1954-55 Topps Hockey Set (20/60) G Howe All - PSA 7 NQ Last Card Schmidt,Toughest Low Pop Commons, HOF, More! Start Price USD 4,500.00 Current Price USD 4,500.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Monday, November 17, 2008 End Time Monday, November 24, 2008 Location Rochester, NY See more about '1954-55 Topps Hockey Set (20/60) G Howe All - PSA 7 NQ ' Description Start or add to your high grade 1954-55 Topps Hockey Set with this premium lot of 20 cards - one-third of the set - all graded PSA 7 - NMT with no qualifiers. With the exception of the Howe card, which I have owned for more then ten years, all of these cards were purchased in 2005. This makes them all eligible for- and definitely worthy of - submitting to PSA for the half-point upgrade (and maybe to PSA 8). These are all beauties. The super-enlarged scans show just how sharp they are.Included is the key card #8 of Gordie Howe. There are five additional Hall of Famers: #10 Gump Worsley, #11 Andy Bathgate, #49 Bill Quackenbush, #51 'Terrible Ted' Lindsay and the extremely tough last card in the set, #60 Milt Schmidt.The Schmidt card is tied for the 3rd lowest population in PSA 7 in the entire set, with a mere 30 examples attaining this choice level, and only 12 examples graded higher with no 9s.But the gems in this grouping don't end with the stars. Also included are, without question, THE two most difficult high grade cards in the set, after Schmidt.#2 Bob Chrystal is the hardest card of all cards in the set to obtain in high grade, with a minuscule 41 cards grading 7 or higher. Just 32 PSA 7 and 9 PSA 8, the fewest in this grade in the set, which puts a premium on PSA 7 copies. The same holds true for #59 Marcel Bonin. Only 48 total in PSA 7 and higher, with just 34 PSA 7 and 14 PSA 8, right behind Schmidt at both levels in difficulty.Population averages for the 60-card set are: PSA 7 = 42 and PSA 8 = 30.5.The other ten commons, with their populations in (PSA 7) and [PSA8] are as follows:#4 Johnny Wilson (45) [26]#6 Rene Chevrefils (30, tied with Schmidt for 3rd lowest PSA 7) [23] --- a very tough card!#7 Bob Armstrong (35) [26] --- another toughie!#9 Benny Woit (57) [30]#12 Bucky Hollingworth (33) [28] --- very difficult!#15 Paul Ronty (52) [41]#16 Glen Skov (62) [37]#31 Lorne Ferguson (38) [24] --- both below average pop!#38 Hal Laycoe (39) [39]#46 Bob Goldham (55) [40]The last two cards, while the price guides consider them commons, are not. First is the rookie card #35 of Don McKenny (41) [29].Second is the very unusual case of a 'common' card that sells for 6 to 7 times its SMR price. That card is #45 Tony Leswick, and it is one of the key cards in this lot. What makes this case so unusual is that, while the population of PSA 7 is above average at 52 (the PSA 8 pop of 26 is slightly below average), that PSA 7 pop is actually very low for the number of cards graded. The average total submissions for the commons listed here is 127 copies of each card - remember that most cards sent in, especially the commons, look high-grade to the naked eye. But the Leswick card has had more copies submitted than Gordie Howe, 327 to 321! (Terry Sawchuk is a distant third with 237.)Why? The prime reason for Leswick's popularity is that 'Tough Tony', the league's smallest player who often played like one of the biggest, is revered in Detroit. That, and his Stanley Cup-winning goal in the 1954 playoffs in sudden death against the Montreal Canadiens. Out of this popularity rises the strong potential that someone, or several someones, are snapping up Leswicks wherever they can find them and getting them slabbed, and selling them in the Detroit area - or someone is hoarding them. Whatever the reason, the bidding is fierce when a high-grade copy surfaces.I know what these cards will bring sold as singles and am pricing the lot substantially below that conservative figure to sell it now and put the cash to work upgrading other sets I'm working on instead of finishing it myself. I will also realize some time savings in individual listing, communications, packing and shipping, and time is money.Shipping is free by registered mail within the U.S. Signature is required at time of delivery.My preferred method of payment is cashiers/bank check or U.S. Postal Service Money Order. These methods will ensure shipping within two business days after receipt of payment. I accept personal checks and non-postal money orders. These are subject to a 10-business day hold for clearance. Due to the new eBay policy re: electronic payment option, I now accept Paypal, but I do not trust that Paypal or eBay offers enough seller protection. Therefore, I will ship items paid for by Paypal within one business day of the date that the funds appear in my bank account, not one business day from the day you make the payment. This transfer of funds should take place within the seven days that eBay requires items to be shipped. In any event, I will communicate with you to let you know when the item will be sent.Please ask any questions before bidding. Thanks for looking and please check out my other items this week. Place a Bid!