A pair of unique collages of early 20th century tobacco and caramel cards leads off Huggins & Scott’s first Masterpiece auction of 2012. The collages feature over 200 cards 
with 36 Hall of Famers and seven different Types. They’re two of the most eye-catching items in the auction, which gets underway later this month.
Vintage card collectors will find other 19th century and early 20th century rarities in the auction including professionally graded and raw examples of cards from T205, T206 (a near set has been broken up into several lots), T207, Goudey’s, Play Ball’s and even a grouping of original photographs that were used to make the Double Play cards in 1941.
Several post-war card highlights include the highest graded 1952 Topps Duke Snider (BVG 9), 1971 Topps Nolan Ryan SGC 96, 1962 Kahn’s Wieners Atlanta Crackers complete PSA graded set (#3 on registry), and several of the ever-popular ‘shoebox’ collections.
Other highlights in the auction include several historic full tickets and stubs ranging from the 1919 World Series, Babe Ruth’s called shot in 1932, Joe DiMaggio’s last game and the professional debuts of Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Johnny Unitas, Joe Namath and Lawrence Taylor.
From the Babe Ruth Red Sox era, one of the finest 1915 World Series press pins ever to surface has been consigned to the auction. Other early baseball items up for bid include an 1876 Boston Red Caps NL Inaugural Year Season Pass; a tough 1903 Jimmy Collins Boston Americans Championship pinback; a seldom-seen early 1900s Cy Young cigar tin and one of the finest 1919 Chicago White Sox type 1 team photos the company has ever sold.
As with all of Huggins and Scott Auctions, there are a large number of autographed lots including baseballs, bats, lithographs, photographs and others consigned by collectors from all across the country. Highlights include a 1935 New York Yankees team-signed ball with Lou Gehrig on the sweet spot, single-signed baseballs from Babe Ruth, Walter Johnson and a selection of (48) different single-signed Hall of Fame baseballs, each graded PSA/DNA 10.
Basketball items on the block include a 1971-72 ABA Championship ring given to MVP Freddie Lewis of the Indiana Pacers; Michael Jordan’s signed and game-worn 1998 NBA Finals home jersey; Vince Carter’s 2000 USA Olympic game-used jersey and shorts; and one of the very few 1994-95 “#45” road comeback jersey’s worn by Jordan; not to mention several lots of vintage cards and autographs including Pete Maravich’s autobiography.
From the gridiron, highlights include a run of CFL sets and near sets from 1958-1972, a 1962 “Treasury of Notre Dame Football” book signed by all Four Horsemen; one of only two known “John Elway Jr.” signed payroll checks from his minor league baseball days and more.
A few highlights from the boxing section include high quality autographs from Cassius Clay, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Max Baer and four different fight-worn ensembles from former Flyweight champion, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson.
Political and Americana items include the only authentic Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis signed photograph we’ve ever encountered; a stunning 1890 completely hand-written letter by President Grover Cleveland; autographs from Queen Victoria, General Tecumseh, Buffalo Bill Cody, Jefferson Davis, John Kennedy and a very rare “full name” signed Kurt Cobain display. The company will also offer the first installment of one of the finest vintage Three Stooges memorabilia collections ever offered with movie props, movie posters and lobby cards and a variety of other difficult-to-find collectibles, including a rare 1937 moving picture machine.
Huggins and Scott’s first Masterpiece Auction of 2012 begins on Monday January 23, 2012 at Noon eastern time. Bidding is available until Thursday night February 2 with the 30-minute rule beginning at 11:00pm eastern time.
For a complete preview of the auction or to download the catalog, visit the website: www.hugginsandscott.com.
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