later, the products were pedal-to-the-medal from the starting grid, driven by the star power of the greatest driver in the world.

That, of course, was Lewis Hamilton.

The torch-bearer of the sport, Hamilton was well on his way to an eighth career championship and fifth straight title. His cards were as hot as his engine; the rarest parallels commanding absurd sums.

But then a funny thing happened on the way to the United Arab Emirates.

Verstappen, at the ripe age of 23, started winning. After Hamilton won three of the first four races in 2021, Verstappen took off in Monaco. He'd go on to win six of the next nine races to stage a head-to-head showdown the likes of which the sport had not seen in years.

It would all come down to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and one final, controversial lap. After Hamilton led for much of the race, a safety car restart on the final lap allowed Verstappen to overtake the long-time champion and unseat Hamilton for his first career title.

Of what appears to be many.

The following season, Verstappen dusted the competition by winning 15 races en route to a record 454 points. And after taking the 2023 season-opener in Bahrain, he’s not slowing down.

And as Verstappen’s pace has increased, so has his hobby value. One sale has pole position: his 2020 Topps Chrome F1 Autographed Superfractor rookie card, a true 1/1 with dual-grading of PSA 9/AUTO 9, which sold at auction on Goldin for more than $500,000.

Considering that former F1 greats like Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda have only a handful of coveted cards, Formula 1 fixtures are hard to come by in the hobby. Even the legendary Michael Schumacher has relatively few cards to pair with his many podium finishes—especially compared to his NASCAR brethren.

But Verstappen came along at just the right time to build a library of his own. Now, both his car and his cardboard appear poised to dominate the decade.

2020 Topps Chrome F1

Max Verstappen #6 Sapphire Padparadscha

Along with his rookie Superfractor cards, Verstappen’s best Sapphire card will go down as one of the sport’s few grails. Named for the salmoncolored lotus blossom variation, one of the rarest forms of sapphires, the odds of pulling a Padparadscha parallel is 1:605 packs. Considering boxes currently command more than $2,000, it’s no wonder that the card ranks among Verstappen’s best.

2020 Topps Chrome F1 Max Verstappen #F1A-MV Autographs Superfractor

Much like Verstappen vs. Hamilton, it’ll be interesting to see which of Max’s first-year monsters is considered the most coveted in the long run. For now, this superb Superfractor auto is in pole position.

2020 Topps Dynasty F1 Max Verstappen #DAP-MV Autographed Patch Gold

Oh, and speaking of Dynasty, what perfect timing for the debut of Topps’ most grandiose set: 2020 Topps Dynasty. Notably avoiding the condition issues of the debut Topps Chrome and Chrome Sapphire sets, the first Topps F1 Dynasty is as clean as they come, with drool-worthy patches, crisp on-card signatures and limited quantities of each card. In the same auction in which Verstappen's Chrome Superfractor Autograph set the bar, this Autographed Patch Gold commanded $170,400.

2020 Topps Chrome F1 Max Verstappen #6 Sapphire Red –Variation

Topps added a fun wrinkle by including variations of the first 20 cards of the original Chrome sets. Even the base versions are coveted. But with Red Refractor parallels limited to just five copies, it pays to land one of the most popular parallel sets in the hobby—as evidenced by the $40,000+ sale of a PSA 9 version in October of 2022.

2021 Topps Dynasty F1 Max Verstappen #AFJP-MV Autograph Suit Flag Jumbo Patch

There’s real estate, and then there’s real estate. In an era of dwindling memorabilia windows and almost miniature relics, the second-year Dynasty Suit Flag versions are a throwback to when card companies gave us juicy jumbo patches.

2021 Topps Now F1 Max Verstappen/ Lewis Hamilton #78 Gold

With a population of 26,000+, the first Max Verstappen/Lewis Hamilton base card doesn’t do the duel justice. But the Gold parallel, which commemorates their down-to-thewire 2021 campaign, is limited to just one copy, and that one sold via Goldin for $36,600 in Feb. 2022.

2021 Topps F1 Lights Out Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda Powertrain Gold Frame

Commemorating the car behind the man and released in an online-only obscure set that sold out quickly, this card hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves. It’s gorgeous — like a Donruss Night Moves card for cars — and without even featuring Verstappen himself, it sold via Goldin for more than $5,000.

2020 Topps Dynasty F1 Max Verstappen/ Alexander Albon #AV Constructor Dual Relic Auto

They won’t go down like StocktonMalone or Spahn-Sain, but Verstappen’s first cardboard teammate will always be Alexander Albon, and his first Dynasty dual is a cool one.

2020 Topps Chrome F1 Max Verstappen #162

Sapphire Edition Purple

To amp up the checklist, Topps devotes ample space to celebrating individual race wins with all kinds of imagery. None displays Verstappen with as much joy as card #162, which commemorates his Austria Grand Prix win.

2016 Top Trumps Max Verstappen F1 Grand Prix Heroes

This obscure card game set from 2016 is the earliest Verstappen card, and the graded population is creeping up. Nearly 100 copies have been graded by PSA, with 11 PSA 10s and 52 PSA 9s. Gem Mint versions have sold for nearly $5,000.

San Diego is known primarily for its beaches, great weather and probably the best Mexican food in the States. In terms of sports, the professional teams have yet to win “the big one,” but it can’t be overlooked that many of the world’s most successful athletes in a variety of sports have all called San Diego home: Ted Williams, Tony Hawk, Lance Alworth, Alex Morgan, Jeremy McGrath, LaDainian Tomlinson, Marcus Allen, Greg Louganis, Dave Winfield, Bill Walton, Phil Mickelson, Mickey Wright, and one of the greatest hitters in major league history, Tony Gwynn.

Consider the following:

• Gwynn batted .415 (39-for-94) against fellow Hall of Famer and four-time Cy Young Award winner, Greg Maddux.

• Gwynn batted .338 over a 20-year career and would have had to go 0-for-the-next 1,183 at-bats to drop below .300.

• Neither Pedro Martinez (35 at-bats) nor Greg Maddux (94 at-bats) ever struck him out.

• Gwynn batted .368 over a five-year stretch from

1993 to 1997.

Tony Gwynn’s list of accomplishments is seemingly as long as his career hits total (3,141), but the greatest hitter of his generation (and several others) isn’t a huge hobby name. Maybe it’s because he spent his career in small-market San Diego, or because he wasn’t a home run hitter in a ‘90s era dominated by the long ball. Either way, Gwynn’s achievements on the field and corresponding hobby love aren’t on equal footing.

However, there is one PSA Set Registry collector who knows full well what Tony Gwynn meant to the game and has assembled a tribute to Tony that is beyond all others. This veteran collector prefers to remain unnamed. However, a look at the Registry account for “LondonGwynn” tells the story. His Tony Gwynn Master Set (2,379 items required and 92.6% complete) is the only set in which he participates. It is named In Honor of Tony and is available for all to see, enjoy and drool over.

PSA: LET’S START ALL THE WAY BACK AT THE BEGINNING. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED IN THE HOBBY?

LondonGwynn: I started collecting as a kid in 1961.

Post Cereal had cards on the backs of its cereal boxes and those were my first baseball cards. I collected 1961 Post Cereal cards and a little bit of 1961 Topps baseball. Then I started going full bore into Topps baseball the following year. I again collected the Post Cereal cards in 1962, and I had picked up a bit of 1961 Topps football as well.

I collected continually until 1968 and then I was in high school and got interested in girls and things. Fast forward to 1992. I was in Canada and McDonald's and Donruss were doing a promotion together. That got me back into the hobby. Although I had attended the very first National [in 1980]. I think it was at a Marriott Hotel near Los Angeles International Airport. I passed on a beautiful 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card for $50. It probably would have been Near Mint [PSA 7] by today’s standards.

PSA: LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR SECOND TERM IN THE HOBBY. HOW DID YOU BEGIN COLLECTING AGAIN AND WHAT WERE YOU INTERESTED IN AT THAT POINT?

LG: Baseball was my sport at that time, so the 1992 Donruss Canadian stuff sparked my interest again. I was lucky because my mom didn’t throw out my childhood collection, and I still have stuff from those days. I was at a big show in 1993, walking the show floor and noticed some 1993 Finest. This was the first year of the Finest product and there was a dealer there selling a lot of Refractors. I’d never seen anything like these cards before, but I thought they really looked nice. The big name stars were pretty expensive, though they wouldn’t be considered so today. This guy had six Tony Gwynn Refractors in his case and he told me that I could have as many of them as I wanted for $50 each. At that point Gwynn had won four batting titles, and he was already considered to be one of the greatest hitters of all time. Of course he would later win four more batting titles, threaten to break .400 [in ‘94] and ultimately become iconic. I thought to myself that Gwynn didn’t hit a lot of home runs, but he was the best hitter in the game at the time, so I bought three of the Refractors. Those three cards started me on my Tony Gwynn odyssey.

PSA: IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU DIDN’T NECESSARILY SET OUT TO COLLECT TONY GWYNN, BUT THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF.

LG: I was looking for a project that I thought would represent good value. At that point Nolan Ryan and Ken Griffey Jr. were at the top of the hobby mountain. I wanted something I could enjoy collecting, but at the same time I wanted it to be of good value. I came to the conclusion that Tony

Gwynn, Andre Dawson and Barry Bonds were the three most undervalued players in the hobby at the time. Even though I didn’t grow up in San Diego, I focused on Gwynn because I thought he was a great player and I liked the way he approached the game.

PSA: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE JUMP FROM BEGINNING TO COLLECT TONY GWYNN CARDS TO WHAT YOU DO NOW. BECAUSE SIMPLY SAYING THAT YOU COLLECT TONY GWYNN CARDS WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT.

LG: Sometime in the early 2000s there was a person on eBay who was selling a group of Tony Gwynn cards. I don’t remember exactly how many there were, but it was several hundred different cards. Back in those days sellers didn’t always have photos attached to their eBay listings; images weren’t a requirement back then. He simply listed it as a Tony Gwynn lot, and then explained that he had virtually everything and he wanted $600. That is how he advertised it. He had 100% positive feedback, so I bought the cards sight unseen which was a roll of the dice for me.

Once the cards arrived, I realized the seller wasn’t lying. There was a lot of high-value stuff included in the group. I wasn’t stuck with what I call confetti cards. Everybody used the term junk wax cards, but I prefer confetti cards because some of those cards do have value. Topps and Fleer issued a lot of cards via odd blister packs, mail-order or other means that are pretty difficult to find in top grade today. Junk cards means they are worthless, but confetti cards just means that there was a lot of stuff issued at the time.

So I had this great basis for a collection. I thought about it for a bit and decided that what I wanted to do was to continue buying in bulk. If I came across individual cards that I needed at the right price, I would pick them up, but I was primarily looking to buy in bulk. I would keep what I needed and then sell off any duplicates. That is really how I built the collection.

PSA: AND THEN YOU BEGAN GETTING YOUR CARDS GRADED AND PARTICIPATING IN THE SET REGISTRY?

LG: I eventually got that original group graded and they came back with some very nice grades; a lot of 8s and 9s, and a handful of 10s. I learned about the PSA Set Registry early in the 2000s and saw that there was a Tony Gwynn Master Set. I figured that if I really wanted to collect Tony Gwynn, then it made sense to try and build the master set. There were about 1,800 cards in the set at that time. I input

my collection, which came to around 450 cards. Then I realized that I had about 200 PSA-graded Gwynn cards that weren’t listed in the Registry. So I applied to have them added to the set, which they soon were. I then started buying PSA 10s whenever I could, preferably in bulk. I rarely paid over $10 per card and sometimes paid as little as $3 each!

One thing I’ll say … if you are going to be a master set collector, then you need to be at peace with the idea that this quest will never truly be completed. It’s not like collecting a standard base set because new cards are frequently being discovered. I love that PSA only included cards that are reflective of a player’s actual career. They will include one year after retirement as those cards will have final statistics, and I think that is fine. But Tony Gwynn’s career was from 1982-2001, and there are probably more Gwynn cards produced since 2001 than what is currently listed in his master set.

There is a community within the Set Registry, and if you participate long enough you will become immersed in some of these subcultures and meet other collectors. The Registry experience has been wonderful for me; it is a collaborative place where collectors try to help each other find cards they need. I’ve had a very feel-good experience using the Registry. It has helped me a lot in building what I have. I mention several people in my set description who have helped get my collection to where it is today.

Prior to taking over the top spot on the Tony Gwynn Master Set, I was in contact with the person in the No. 1 position. We communicated a lot and helped each other with our collections. Over the years I purchased three of the top five collections in the Tony Gwynn Master Set. That left me with a lot of duplicates that I parceled out to help other collectors who were happy to have them. But I had a very good relationship with the guy in the top spot, and I asked him to let me have the first shot if he ever decided to sell his set. I said I would buy the whole thing and not attempt to cherry-pick only the best cards.

Sure enough, he came to me early last year and said it was time for him to move the collection. Due to circumstances and logistics it took some time to eventually put a deal together, but we had a good relationship that was built on trust. We independently came up with numbers of how we valued his collection, and when we shared those numbers with each other we found them to be very close. From there we immediately agreed on a sale price and then it was simply a matter of figuring out the logistics of transferring funds and exchanging the cards because we don’t live in the same area. In

the end, he told me that one of the reasons he sold me the cards was because he knew that I would continue to represent Tony Gwynn well.

The ultimate goal for my collection would be to find a way to have it on public display somewhere in San Diego. I think Padres fans would appreciate it and it may even spark an interest in some people to begin their own collections. I also believe that cards are meant to be viewed like a piece of history or art, and are not simply to be tucked away somewhere!

PSA: YOU HAVE AMASSED THE BULK OF YOUR COLLECTION BY BUYING LARGE LOTS, BUT HOW DO YOU FILL IN THE SMALL HOLES? DO YOU FOCUS ON ONE SET OR RAINBOW AT A TIME OR DO YOU TAKE A MORE WIDESPREAD APPROACH AND SIMPLY PURCHASE ANYTHING YOU DON’T HAVE?

LG: I simply purchase anything I don’t have. I am not erratic with my spending, but I am now 92.6% complete with the Master Set, so the stuff that I don’t yet have is generally very difficult to find. The thing is that when you stumble upon a very rare card for sale, if you pass on it you cannot always guarantee that you will see it a second time around. So I am always looking for things that I don’t yet own. But I have become comfortable with the idea of just buying those rare cards if I find them. An example would be the 1989 Topps Heads Up Test Issue. There are probably only two dozen of them in existence, so if one were to come up, I’d just tell collectors to buy it.

PSA: YOU HAVE UNDOUBTEDLY LEARNED MUCH ALONG THIS JOURNEY OF YOURS. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MORE NOTABLE THINGS YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT TONY GWYNN OR THE HOBBY IN GENERAL?

LG: One thing about Tony Gwynn that is often overlooked because of the batting titles is that he also won five Gold Glove Awards. I didn’t realize at first that he was such a great defensive outfielder. After watching the tribute day ceremonies after he passed away, I learned that he was also a very strong Christian. I heard several stories about him going out of his way to help other players who were struggling on and off the field. Those are things I learned about Tony Gwynn.

As for the hobby … there are a few bad apples in the hobby, but for the most part I think people come into the hobby with good will and that has been affirmed. The other thing I have learned is that as I get older I realize the more I learn about a subject, the more I still have to learn. It is the same with the hobby. You can always learn more and become better, whether

it is collecting cards, doing your job, being a parent, a spouse, a friend or anything else.

PSA: YOU ARE SO FOCUSED ON TONY GWYNN RIGHT NOW, BUT ARE THERE OTHER AREAS OF THE HOBBY THAT INTEREST YOU?

LG: Yes, they involve the American Football League and the 21 African-American players who made the stand to boycott the 1965 AFL All-Star Game in New Orleans because of racial injustices they experienced. I haven’t yet begun this project, but I would like to collect signatures of those men. As a practical matter, the only other things I’d like to collect are Wayne Gretzky’s O-Pee-Chee base set cards from his years with the Oilers, all in PSA 9 or 10. I believe there are 49 of them. I am a monstrous hockey fan. That is the sport I enjoy watching in person the most. Tony Gwynn is one of the greatest hitters ever and a lot of people would say Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player ever. I like the idea of collecting great players who are also fantastic ambassadors for their sports.

PSA Grading Standards

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

NUMERICAL GRADES FOR TRADING CARDS

GEM-MT 10: GEM MINT

A PSA Gem Mint 10 card is a virtually perfect card. Attributes include four perfectly sharp corners, sharp focus and full original gloss. A PSA Gem Mint 10 card must be free of staining of any kind, but an allowance may be made for a slight printing imperfection, if it doesn’t impair the overall appeal of the card. The image must be centered on the card within a tolerance not to exceed approximately 55/45 to 60/40 percent on the front, and 75/25 percent on the reverse.

MINT 9: MINT

A PSA Mint 9 is a superb condition card that exhibits only one of the following minor flaws: a very slight wax stain on reverse, a minor printing imperfection or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 60/40 to 65/35 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

NM-MT 8: NEAR MINT-MINT

A PSA NM-MT 8 is a super high-end card that appears Mint 9 at first glance, but upon closer inspection, the card can exhibit the following: a very slight wax stain on reverse, slightest fraying at one or two corners, a minor printing imperfection, and/or slightly off-white borders. Centering must be approximately 65/35 to 70/30 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

NM 7: NEAR MINT

A PSA NM 7 is a card with just a slight surface wear visible upon close inspection. There may be slight fraying on some corners. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. A minor printing blemish is acceptable. Slight wax staining is acceptable on the back of the card only. Most of the original gloss is retained. Centering must be approximately 70/30 to 75/25 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

EX-MT 6: EXCELLENT-MINT

A PSA EX-MT 6 card may have visible surface wear or a printing defect which does not detract from its overall appeal. A very light scratch may be detected only upon close inspection. Corners may have slightly graduated fraying. Picture focus may be slightly out-of-register. Card may show some loss of original gloss, may have minor wax stain on reverse, may exhibit very slight notching on edges and may also show some offwhiteness on borders. Centering must be 80/20 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the reverse.

EX 5: EXCELLENT

On PSA EX-5 cards, very minor rounding of the corners is becoming evident. Surface wear or printing defects are more visible. There may be minor chipping on edges. Loss of original gloss will be more apparent. Focus of picture may be slightly out-of-register. Several light scratches may be visible

upon close inspection, but do not detract from the appeal of the card. Card may show some off-whiteness of borders. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

VG-EX 4: VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT

A PSA VG-EX 4 card’s corners may be slightly rounded. Surface wear is noticeable but modest. The card may have light scuffing or light scratches. Some original gloss will be retained. Borders may be slightly off-white. A light crease may be visible. Centering must be 85/15 or better on the front and 90/10 or better on the back.

VG 3: VERY GOOD

A PSA VG 3 card reveals some rounding of the corners, though not extreme. Some surface wear will be apparent, along with possible light scuffing or light scratches. Focus may be somewhat off-register and edges may exhibit noticeable wear. Much, but not all, of the card’s original gloss will be lost. Borders may be somewhat yellowed and/or discolored. A crease may be visible. Printing defects are possible. Slight stain may show on obverse and wax staining on reverse may be more prominent. Centering must be 90/10 or better on the front and back.

GOOD 2: GOOD

A PSA Good 2 card’s corners show accelerated rounding and surface wear is starting to become obvious. A good card may have scratching, scuffing, light staining, or chipping of enamel on obverse. There may be several creases. Original gloss may be completely absent. Card may show considerable discoloration. Centering must be 90/10 or better on the front and back.

FR 1.5: FAIR

A PSA Fair 1.5 card’s corners will show extreme wear, possibly affecting framing of the picture. The surface of the card will show advanced stages of wear, including scuffing, scratching, pitting, chipping and staining. The picture will possibly be quite out-of-register and the borders may have become brown and dirty. The card may have one or more heavy creases. In order to achieve a Fair grade, a card must be fully intact. Even though the card may be heavily worn, it cannot achieve this grade if it is missing solid pieces of the card as a result of a major tear, etc. This would include damage such as the removal of the back layer of the card or an entire corner. The centering must be approximately 90/10 or better on the front and back.

PR 1: POOR

A PSA Poor 1 will exhibit many of the same qualities of a PSA Fair 1.5 but the defects may have advanced to such a serious stage that the eye appeal of the card has nearly vanished in its entirety. A Poor card may be missing one or two small pieces, exhibit major creasing that nearly breaks through all the layers of cardboard or it may contain extreme discoloration or dirtiness throughout that may make it difficult to identify the issue or content of the card on either the front or back. A card of this nature may also show noticeable warping or another type of destructive defect.

HALF POINT GRADES

Cards that exhibit high-end qualities within each particular grade, between PSA Good 2 and PSA Mint 9, may achieve a half-point increase. While PSA graders will evaluate all of the attributes possessed by a card in order to determine if the card may be eligible, there will be a clear focus on centering.

Generally speaking, a card must exhibit centering that is 5-10% better, at minimum, than the lowest % allowed within a particular grade. It is important to note that there may be cases where the overall strength of the card, such as the quality of the corners and print, will give the card the edge it needs despite the fact that it may exhibit only marginal centering for

the grade. This is especially true for cards that find themselves within the bottom half of the PSA 1-10 scale.

Finally, keep in mind that qualifiers will not apply to grades that achieve the half-point increase since, by definition, these cards have to exhibit high-end qualities within the grade in order to warrant consideration. For example, there will not be cards graded PSA NM-MT-Plus 8.5 OC or PSA EX-MT-Plus 6.5 PD since the half-point is reserved for high-end cards within each grade.

At this time, only cards qualify for half-point grades. Coins, pins, tickets and packs will not receive half-point grades.

QUALIFIERS

PSA will grade nearly every card submitted. Cards having significant flaws will receive “qualified” grades as follows:

OC (OFF CENTER):

When the centering of the card falls below the minimum standard for that grade will be designated “OC.” PSA determines centering by comparing the measurements of the borders from left to right and top to bottom. The centering is designated as the percent of difference at the most off-center part of the card. A 5% leeway is given to the front centering minimum standards for cards which grade NM 7 or better. For example, a card that meets all of the other requirements for PSA MINT 9 and measures 60/40 off-center on the front automatically meets the PSA front centering standards for MINT 9. If a card meets all of the other requirements for PSA MINT 9 and measures 65/35 off-center on the front, it may be deemed to meet the PSA front centering standards for MINT 9 if the eye appeal of the card is good.

ST (STAINING):

Cards with staining below the minimum standards for the grade will be designated “ST.”

PD (PRINT DEFECT):

Cards with significant printing defects will be designated “PD.”

OF (OUT OF FOCUS):

Cards with focus below the minimum standards for the grade will be designated “OF.”

MK (MARKS):

Cards with writing, ink marks, pencil marks, etc. or evidence of the impression left from the act of writing will be designated “MK.”

MC (MISCUT):

Cards that exhibit an atypical cut for the issue or ones that contain partial portions of more than one card will be designated “MC.”

UNGRADEABLE CARDS:

PSA will not grade cards that bear evidence of trimming, recoloring, restoration, or any other forms of tampering, or are of questionable authenticity. In addition, PSA does not grade autographed cards dated earlier than 1998.

THE GRADING OF HAND CUT CARDS

PSA will grade virtually any card that has been hand-cut off of a panel, box, etc. (Post Cereal, Hostess, Bazooka, Strip cards, etc.) keeping the following information in mind. This service does not include traditional sheet-cut cards. PSA will not grade cards cut from sheets that can be obtained in a normal fashion. For example, PSA will not grade a 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky card cut from a sheet because that card was issued in non-sheet form. On the other hand, PSA will grade a 1959 Bazooka or 1961 Post Cereal Mickey Mantle because those cards could only be obtained in one fashion - removed by hand from a box or panel.

In order for PSA to actually assign a grade to any of the cards that possess visible/defined borders on all four sides, evidence of that border must be present. If the cut exceeds the visible

border for the card in question, PSA will encapsulate the card as “Authentic” only. If the card is severely undersized and suffers in overall eye appeal, the graders may deem the card not suitable for authentication or reject the card as minimumsized altogether.

Keep in mind that, for cards that do not possess visible/ defined borders, the cards must still fall within a certain size requirement for that particular issue in order to qualify for an actual grade. In other words, the borders must be virtually full in order for a grade to be rendered. Otherwise, as stated above, a label of “Authentic” will be assigned or, in some cases, the cards may fall short of the size requirement altogether. This is not an exact science. PSA will do its best to provide consistent guidelines for these types of cards.

In addition, PSA will allow cards that have had a coupon or tab removed from the original card to be submitted under this service. For example, if a 1952 Red Man Tobacco card is cut at or outside of the established tab line, the card would be eligible to receive a numerical grade. On the other hand, if the 1952 Red Man Tobacco card is cut inside of the line (the line where the tab meets the interior of the card), then the PSA graders will be precluded from entering a numerical grade. Cards that are cut within the limits established for a particular issue will be encapsulated and designated as “authentic” by PSA. All of the cards eligible for this service will be designated as “Hand-Cut” on the PSA label to distinguish them from the intact, “with tab” or “with coupon” examples.

PSA suggests that, in order to achieve the highest grades, the cuts of the cards should be relatively close to the visible borders without exceeding the limit. Cards that exhibit a clean, accurate and properly shaped cut have the best chance at achieving the highest grades. Eye appeal is very important. When it comes to excess paper or cardboard around the edges of the visible borders, the graders will place significant importance on overall eye appeal. Keep in mind that all cards of this type will be designated as “Hand-Cut” on the PSA label for accuracy. In addition, if the customer chooses, PSA will grade and encapsulate entire panels if those panels will fit in any of our current PSA holders. With the exception of the aforementioned items, normal grading criteria will apply.

THE IMPORTANCE OF EYE APPEAL AND SUBJECTIVITY IN GRADING

Over the years, more and more collectors have come to understand the basic guidelines behind PSA grading. After grading for well over a decade, PSA grading standards have truly become the official standard for the most valuable cards in the hobby. That being said, there are a host of grading questions that arise and the one basic question that comes up the most has to do with eye appeal and centering.

While it’s true that a large part of grading is objective (locating print defects, staining, surface wrinkles, measuring centering, etc.), the other component of grading is somewhat subjective. The best way to define the subjective element is to do so by posing a question: What will the market accept for this particular issue?

Again, the vast majority of grading is applied with a basic, objective standard but no one can ignore the small (yet sometimes significant) subjective element. This issue will usually arise when centering and/or eye appeal are in question. For example, while most cards fall clearly within the centering guidelines for a particular grade, some cards fall either just within or just outside the printed centering standards. The key point to remember is that the graders reserve the right, based on the strength or weakness of the eye appeal, to make a judgment call on the grade of a particular card.

What does this mean exactly?

Well, take this example. Let’s say you have a 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie card that is right on the edge of the acceptable guidelines for centering in a particular grade. The 1955 Koufax

card has a yellow background that tends to blend with the border of the card. In other words, the contrast isn’t great, so poor centering may not be much of an eyesore – the borders are not clearly defined. In this case, if the card exhibits extremely strong characteristics in other areas (color, corners, etc.), an exception may be made to allow an otherwise slightly off-center card to fall within an unqualified grade (no OC qualifier). This is a rare occurrence but it does happen.

On the other hand, there are cards that technically fall within the printed PSA Grading Standards that may be prevented from reaching a particular unqualified grade because the eye appeal becomes an issue. For example, a 1957 Topps Sandy Koufax card has great contrast between the white borders and the picture because the background is very dark. It is possible that a 1957 Topps Sandy Koufax, one that technically measures for a particular grade – let’s say 70/30, may be prevented from reaching that unqualified grade because the market would view that card as off-center – based on eye appeal issues. Again, this is a rare occurrence but it does happen from time to time when a judgment call has to be made on a card that pushes the limits for centering.

In conclusion, the issues discussed do not apply to the vast majority of cards that filter through the PSA grading process each day but this is an issue that needed some clarification in the marketplace. The bottom line is that there are times when a PSA grader must make a call on a card that falls on the line between two grades and that final determination is made based on experience, eye appeal and market acceptability.

Baseball

Powered

1969 - 2005

2003 - 2015

Buyer's Guide

1959 Topps Football (First Series) Vending Box Sold for $117,000

1953 Topps Baseball PSA-Graded Complete Set (274) - Ranked Current #4 on PSA Set Registry! Sold for $705,000

1961-62 Fleer Basketball Wax Box with Twenty-Four Unopened Packs Sold for $324,000

1986 Fleer Basketball Complete Set (132) Every Card Graded PSA Gem Mint 10! Sold for $690,000

1968 Topps Mickey Mantle #280 PSA Gem Mint 10 Sold for $510,000

1969 Topps Football Complete Master Set (264) with Wax Pack - #1 Current Finest & #2 All-Time Finest Lists on the PSA Set Registry! Sold for $162,000

1971 Topps Baseball (1st Series) Wax Box With 24 Unopened Packs Sold for $138,000

1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky Rookie #18 PSA Mint 9 Sold for $156,000

1996 Upper Deck U.S. Olympic Champions Michael Jordan (Reflections of Gold-Signatures) #RG1 PSA EX-MT+ 6.5, Auto 10 Sold for $210,000

Buyer's Guide

When it comes to hitting home runs, two of baseball’s all-time best were Babe Ruth and Henry Aaron. Ruth, nicknamed the “Sultan of Swat,” launched 714 round-trippers during his illustrious career, which ended in 1935, while Aaron, who earned the moniker “Hammerin' Hank,” surpassed Ruth in 1974 with No. 715 and eventually clubbed 755 career dingers.

Appropriately enough, this month’s Cover Star selection for the PSA Buyer’s Guide is a coveted, dual-signed ONL baseball sporting the signatures of these iconic batsmen. Consigned through Grey Flannel Auctions, their signatures earned a collective grade of PSA AUTO 8 and the baseball will be up for bid through June 11. Another item from Grey Flannel in this month’s issue is a 1964 game-used and autographed bat by Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks (PSA GU 10/PSA AUTO AUTH). Other top collectibles from some of the nation’s leading auction houses include a 1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth #32 (PSA 8) from Memory Lane; a beautiful, dual-signed 2004-05 UD Exquisite Collection LeBron James/Kobe Bryant

#LJ-KB (PSA AUTH/AUTO 10) from Goldin; and a 1954 Topps Henry Aaron #128 (PSA 8) from REA

As always, you will find our comprehensive lineup of fast-approaching auctions (page 14) followed by an up-to-date compilation of industry shows (page 16) where PSA and other divisions from Collectors will be on hand to accept take-home submissions or provide authentication and/or grading services on-site. The “Supply Chest” section (page 21) returns with all the usual suspects in place and the products you need to keep your collection in great condition. From GradedGuard (protective single-card cases) and Zion Cases (colorful carrying cases that hold up to 110 PSA-encapsulated cards) to Cardboard Gold (perfect fit sleeves) and Card Shellz (Hero Diamond Shell cases), we’ve got the bases covered.

And getting back to home runs, do you think Aaron Judge might eclipse his AL record of 62 blasts from last season? It appears the sky’s the limit for the Yankees’ latest legend in the making.

ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

Buyer's COVER STAR

Hank Aaron Dual-Signed ONL Baseball

Minimum Bid: $5,000

manufactured Official National League (ONL) Ford Frick baseball. Ruth signed on the sweet spot and Aaron signed on a side panel, both in bold beautiful ink. Their signatures have been graded PSA AUTO 8. Though there is some minor toning and spot staining present, it does not detract from the beauty of this incredibly rare dual-signed baseball from two of the greatest Major League Baseball players of all time. The ball comes accompanied by a full PSA LOA authenticating and grading the signatures; family provenance from the consignor; and a Los Angeles Herald-Examiner newspaper article dated June 27, 1974, that mentions the Aaron autograph was obtained on the baseball the day before, prior to the start of a Braves/Dodgers game at Dodger Stadium.

Game Used & Signed Bat

PSA GU 10/AUTO AUTH

Henry Aaron #128 PSA 8

Buyback Autographs

Connor McDavid #201 PSA 9/AUTO 9

Summer 2023 Catalog Auction

5.11.23 - 6.11.23

Minimum Bid: $5,000 GreyFlannelAuctions.com

Summer 2023 Catalog Auction

7.24.23 - 8.13.23

Minimum Bid: $10,000 RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Goldin Marketplace

Price: $35,000

Goldin.co

Babe Ruth #32

PSA 8

Summer Rarities Auction

Coming 7.23

Minimum Bid: $50,000

MemoryLaneInc.com

Tiger Woods #TW

PSA 8/AUTO 10

Circa 1950’s

Type 1 Original Photo

PSA AUTH

Price: $3,500

eBay: pc_sportscards

Price: $7,500

Charlie Barokas

eBay: ManOnTheRock

1964 Ernie Banks

Sandy Koufax

1954 Topps

2019 Upper Deck

1932 U.S. Caramel

2001 SP Authentic

Jesse Owens

1936 Berlin Olympics

Type 1 Original Photo

PSA AUTH

Animation 10 Planet Arlia Vegeta TT/NYCC ‘14

PSA 8

Price: $10,000

Charlie Barokas

eBay: ManOnTheRock

TCG Signature Auction

6.19.23 - 7.8.23

HA.com/TCG

2004 SP Game Used Kobe Bryant #AAFKB

PSA 8/AUTO 10

Price: $12,999

eBay: pc_sportscards

Game-Used Glove

PSA AUTO AUTH

PSA 5

PSA 9

Summer 2023 Catalog Auction

5.11.23 - 6.11.23

Minimum Bid: $5,000

GreyFlannelAuctions.com

Summer 2023 Catalog Auction

7.24.23 - 8.13.23

Minimum Bid: $10,000

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

Goldin Marketplace Price: $19,696

Goldin.co

1961 Roger Maris

1909 T204 Ramly Tobacco

Walter Johnson

1986 Fleer

Michael Jordan #57

2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom!

Josh Allen #K34

PSA 9

1961 Topps

Mickey Mantle #578

All-Star

PSA 10

6.2.23 - 6.28.23

Minimum Bid: $1,000 Goldin.co

Summer Rarities Auction

Coming 7.23

Minimum Bid: $7,500

MemoryLaneInc.com

2017 Upper Deck Splendor

Wayne Gretzky #SP-WG

PSA 8/AUTO 10

Price: $2,400

eBay: pc_sportscards

Roy

1947 Montreal Royals

Type 1 Original Photo

PSA AUTH Price: $7,500

Charlie Barokas

eBay: ManOnTheRock

Michael

PSA 5

Funko 46

Freddy as Kylo Ren

SDCC ‘16

PSA 9

Goldin Weekly

5.16.23 - 5.25.23

Minimum Bid: $5

Goldin.co

TCG Signature Auction

6.19.23 - 7.8.23

HA.com/TCG

1986 Fleer Sticker

Jordan #8

Campanella

Marvel 40 Wolverine

GITD Toytastik 2013

Brooklyn Dodgers Infield

Type 1 Original Photo

1969

Johnny Bench #95

PSA 10

TCG Signature Auction

6.19.23 - 7.8.23

HA.com/TCG

PSA AUTH Price: $7,500

Charlie Barokas

eBay: ManOnTheRock

Summer Rarities Auction

Coming 7.23

Minimum Bid: $7,500

MemoryLaneInc.com

LeBron

PSA AUTH/AUTO 10

Jim

PSA 8

Ja Morant #JMT

Signed Green Shimmer

PSA 9

Goldin 100

5.12.23 - 6.14.23

Minimum Bid: $500,000

Goldin.co

Summer Rarities Auction

Coming 7.23

Minimum Bid: $10,000

MemoryLaneInc.com

Price: $3,000

eBay: pc_sportscards

Topps

Jackie Robinson

2004 UD Exquisite Collection

James/Kobe Bryant #LJ-KB

1958 Topps

Brown #62

2019 Panini Prizm

Schedule 2023 Auction Schedule 2023

June 1

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions

SiriusSportsAuctions.com

June 2

Opening: Goldin June Elite Sports Auction Goldin.co

June 7

Closing: Goldin Spring Comics, Video Games & TCG Elite Goldin.co

June 8

Opening: REA Encore Auction RobertEdwardAuctions.com

June 11

Closing: Grey Flannel’s Summer Games Auction GreyFlannelAuctions.com/

June 14

Closing: Goldin 100 Auction Goldin.co

June 15

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions SiriusSportsAuctions.com

June 18

Closing: REA Encore Auction RobertEdwardAuctions.com

June 21

Closing: Goldin Spring Game Used Elite Goldin.co

June 24

Closing: Heritage Sports Showcase Auction HA.com/sports

June 28

Closing: Goldin June Elite Sports Auction Goldin.co

June 29

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions

SiriusSportsAuctions.com

July 2023

Opening: Memory Lane Summer Rarities Auctions

MemoryLaneInc.com

July 6

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions SiriusSportsAuctions.com

July 7-8

Closing: Heritage Trading Card Games

Signature Auction HA.com/tcg

July 14-15

Closing: Heritage Sports Catalog Auction HA.com/sports

July 20

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions

SiriusSportsAuctions.com

July 24

Opening: REA Summer Catalog Auction

RobertEdwardAuctions.com

August 3

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions

SiriusSportsAuctions.com

August 13

Closing: REA Summer Catalog Auction RobertEdwardAuctions.com

August 17

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions

SiriusSportsAuctions.com

August 31

Closing: Sirius Sports Auctions

SiriusSportsAuctions.com

2023 Show Schedule

Schedule 2023 Show Schedule 2023

Long Beach Expo*

Too Many Games Expo

Collect-A-Con Kansas City

Comic Con San Diego

The National

Collect-A-Con Long Beach

The Burbank Show

Long Beach Expo*

Collect-A-Con Charlotte

Collect-A-Con Denver

Comic Con New York

Portland Retro Gaming Expo

Collect-A-Con Houston

Long Beach, CA

Oaks, PA

Kansas City, MO

San Diego, CA

Chicago, IL

Long Beach, CA

Anaheim, CA

Long Beach, CA

Charlotte, NC

Denver, CO

New York, NY

Portland, OR

Houston, TX

Coins, Cards, Video Games

Video Games

Sports Cards, Pop Culture

Pop Culture

Sports Cards

Sports Cards, Pop Culture

Coins, Cards, Video Games

Coins, Cards, Video Games

Show Signer Autographs

Sports Cards, Pop Culture

Pop Culture

Video Games

Show Signer Autographs

-

Toronto Card Show

Chicago Sports Spectacular

Toronto, Canada

Chicago, IL

Sports Cards

Sports Cards

2023 Show Schedule

(Photo-Matched To Record Setting & Last Career Point

Part of MSG’s Defining Moments Museum • MeiGray & JSA LOAs)

Supply

Chest Supply Chest Supply

Perfect Fit Sleeves for PSA-Graded Cards

CardboardGold.com cardboardgold@gmail.com

50 Packages/Case (2,500 Sleeves): $89

Hero Diamond Shell for PSA-Graded Cards

support@cardshellz.com

HERO Diamond Shell

Use code “SHELLZ_PSA” to receive $10 off your first order of $50 or more.

GradedGuard and Phantom Display

GradedGuard.us/collections/acrylic-cases info@gradedguard.us

Phantom Display: $45

Zion Cases

ZionCases.com

help@zioncases.com

Slab Case X Color Rush: $100

Registry Set Registry Set Registry

THE FOLLOWING Q&A WITH A PROLIFIC TONY GWYNN COLLECTOR WHO GOES BY THE NAME “LONDONGWYNN” ON THE PSA SET REGISTRY IS A COMPANION PIECE TO A FEATURE ARTICLE (“HITTING MACHINE”) THAT SPOTLIGHTS HIM IN THE JUNE 2023 ISSUE OF PSA MAGAZINE

PSA BUYER’S GUIDE: What was your latest hobby acquisition and why was it important?

LONDONGWYNN: “My latest hobby acquisition was the 1998 Upper Deck Baseball Amazing Greats Tony Gwynn Die Cut [#AG19] in PSA 9. Why was it so important? Because I didn't have it!”

PSA BG: What is the next Tony Gwynn card you hope to acquire (and why)?

LG: “Anything I still don’t have. Seriously. I am always on the hunt for more Tony Gwynn cards.”

PSA BG: What’s the one Tony Gwynn card that constantly eludes you?

LG: “Without a doubt, it’s the 1997 Pinnacle Totally Certified Tony Gwynn #147 Platinum Gold — and not the Mirror Gold #45 — in PSA 10. The Pop Report on it is 6, so they’re not that scarce. But I have never seen

one for sale. There are other scarce cards out there, and I do see them for sale from time to time, but not the Totally Certified #147 Platinum Gold.”

PSA BG: What is the "grail" item you hope to own one day?

LG: “Any item that is marked or ID'd by the manufacturer as ‘1 of 1’ during his Master Set years. An example would be the 2002 Leaf Certified #25 Mirror Black. I’d prefer it also to be a certified autograph, although I don't know if there is such a card.”

PSA BG: What was your best auction steal?

LG: “Most of my collection has been purchased in bulk or through private transactions, but I do remember picking up Tony’s 1982 TCMA Hawaii Islanders rookie card #10 in PSA 10 for about $1,000. That was probably five-to-seven years ago in an auction. Now it’s worth double [that].”

Registry

the triple play

Recent snags in the Marketplace

By Ben Magalaner

PSA 10

SOLD: 04.04.23

PRICE: $525

PSA

SOLD: 04.15.23

PRICE: $2,500

/125

PSA 9

SOLD: 03.30.23

There’s a lot to like here: an iconic set design, a numbered rookie card of a guy who doesn’t have many of them, and a matter of time until his #19 graces the wall of the Cincinnati Reds ballpark. Tack on a Gem Mint grade, and this Joey Votto Gold checks all the boxes.

Reverse the rotation of the earth and travel back to a pre-Avengers World War era for this Superman relic. Spy games were certainly afoot at this time, both on-card and in real life. A vintage flex if there ever was one.

Aquaman, is that you? Set to a PMG shimmer, there’s a superhero shine to one of the greatest athletes of all time here. The year is significant too, as Phelps was fresh off the 2012 Summer Olympics in which he took six podiums, then “retired.” Talk about collecting in a new lane.

1940 Superman Superman Vs. The Spies #51

6

2008 Topps Joey Votto #319 Gold

2013 Upper Deck Employee Exclusive Michael Phelps #E-MP

Precious Metal Gems Purple

CREDITS Cover ASSOCIATED PRESS ASSOCIATED PRESS ASSOCIATED PRESS Monaco Grail Prix ASSOCIATED PRESS ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hitting Machine ASSOCIATED PRESS

Copyright 2023 by Collectors Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any kind without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. PSA Magazine is published monthly and nothing contained herein is a solicitation to buy or sell the listed cards by the publisher, editor, or staff.

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