This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/14/2024
Hall of Famer Johnny Bench shared his 1968 Topps #247 rookie card with Reds teammate Ron Tompkins. While 1968 would be Tompkins' only year with Cincinnati, Bench would go on to redefine how the position of catcher is played, winning two World Series titles for the Big Red Machine in the 1970s.
Freshly graded by PSA, this offered '68 Topps Bench rookie has been signed by Johnny in bold blue marker. His penmanship earned a flawless 10 grade, while the card itself got an impressive EX-MT 6 designation to rank it among the top 15% of all signed Bench rookies in the PSA pop report. And since we can safely assume that most of those EX-MT duals did not receive 10 auto grades, it should be considered an elite example. The only attribute keeping the card from high-grade status is its centering.
Our consignor, who built an amazing collection of vintage autographed cardboard over several decades, got this card signed by Bench in-person at a collectibles show many years ago.