Monday, March 12, 2012

NOW YOU CAN SAY THAT ORR IS PRISTINE

I knew when I saw that pig flying earlier that something was up.

I came across an auction today that I never thought I'd see.



Here's the link to the auction if you want to take a closer look. Maybe you could even talk them down from a quarter million to oh, I don't know, a hundred thousand.

This stunning 1966 Topps Bobby Orr rookie card, which is the only copy in existence to receive a BVG grading of 10 (pristine), seems to have popped up out of nowhere and has left a number of people jaw dropped.

Cards from this 1966 set are incredibly difficult to find in top condition (let alone perfect). That wood grain border just wreaked havoc on collectors. Collectors who as kids could have cared less about the condition of their Bobby Orr cards, instead deciding to toss them against walls or shoving them in bike spokes.


And when it comes to the grading, it's even tougher......bordering on impossible to find top copies.

According to Beckett's Population Report on BVG graded cards, 141 different 1966 Topps Bobby Orr rookie cards have been submitted over the years. Only 10 have a grade of 8 or higher. 3 have a grade of 9.5 and just a single copy - this copy has been given the elusive 10.

A rating of 10 is so rare, out of all the Bobby Orr cards ever submitted (from any set, any year) to BVG for grading - over 2800 cards - only 22 have been given the perfect 10 (and only 4 of them are cards from his actual playing days, as opposed to Orr cards from current products being submitted for grading).

So how can this be? How can an almost 50-year-old card stand the test of time and remain perfect?

That's the million dollar question.......or at least the quarter million dollar question.

Was it a pack pulled gem that somebody had the presence of mind to just never touch (keeping in mind that a lot of these cards were cut off-center, had imperfections along the borders, who knows)? Or was this card the result of being laser cut (using current technology) from a complete sheet of cards? And if so, where would anyone find one of these sheets?


It's hard for me to think that this card was a pack pull from the mid-60's. I just don't see a card lasting this long in this perfect of condition.

If it was laser cut (which I'm not claiming it is) would it diminish the impressiveness of the 'accomplishment'? I don't know. It's still pretty stunning to see this single copy card looking as perfect as can be. Hard to argue that.

What I do know is that it's one amazing card and if I had the chance to obtain it - I would. Laser cut or not. It's truly one of a kind. And it probably will continue to be for a long time.

So what are your thoughts on laser cut cards? Would you buy a card knowing that it was laser cut from a sheet of cards as opposed to distributed 'old school', in packs?

If it were a Gretzky rc or a Linden rc, that would be a little different to me. I think the fact that this card is from the mid-60's comes into play. Newer cards (or newer to me) wouldn't get the same level of leeway as opposed to one of these true vintage pieces.

Alright, I think I'm going to bid. So just a heads up to you all who are looking to snipe it away from me.

15 comments:

  1. First off, given the seller, I am not surprised they have the only GEM mint Orr out there.

    How they got that card is really beyond me, they are pretty aggressive at tracking down cards, packs, sets, boxes etc. but hard to imagine this card sitting in Granny's attic for 40+ years only to be discovered in mint condition. There is a chance it just sat somewhere nice and safe after being pulled from a pack (maybe in a book or something).

    Clearly finding this card is much like hitting the lottery!

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    1. l have one of these bobby orr rookie cards, but one of th corners has been bent otherwise it is in excellent condition.
      any idea what it might be worth?

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    2. No idea. I'd recommend doing a search on ebay for completed auctions. My guess is that with the economy and demand, the market would be pretty volatile when it comes to big ticket cards.

      You could always take it to a reputable card shop owner. He might have a good idea as well.

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  2. That is crazy! Even if it is the only "10" out there, I think the asking price is a little too high. It doesn't matter though, I'll never be able to afford that. :)

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  3. PSSSSSHAW!

    Great card and all but it's not the Test Version.

    Kidding, of course.

    There are mint 66-67 Topps hockey cards and then there is this card. I have a hard time believing this was pulled from a pack in 66-67 and left untouched for 50+ years. The perfect centering leads me to believe that it was recently cut from a sheet.

    I mean, I guess it COULD have been pulled from a pack, but it just seems SO doubtful.

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  4. There are a lot of sheet-cut Orrs out there. Getting a 10 pretty much guarantees (to my mind) that this card is a modern production made from old stock.

    I wouldn't pay the same money for a sheeter that I'd pay for an off-centre original. That's just me.

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    Replies
    1. True. I think in most cases, I would balk at a laser cut pristine card.

      But this is "The Orr". I might not balk as much.

      That said, if I found an Orr like yours for $25 bucks.....the discussion would be over.

      THAT would be the best bang for your buck hands down.

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    2. The stuff I would buy if I could go back 28 years... :)

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  5. Although in fairness, if you look at the centering on that one and then the one I posted today, they're pretty similar. It's always possible. Maybe there was a vending box....

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  6. This card has been re-graded twice. Was originally 9.5 BGS. It's called paying for an upgrade.

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  7. here we are in 2021 and the card just made a comeback!

    https://globalnews.ca/news/7613199/winnipeg-card-collector-world-record/?fbclid=IwAR2QjqemqFazea6mLa7hUfcIiy7afoqczozvRRV-akeCNzLCmIyULknpKHU

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    Replies
    1. Good find!! We were just talking about this card at work today.

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    2. i am on a few FB card groups where this is big news too. i wonder how the auction sites do research into the provenance of this sort of thing? if they traced the owners back to the original owner, like they would for a picasso, they should be able to determine if it was cut or not. as well, under a microscope, the edges should show the method used to cut the card. it struck me as funny that some dudes on an fb group seemed to know way more about it than the people selling it. and i wonder if the rich dude that plans on buying this would even care?

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  8. I have a signed orr rookie card that to me is a perfect 10. It hasn't been graded

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