This card is the only graded example of the JBR 61 baseball card of Sadaharu Oh in PSA's population report. There were over 100 different 1959 Oh rookie cards printed. However, JBR 61 is the very first documented rookie baseball card ever issued of Oh, so, obviously, this example is a very special card.

The very scarce JBR 61 cards were issued in uncut panels of three cards within the pages of a boys' magazine over a period of several months during early 1959. According to the information on the backs, 100 cards of sports stars (various sports) were issued.  However, we now know that the number of cards in the set is much lower, and that the number of different baseball player cards is 33. Nearly all cards from this set seen today are singles, cut from the panels after they were removed from the magazine.

The publication date of the magazine issue containing the Oh card is March 18, 1959. Thus, the card was made available in the pre-season of Oh's rookie year! Conceivably, there could be an earlier Oh rookie baseball card, but it is doubtful. An earlier date of issue than March 18, 1959 cannot be proved for any other baseball card of Sadaharu Oh.

The Japanese Baseball Card Checklist & Price Guide, Vintage Edition 2.1 assigns a scarcity factor of R4 to this set, indicating that between six and ten copies of each card exist. However, in reality, there are only five known examples of the Sadaharu Oh card, essentially giving the Oh card a scarcity factor of R5. This is undoubtedly the ultimate Oh rookie card, as it has an impeccable pedigree as his earliest baseball card. Moreover, it contains a large, attractive, clear close-up image of Oh batting.

Size: 2 1/4" x 5"

Condition: PSA 3--Vg