Four of the most iconic baseball cards ever produced will headline Mile High Card Company’s final auction of 2018, which opens on Monday.
The company will offer one of the T206 set’s rare “Big Four,” a 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal Eddie Plank (PSA 1), Shoeless Joe Jackson’s 1909 E90-1 American Caramel Joe Jackson (PSA MK2), a 1933 Goudey #106 Nap Lajoie (SGC 6.5) and a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle (PSA 4).
While hundreds of other vintage and modern era sports card singles, lots, sets and other items will make up the bulk of the material, this auction branches out a bit with a music memorabilia section featuring The Beatles, Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead as well as an extensive selection of autographed artwork by the Dead’s late front man Jerry Garcia.
“As with end of the year auctions in the past, we’ve limited the number of lots to just over 500 but the quality of the sports cards and memorabilia as well as the incredible artwork of Jerry Garcia will certainly capture plenty of interest,” said MHCC President and CEO Brian Drent.
The auction opens for bidding on Monday, November 19 and concludes on Thursday, December 6.
Other key cards in this auction include a 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions Cap Anson PSA 6, a 1911 T205 Gold Border Christy Mathewson Cycle 1 Loss Variation PSA 3, a 1911 M110 Sporting Life Ty Cobb SGC 10, a 1915 Cracker Jack #88 Christy Mathewson SGC 88, a 1915 E106 American Caramel Honus Wagner (Batting) PSA 5, a 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle rookie card SGC 60, a 1952 Topps #407 Ed Mathews rookie PSA 4, a 1956 Topps #135 Mantle (gray back) PSA 9 MINT, PSA 10 examples of Pete Rose’s 1964 and ’65 Kahn’s Weiners cards, a 1964 Topps #125 Rose PSA 9, and a 1967 Topps #400 Roberto Clemente SGC 9.5.
Mile High will also offer a near complete T206 set (475/520) with many cards graded,
a partial set of 1952 Topps (377/407), also with numerous graded cards, the second best 1951 Connie Mack Book set on the PSA Registry, the tenth best 1969 Topps football set (8.47 rating) and over 35 complete and near complete baseball and football sets.
Autographs and memorabilia heading to the block include a Babe Ruth single-signed baseball and a 1922 Christy Mathewson signed check (PSA/DNA 9) with a letter from his wife to a collector who originally sought it.
Other items up for grabs include a Ruth/Gehrig signed barnstorming tour photo (PSA/DNA MINT 9) a 1960 Roberto Clemente hand-written letter in Spanish dated September 1961, a Lou Gehrig single-signed, inscribed ball, a Ruth signed and inscribed 1937 “All America” team award, a ball signed by Ruth and Gehrig, a 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers team-signed ball with 25 signatures including a young Sandy Koufax and Jackie Robinson; a 1967 H&B Louisville Slugger advertising poster with Mantle, Clemente, Aaron and others; a 1969-72 Willie Mays game-used bat (PSA/DNA GU 8.5), four different hand-written and signed Ty Cobb letters and two signed Cobb personal checks.
The music memorabilia includes a rare 1963 photograph signed by all four members of the band, a 1963 hotel register bearing the signatures of all four (with Ringo Starr signing his real name), a variety of electric guitars and album covers that are autographed by members of The Allman Brothers, Neil Young, The Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, and even an acoustic guitar signed by 32 members of the Andy Griffith Show.
Grateful Dead legend Jerry Garcia is world-renowned for his impressive artwork as well as his music, and the auction features over 30 different signed and numbered Garcia lithographs, etching artist’s proofs, silkscreen prints and pencil sketches. The collection finishes off with a scarce copy of the 1973 Buffalo, NY concert poster featuring Ron “Pig Pen” McKernan, one of just a few known specimens.
MHCC is currently accepting consignments for its first auction of 2019. For more information on current or future auctions, you can call them at (303) 840-2784 or via the company website at www.milehighcardco.com.