Welcome to The Athletic Collectibles Staff’s Sports Card of the Week! Here we’ll spotlight a notable, fascinating, or simply plain enjoyable sports activities card. This week, with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh edging nearer to a 60-plus dwelling run season, we glance again at a classic baseball card of a participant who achieved the milestone.
The 1961 Topps Baseball set incorporates 587 playing cards and options three completely different Roger Maris playing cards, together with his #2 base card being the most notable amongst collectors. Key Hall of Famers in the set embody Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, in addition to rookie playing cards of Juan Marichal and Billy Williams.
The card exhibits a mild-mannered close-up of Maris in Yankee pinstripes, with a bat resting on his shoulder as he seems to be off to the aspect. His title stands out in daring purple font on a yellow background positioned at the backside left. This, mixed with the card’s commonplace white border design provides it a clear and traditional look.
Why It Matters
Maris’ 1961 Topps #2 card is one of his hottest as a result of of the historic season it represents. The 1961 season featured an epic dwelling run race between Yankees sluggers Maris and Mantle as they chased Babe Ruth’s single-season file of 60 dwelling runs. Maris in the end beat out Mantle and broke the long-standing file with 61 dingers.
During the identical season, Maris captured his second consecutive American League MVP award and his first World Series title. It was the peak of his baseball stardom and the defining second of his profession.
In 2001, Billy Crystal produced and directed an HBO film titled “61*,” which chronicles the 1961 baseball season and the dwelling run race between Maris and Mantle.
Despite Maris nonetheless not but enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame, his 1961 Topps #2 stays extremely sought-after as a result of of the season it represents. The indisputable fact that he broke the dwelling run file whereas taking part in for an iconic workforce like the Yankees additional provides to its enduring collectibility.
PSA graded inhabitants and present market worth
Of the almost 6,000 Roger Maris 1961 Topps #2 graded by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), just one has achieved a Gem-Mint PSA 10 grade and has no recorded gross sales.
The most typical grade is PSA 4 (1,125 copies), which generally sells on eBay for round $80, relying on its visible attraction. Near-Mint-to-Mint examples graded a PSA 8 sometimes command costs exceeding $1,000. The file sale for a PSA 9 got here in 2021, when one offered at public sale for $12,148, however the subsequent two highest gross sales got here earlier this 12 months at precisely $10,370 every in auctions three months aside. The PSA 9 inhabitants is simply 24.
The card’s recognition in comparison with different Roger Maris playing cards is mirrored in the quantity of PSA graded examples (whole inhabitants of 5,985). The solely Maris card that’s been graded extra by PSA is his 1958 Topps rookie card (whole inhabitants of 7,171), in line with GemCharge, which tracks graded card populations.
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(Top picture: Bettmann / Getty Images; card pictures: eBay)