The final quarter of 2016 is underway and if the opening weekend of one auction is any indication, the market for high-end vintage baseball cards is still on fire.
In the first 24 hours of Robert Edward Auctions’ fall catalog, more than 6,000 bids totaling over $2.6 million were placed.
The auction still has three weeks to go.
Three lots quickly eclipsed six figures on the first day, including a T206 Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back from the “Lucky 7 Find,” which had shot up to $120,000 by Sunday afternoon including the 20% buyer’s premium.
A 1951 Bowman Mantle rookie card graded PSA 8 was also at $120,000, a sign that it may be headed for the $200,000 mark that two other examples realized at auction recently. Another Mantle rookie, graded SGC NM/MT 88, was at $78,000 after the first 48 hours.
However, the card attracting the most attention has been a 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card graded SGC 40. One of the hottest cards on the market, the Ruth card was already sitting at $168,000.
High-grade rookie cards from all sports garnered a lot of attention on the first day with many of the classics from baseball, football, and basketball in PSA 8 or higher condition generating the most bids for individual items within the entire auction.
The auction ends Sunday, October 30.