Two of the best 1950s card sets ever assembled will be broken up and sold as part of an upcoming auction.
The 1955 and 1958 Topps sets, which rank second and fourth, respectively, on the PSA Set Registry will be sold as individual single-card lots in the Extended Bidding format sale.
Among the cards on the block is a PSA 9 (mint) 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie card that could sell for over $200,000. Bidding had already reached $60,000 by Wednesday, with more than two weeks remaining in the auction. It’s one of 23 Koufax rookies rated mint by the grading and authentication company. Only three cards have been given a ’10’ label.
While set-builders are certain to play a leading role in the bidding, the key rookie cards and condition rarities in each set are also likely to draw 
considerable attention from collectors who are interested only in elite singles.
“It’s a lot of hard work to build a top-five set,” Heritage Sports Collectibles Director Chris Ivy said, “but the joy is in the journey, and this auction stays true to that principle.”
In addition to the Koufax rookie, the two set breaks include several other key rookie cards and a high-grade example of the famed 1958 Pancho Herrera error card, which was printed without the letter “a” on the end of the Philadelphia infielder’s surname.
Top projected lots in the PSA Set Registry Auction are expected to include:
- 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax #123 PSA Mint 9 (est. $200,000+)
- 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente #164 PSA NM-MT 8 (est. $40,000+)
- 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew #124 PSA Mint 9 (est. $30,000+)
- 1955 Topps Hank Aaron #47 PSA Mint 9 (est. $30,000+)
- 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle #150 PSA Mint 9 (est. $20,000+)
- 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle/Hank Aaron “World Series Batting Foes” #418 PSA Mint 9 (est. $15,000+)
- A 1958 Topps Roger Maris #47 PSA Mint 9 (est. $15,000+)
Bidding continues through March 23.
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