What are you top 5 20th century boxing cards?

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Need a bit more definition as to the question.

Top 5 most expensive?

Top 5 most important for a collection?

Top 5 rarities?

This is pretty much the most expensive list:

1948 Leaf Graziano is far and away the most costly
E125 Johnson is probably #2
T226 Johnson is probably #3
T229 Kopec Johnson I'd rank just below T226

For the final spot I could see any of these:

T229 Pet Johnson
T220 Silver Border Jas. J. Corbett or Mike Donovan
1938 NX5 American Sweets Joe Louis

They rarely come to market, so the issue is really academic until we get a few on the ol' auction block.

Now, if we go with essential for a collection, I'd argue these:

T218 Jack Johnson side view: the key card to the most widely collected T set

1951 Ringside Marciano: the key RC in Topps' only boxing issue

1960 Hemmett Cassius Clay: IMO the RC of the most important boxer of the latter half of the century.

1935 Pattriouex Joe Louis: The RC of the most important boxer of the first half of the century

1997 Brown's Mayweather or 1999 World Boxing Pacquiao or 1986 Panini Tyson: the most important regular issue cards made in the last 30+ years.

But if you are looking for rarity, there are just a ton of possibilities, from 1 or two known example type cards to SPs from major sets. I honestly don't know where even to begin such a list. 1948 Tabay Joe Louis, issued for a month in Spain? 1931 Bigott? Maybe a nice Trinidad y Hnos. Dempsey premium? Or a Lucky Heart Louis? How about the 1904 Sporting Life Jeffries-Munroe cabinet card? 1910 New England Gum Co. Jeffries and Johnson flip card? I don't have an answer...

Perhaps a better frame on the question is to ask which 5 cards you would most want to own if you could not sell them, making value irrelevant. My list of favorite cards to own would be these:

I just wanted to post that I have enjoyed reading this thread ever since it began. I really loved reading Adam's thoughts on the top five boxing cards in the hobby.

[Exhibitman]

Thanks.

Fun fact: some of the top cards will be in the Love of the Game fall boxing auction. Confirmed with Al yesterday there will be an E125 Johnson and a T220 silver Jim Corbett. Figured a Corbett would pop up a year after I quit the set.

[aljurgela]

Very cool... should be a fun auction! Still recovering from Christie's!

[Exhibitman]

Here is a partial list of cards in the auction. Some of the rarer groups will be split up into individual lots for type collectors.

1920s E282 Oh Boy Gum (Goudey) Jack Dempsey
1931 Cigarreras Bigott Max Schmeling SGC 35
1931 Cigarreras Bigott “N561” Justo Suarez SGC 30
N310 Mayo Cut Plug Jas. J. Corbett SGC 30
1910 T218 Tolstoi Cigarettes James Jeffries SGC 20
1910 T218 Tolstoi Cigarettes Joe Gans SGC 60
1911 T219 Red Cross (6)
T229 Kopec Cigarettes Abe Attell SGC 50
1923 Wesley Andrews Jack Dempsey Card SGC 50
1923 Burstein Isaacs James J. Jeffries PSA 7
1938 NX5 American Sweets Knock-Out Bubble Gum (8)
1910 T218 Mecca Jem Driscoll SGC 84 nm
1910 Philadelphia Caramel E80 Abe Attell and Monte Attell SGC 30
1920s W-Unc Blue Boxers Strip Cards (8) Including Benny Leonard SGC Authenticated
1949 Page’s Pittsburgh Milk Co. Jake LaMotta SGC 50
1887 N269 Lorillard John C. Heenan SGC 40
1964 Nestle Joe Frazier Rookie Card SGC 10
1921 W551 Jack Dempsey PSA 6
1935 J.A. Pattreiouex Joe Louis SGC 45 and Jim Braddock SGC 70
1937 Donut Co. of America John L. Sullivan SGC 40
1930s Chocolate Baguer Ruby Goldstein SGC 55 vg-ex+
1926 Greiling Benny Leonard PSA 1, 1 of 1!
W529-3 Uncut Strip Set
1975 Ali-Frazier Thrilla In Manila TEKS Cards (3)
1980 Ali-Holmes TEKS Cards (14)
1931 E. Quintana Doble Aguila Lot of 41 Cards
1926 C.H.L. Gartmann Boxers Set w/PSA Dempsey
1948 Leaf Error Cards
1959 Crack Fulbito (16)
1975 Malaysia “Menko” Muhammad Ali Issues
1950-1962(?) Samuel Eppy & Co. Complete Set
1940s-1950s Canadian Exhibit Cards (22)
1920s W-Unc. Playing Cards Incl. Dempsey, Sullivan, Jack Johnson and 9 others
1947-66 Exhibit Paddy DeMarco SGC 35 w/Rare Postcard Back
1940s-1950s Canadian Exhibit Card Joe Louis
1923 Wesley Andrews Dempsey-Gibbons Real Photo Postcard Collection (18)
1966-82 Panini and Mira Collection (51)
1946 Kid Herman Base Set With Envelope
1940s Parade Sportive Premiums (5) w/Dempsey
Brown’s Boxing Sets (8) And Partial Sets (1)

There will also be quite a few sets, partial sets and mainstream cards from the 19th and 20th centuries. There will definitely be several lots that could be centerpieces of collections.