I recently wrote a three-part series about the explosion of baseball cards in 1909. Headlined by the famous T206 set, that tobacco card era represented the first big boom in trading cards in the 20th century. But it wasn't the first time there was a decided focus on baseball cards. In the 1930s, tobacco cards were out and gum/candy cards were in. And if you're looking for a … [Read more...]
Signed Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Cards from “Uncle Jimmy” Sell for Over $725,000
Wheatland's October 2020 auction concluded over the weekend and, unsurprisingly, a pair of autographed Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey cards once again led the way. Part of the famous "Uncle Jimmy Collection," the two Ruth cards sold for a combined $725,700. The biggest prize of the two was an immaculate signed card of Ruth's iconic No. 181 card from the set. The card received a … [Read more...]
2000-2005 MLB Showdown Cards Return to the Spotlight in Card Market Resurgence
For years, baseball card collectors have sought to test their creative limits. Before condition was so highly regarded, cards were used for dart games, inserted into the spokes of bike tires, and flipped up against walls. Some even created their own versions of a baseball simulator with their favorite cards. In 1978, Topps created the “Play Ball – Played by Two” game on the … [Read more...]
5 Career-Chronicling Cards of Willie McCovey
Generally speaking, bodies of water are named after large geographic regions, famous explorers or historical events of significance. Every once in a while, they name one after a prolific power hitter who symbolized the majestic feat of sending a baseball over a wall, an arcade, and pavilion before it comes to rest in the what is now commonly referred to as “McCovey Cove.” A … [Read more...]
Part 4 of “Uncle Jimmy Collection” Includes More Ruth, Gehrig Signed Cards
Wheatland Auctions is offering another selection of material from the remarkable collection of "Uncle Jimmy" Micioni in its current online catalog. The late New Jersey collector's stash included hundreds of autographed baseball cards dating back to the 1930s including multiple high quality examples of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Goudey issues. Some sold this … [Read more...]
George Mikan Rookie Card Sells for $320,009 in Memory Lane Auction
It has been 64 years since George Mikan’s last pro basketball game but NBA’s first dominant big man is still making news. One of the five best examples of the late Hall of Famer’s 1948 Bowman rookie card sold for $320,009 early Sunday morning as Memory Lane closed out its 20th Anniversary Auction. The price established a record for the grade. A PSA 10 … [Read more...]
One of Hobby’s Best T206 Sets Heads From Museum to Market
The Detroit Institute of Arts boasts of possessing “the largest and most significant art collections in the United States,” with more than 65,000 works dating “from the earliest civilizations to the present.” For six months in 2018, that included Rochester, Mich., attorney E. Powell Miller’s collection of baseball cards – specifically, his complete gathering of T206 … [Read more...]
Goldin to Offer T206 Wagner in Upcoming Auction
In 2004, it sold for just over $100,000. Now, a poor grade T206 Honus Wagner card is expected to fetch more than $1 million. Goldin Auctions says it will offer the PSA 1 example in its October Legends catalog, set to open Monday. The same card sold through Lelands sixteen years ago for $101,410. It’s the second time in just over a month that a copy of the … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1973 Topps Football
"Biggest Series Ever" screamed the packaging. Topps wasn't lying. While they'd pumped out a unique, three-series set in 1972--one that kept collectors hunting for high numbers well into the next four decades--the 528-card 1973 Topps football set was an unprecedented whopper. No, it wasn't as big as the company's last several baseball sets, but NFL fans had … [Read more...]
Money Laundering, Murder and a Museum: What Became of the PSA 10 George Mikan Rookie Card
Internet sportsbook 5Dimes has agreed to forfeit more than $46.8 million as part of a settlement in a federal money-laundering investigation, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. According to the settlement, reached Wednesday, 5Dimes agreed to pay $15 million and forfeit more than $30 million in assets, … [Read more...]