I was looking back through the pickup thread about the posts regarding the '52 Topps Mantle incorrectly being referred to his "rookie card" and it got me thinking. Do you think that the 1952 Topps Andy Pafko is overrated based on the perception that it's "the first Topps baseball card" just because it's the #1 card in the 1952 Topps set? As far as I'm concerned it's just a low series common that happens to be card #1. The fact that it sells for more than all of the 1-310 series Hall of Fame players with the exception of Willie Mays doesn't make sense to me at all. I don't really buy into that premium put on the first and last cards in set because that they were more prone to wear from being put into the front/back of stacks with rubber bands either. That might have a minimal effect on the population of higher grade examples, but why low grade ones sell at any kind of a premium since they are already worn anyway doesn't seem to add up either (although that's a different rant for another day
).