2 Ruth Rookies; “Several” 1952 Mantles Part of 2,500 Lot REA Auction

Robert Edward Auctions has peeled back the curtain on some of the items slated to hit the auction block as part of the company’s annual Spring Auction set to open April 7.  Typically among the most anticipated catalogs of the year, REA’s offerings will span all areas of sport, non-sport, and Americana from the 19^th century to the present.  At more than 2,500 lots, it will be the largest auction the company has ever held.

Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Hall of Fame rookie cards continue to cement their places as leaders within the hobby, and there will be no shortage of options for collectors to choose from once bidding begins. Two 1916 Babe Ruth rookie cards are offered, including a PSA EX 5 blank back example as well as a PSA GOOD 2 version, which bears the scarce Indianapolis Brewing advertising reverse.

A newly-graded 1917 Collins-McCarthy Ruth will be auctioned for the first time in several years, with the rest of the complete set appearing elsewhere in the auction.

Several 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards will be available, highlighted by a PSA NM 7 and a PSA EX-MT 6.

A host of high-grade rookie cards from all sports will be found within the catalog pages, including PSA MINT 9 examples of 1954 Topps Hank Aaron, 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax, 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson, 1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain, 1962 Topps Mike Ditka, 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan, 1969 Topps Lew Alcindor, and 1971 Topps Terry Bradshaw. A PSA 10 Ozzie Smith rookie, one of only four examples graded at that lofty level, and a PSA 10 Michael Jordan rookie will also be featured.

Classic cards from dozens of prewar-card sets will get collectors’ attention, including PSA NM-MT 8 examples of Babe Ruth’s 1933 Goudey #149, both 1934 Goudey Lou Gehrigs, and the 1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth. A 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson in PSA EX 5, the highest-graded E107 Breisch-Williams
of Christy Mathewson, and dozens of key Ty Cobb cards, including the only known Tango Eggs, will also be offered.

Type cards from the 19^th century onward will be on display, and scores of complete sets from prewar through the Topps and Bowman era are available.

REA usually uncovers some never-before-offered collections and that will be the case this spring. An improbable collection of fifteen N173 Old Judge cabinet cards discovered by a non-collector among his family’s possessions will be offered individually in the auction, highlighted by five Hall of Famers and two rare Dog’s Head cabinets. An old-time collection of Turkey Red cabinet cards yielded one of the finest Ty Cobb cards in existence, grading NM 84 by SGC. Another non-collector turned up an incredibly rare 1912 Boston Garter of Hall of Famer Roger Bresnahan, the first example REA officials say they have ever seen offered publicly. A home renovation yielded a newly discovered example of the famous The Babe Bows Out photo by Nat Fein, which was certified Type 1 by PSA/DNA.

REA will unveil their largest offering of game-used bats and jerseys in company history, with more than three dozen lots devoted to Hall of Famers. Among the highlights will be a 1958 Los Angeles Dodgers Sandy Koufax jersey (MEARS A7), 1962 St. Louis Cardinals Stan Musial jersey (MEARS A10), and a 1969 San Francisco Giants Willie Mays jersey (MEARS A10) along with a 1936-1936 Hank Greenberg bat (PSA/DNA 10), a 1955-1957 Ted Williams bat (PSA/DNA 10), and a 1962 Mickey Mantle bat (PSA/DNA 9).

Bidding for the auction is set to open April 7. Catalogs will mail starting the first week of April. To sign up to bid or to request a catalog for the auction, you can visit www.RobertEdwardAuctions.com. A full lineup of auction highlights will be posted to the company’s website in the coming weeks. Select highlights from the auction will also be on display at the Philly Show in Valley Forge, PA March 3-5 and at the Chantilly Show in Chantilly, VA March 31-April 2.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]