2011 Top 20 Under $25 - #5 - 1968-69 Topps Gump

Getting close to the end on this series of posts (thankfully), here is the first of the five remaining items...

What is it? A 1968-69 Topps Gump Worsley, graded NM 7 by PSA
When and where did I get it? eBay, in October
How much did it cost me? $12.30 (plus $2.70 shipping).

The 1968-69 Topps hockey set has long been a favorite of mine. While I'm not working hard at any '60s sets until I've at least finished off the '80s Topps hockey run, I've ended up accumulating quite a few of these '68-69s. Gump here is actually my 24th card from the set, which isn't bad considering it consists of 132 cards in total. Just a couple more cards will put me over the 20% mark. Normally I wouldn't pay $12 and change for this card, but I've got a soft spot for Gump and I couldn't pass it up in this condition. The card is fairly well-centered, and more importantly not plagued by the "diamond-cut", which was pretty common with these. Here's a better look at the front:

I think what attracted me to this card is the old school Habs jersey and the glorious brown pads. Gump's paddle looks pretty beat up as well, but unfortunately whoever cropped his photo for the card took out the blade of the stick. I like the back of the card nearly as much as I do the front:

Topps starts off with some flattering material, mentioning in the cartoon caption that "Gump has one of the sharpest wits in the NHL". The compliments continue in the write-up, where it is mentioned that Lorne had won more pro trophies than any other goaltender at the time (really?). In the end though, after commenting on his sharp wit and success in accumulating hardware, the writer made sure not to inflate Gump's ego too much by stating that Worsley was "inclined to put on weight". Certainly an interesting card back!

Coming up next in the countdown will be a pair of '80s greats...