1956 Topps Football Master Set (120) w/all SPs CL Contest Cards Wrapper VG-EX+

Description: Seldom-seen complete package of the first-ever Topps football issue. Topps had battled it out with Bowman from its 1951 entry to the baseball market, but had not attempted football. Their defeat and acquisition of Bowman following the 1955 seasons gave them their foot in the door and started a run of yearly football sets that lasted for sixty years. The 1956 set has never been as popular as the famed 1957 set (rookies of Starr, Unitas, Hornung, Berry and a few more), but it still has a lot going for it and it has gained in popularity in recent years. Key rookies are few, with Lenny Moore being the biggest, but cards for fellow Hall of Famers Roosevelt Brown, Joe Schmidt, Bill George and Stan Jones are present, along with stars Alex Webster and Rosie Grier, member of the Rams Fearsome Foursome and later a body guard for Robert F Kennedy. Twenty one other Hall of Famers appear in the set, including some of the best of all time - Gifford, Bednarik, Blanda, Groza, Hirsch and more. A total of 26 in the set, about one in every five cards. The set is also known for its (20) single prints, all Chicago Cardinals and Washington Redskins. Two different sheets of 110 cards were printed, 11 rows of ten cards per row, and each row was every card for the same team. The Cardinals were the bottom row of one sheet and the Redskins were the top row of the other. The other ten teams appeared on both sheets. Due to this placement, Cardinals and Redskins cards were subject to more wear and are tougher to find in high grades. The team cards especially, as they were placed at one end of the rows. Thus, building a set has always been a challenge. All that work is done for you in pleasing mid-grade form. A big issue with this set was always centering and you see some of that here. Overall, though, the majority of the cards are VG-EX to EX+ with a small number higher. None of the (20) single prints grade below VG. Too many cards in the middle grades to list condition card by card. All cards are imaged front and back, you be the judge and ask questions about specific cards. The breakdown: EX or better with some NMT - 52 cards, 43.3% VG-EX - 38 cards, 31.7% This is 75% of the set. VG to VG+ - a light crease or wrinkle is allowable at this grade level, but not all cards have this - 20 cards, 16.7% G , G/VG - 8 cards, 6.7% (#1 Carson, #26 49ers team, #54, #67, #75, #76, #91, #119 Bears team) F/G - 2 cards, 1.6% (#27, #65, both commons) NOTHING in the base set of 120 cards is horribly abused, just honest wear. In addition to the full set is everything that makes this a Master set except for the rare salesman sample strip of 3 cards, and most hobbyists do not consider this to be included. The NNO checklist, which is also an SP, is marked, with multiple creases and in Poor condition - but it's present. The scarce contest cards - 5 different - are all present and all are unmarked: October 14 Card 1 - VGOctober 14 Card 2 - VG-EXOctober 14 Card 3 - VG+ OCNovember 25 Card A - VG (light crease)November 25 Card B - EX MC Last but not least is a rare 5 cent wrapper, fully intact with normal fold lines but a small hole in one of the 'corners' (while unopened), and because of the hole, I rate it G/VG. These are not easy to find. All in one great package. Free insured shipping in the US.

Price: 1199 USD

Location: Rochester, New York

End Time: 2024-11-25T23:49:39.000Z

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