In Mastro’s August 2002 auction, a 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card was offered with a GAI-7 grade. What made it stand out wasn’t just the centering; it was the label: “1st Graded.”
That phrase carries weight, but often more than it should. Collectors might assume it means the very first example ever graded by GAI. In reality, it meant the first GAI 7 of that card graded by GAI, not the first example submitted. That distinction matters.
When GAI was active, many cards ended up with this “1st Graded” designation, one for every card, at every grade level. You could have a “1st Graded” GAI 5, 5.5, 6, etc., for the same card. It diluted the term’s meaning.
Collectors on forums like Net54Baseball and the PSA Collectors Forums criticized the practice early on. The consensus? Gimmick.
As for this particular card, its centering was off enough that it likely wouldn’t earn a seven by modern standards. A legendary card, yes. But the label’s hype? Misleading.
Happy collecting!
P.S. Here are a few recent PSA 7 sales of the 1951 Bowman Mays Rookie (#305) from Heritage Auctions.
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