While hundreds of more recent issues were set to find new owners in its first Modern Trading Card Auction late Thursday night, vintage aficionados were getting a look at a pretty impressive one-owner collection of vintage cards in a separate event. The collection is small, but power-packed.
The group of nearly three dozen cards was one of the late arrivals to Heritage Auctions’ Platinum Night catalog. Heritage trading card experts believe the cards could sell for a total of $3 million or more.
Among the headliners is the lone example of Reggie Jackson’s 1969 Topps rookie card graded PSA 10. As of Thursday, it carried a high bid of $250,000, already above the pre-sale estimate with more than three weeks left in the auction.
The Jackson card and a few others in the group offered by Heritage had once resided in the high-grade collection of former major leaguer Dmitri Young, who sold his pedigreed collection in another auction several years ago.
The sale also includes a 1954 Topps Hank Aaron rookie card rated PSA 9 that currently has a high bid of $310,000 and a PSA 10 1959 Topps Bob Gibson rookie card (current bid $115,000).
Among the other cards in the auction are some of the hobby’s best examples of key 20th century rookie cards including Al Kaline, Bob Gibson, Rod Carew, Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Rickey Henderson and other Hall of Famers. It spans virtually every decade of 20th century baseball.
There are several key pre-War cards as well including a rare 1914 Cracker Jack Christy Mathewson, a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie (PSA 6) and a PSA 19 1919 T213 Coupon Cigarettes Ty Cobb.
In addition, the group includes high-grade rookie cards of basketball pioneer George Mikan, soccer legend Pele, Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Namath and some modern era stars.
The auction is scheduled to conclude on February 27.
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