Elements of ‘Tucson Find’ in Small Traditions’ Football Only Auction

Part of a massive collection of nearly 4,000 binders full of complete sets and singles consigned by a long-time Arizona collector is on the auction block.

Colorado-based Small Traditions is handling the modern era portion of the collection, a comprehensive hoard that includes multiple sets, complete with all inserts, errors and other variations, spanning all brands from all sports dating from the 1940s through the early 2000s.  Noted as “The Tucson Find”, the collection is noted for its meticulous attention to the condition of the hundreds of thousands of cards it contains.

It’s the same collection that yielded the hobby’s second-ever PSA 10 1953 Topps Mickey Mantle.

According to Small Traditions’ owner Dave Thorn, the Tucson Find is “among the largest, most comprehensive and impressive sports card collections ever assembled.“

In its current auction which closes Saturday evening, February 6, Small Traditions is offering cards from the last 20+ years including more than 100 complete sets, many among the modern era’s more challenging inserts and hundreds of high-grade single cards.

The auction, which is focused entirely on football ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl, is set to close Saturday night.  Nearly 800 lots are in the online catalog.  Among the overall highlights:

• Over 500 PSA & BGS Graded Football Cards, Both Vintage and Modern
• Nearly 400 Rookie Cards with Hundreds of Hall of Famers
• Nearly 100 Signed Cards, Helmets & Photographs
• Dozens of High-End Peyton Manning, Cam Newton & Tom Brady Cards including three different 2000 Crown Royale Brady Rookie Cards and one of two known 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Proofs of Brady (BGS 8.5).

Complete sets include high-grade examples of the 1970 and ’71 Kellogg’s football issues and a high-grade 1961 Nu-Card Football set.  Several one-of-a-kind Topps Proofs are also featured.

To view the lots and register for the auction, visit SmallTraditions.com.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]