What is Your Favorite '54 Topps Ted Williams and...

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Posted By: peter chao

Why is #250 More Valuable?

Guys,

In 1954 Ted Williams was both card #1 and #250, the first and last cards of the set. Supposedly, they had the same number printed of each card. In SCD it appears that for some reason card #250 has become more valuable.

I have both cards and I find Card #1, with the bat against an orange background to be more striking.

Is there any particular reason why Card #250 is more valuable?

Peter C.

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Posted By: Paul S

My 2007 SCD lists #1 more valuable, $675 as compared to $600 for #250 in NM condition. However in EX and VG there is only a $15 and $20 difference, respectively, which is really negligible. I'd guess that #1 suffered the "rubber band syndrome" and that less people were buying by the time the high number #250 hit the racks, hence no chance for as much damage, if in fact they were not released all at once.

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Posted By: Bob

Checking with VCP, the average price of the last 11 PSA 7 Williams #250 sold on eBay is $738. I feel that eBay is a better gauge of the true value of a card than the more glamorous auction sites. There have been only five PSA 7 Williams #1 sold on eBay in the same time period with an average price of $1,079.

Even more striking, there have been zero PSA 8s of card #1 (average price of $4,389 in other auctions). There have been three PSA 8s of card #250 on eBay (average price of $2,647). Three other PSA 8s of card #250 have been in large auctions with an average price of $4,257.

Card #1 seems to be more expensive and harder to find. Here's mine that I just got in the Goodwin auction:



Note: Vintage Card Prices has been an invaluable resource for me when deciding what to bid. Undoubtedly I've saved more than the cost of subscription.

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Posted By: Neal Kane

That is a nice card Bob!

I like the #1 card better as well, seems more unique. The #250 image repeats in 55 and 56, which is one of my pet peeves about that era of Topps cards. The same thing repeats in the later 60's as well.

I do like the #250 back better - one of the better backs ever made! I do not own the card, so I do not have a scan.

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Posted By: peter chao

That's a nice scan of your PSA 7 Ted Williams, #1. I didn't notice it before, but it appears to be off register, or is it just my imagination. On the far right of the card, next to the white border, I see some pink between the orange and the white. Usually that's an indication the card is off-register. It's still a solid 7.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Paul S

I happen to have one handy:


*edited to say: Peter, that's not a crease on the right side, just a scratch. There's some wear on Ted's cheek; the corners are rounded and/or dinged; Ted has his teeth capped as well as his head.

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Posted By: Gilbert Maines

#1s are typically off-register and the background color varies from yellow/orange to deep red/orange.

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Posted By: boxingcardman

#250 doesn't have his stats and bio on it, so it has been seen as a special issue, like an allstar. I found #250 easier to obtain and got it years before my #1. I do think that #250 is a better card, aesthetically, especially with the painted hat brim they added to #1. PS: Play guess the grades with these:



PS: hint--neither card has any creases, back damage or hidden flaws.

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Posted By: Paul S

My Williams #1 has several flaws, not the least of which is that from the viewers perspective it tends to lean to the right side. I think it came from the factory that way.


*edited in an attempt to make it stand up straight.

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Posted By: peter chao

I got my source for prices wrong. I was looking at the most recent issue of Tuff Stuff. It lists #1 at $800 in nr. mt. and #250 at $950 in nr. mt.

Peter C.

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Posted By: Ken W.

Another card I obtained for a penny at an infamous garage sale as a kid. Obvious rubber band syndrome, but still one of my favs!

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Posted By: Paul S

Ken - your penny sale beats my own infamous kitchy "modern antique" neighborhood store where my friends and I were raiding any and all 50's cards for about 10-25 cents apiece. Them the days, to be sure.

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Posted By: Ron

Imo the # 1 Williams is my favorite, maybe it's the orange background on the card. But I wouldn't mind owning the # 1 or
the # 250. Does anyone have any low grades available?

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Posted By: John H.

I always seem to see more #1's available than #250's so I'm kind of surprised by the comments in this thread. The #1 card in any set always carries a bit of a premium so that may explain the difference in book prices. Whatever the case, I prefer #250 because of the bright yellow background and the classic closeup photo, even though it was used again by Topps in '55 and '56 and countless other times in other places. #1 has also been reprinted a few times while #250 has only been redone once, so there are many more versions of #1 on the market.

John

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Posted By: peter chao

John,

The August '07 Tuff Stuff has #250 at 950+ and #1 at 800, probably for some of the reasons you stated. #250 is a nice portrait card.

#1 is commonly found with registration problems and it looks like the bill of the cap has been airbrushed.

Both the #1 and #250 normally have some condition problems because #1 was normally on top of a stack of '54 Topps and #250 would be on the bottom, so these cards would often get rubber band marks.

Peter C.