The all but forgotten 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle has emerged from its cheese box and will certainly sell for a tasty price, but there are plenty of other treasures in the July Sports Card catalog at Heritage Auctions.
You’ve probably already read about the ’52 Mantle a Wisconsin man thought he’d lost for good when his collection met the garbage over 60 years ago. And yes, the new owner will get the original cheese box where the card had been stored for decades. Now graded PSA 6, bidding had already reached $126,000 by Thursday with the buyer’s premium factored in.
It’s just one of several cards expected to bring six-figure prices in the newly launched auction, which includes over 1,800 lots, all focused on vintage and modern era trading cards.
Also on the block:
1916 Famous & Barr Co. Babe Ruth No. 151 PSA VG-EX 4
The M101-5/M101-4 cards were all taken to various businesses by photographer Felix Mendelsohn, with the advertisements on the back varying depending on who used them as promotional items; hence the wildly fluctuating degrees of scarcity among their historic lot.
All the back variations are desirable in any grade, including those with blank backs. However, this Famous & Barr Co. Babe Ruth rookie is one of only seven in the PSA Population Report.
As of Thursday afternoon, bidding had passed $250,000 with the buyer’s premium. It’s expected to push past $400,000 by the time bidding ends.
1917 E135 Collins-McCarthy Babe Ruth No. 147 PSA VG 3
Issued only one year after Ruth’s rookie season, this card remains among his most elusive. Fewer than 20 examples — in any grade — have been recorded in the PSA Population Report.
Heritage believes it will bring $200,000 or more.
1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson No. 103 PSA VG-EX 4
The Cracker Jack issues from 1914 and 1915 have always been popular with collectors, but there is a vast difference between the two sets. Beyond the subtle differences in design and content, the 1914 issue was only released to the public inside the treacherous candy boxes, unlike the 1915 issue, which could be acquired via a redemption program.
The disparity in difficulty between the two years is substantial and advanced collectors are expected to push bidding to $150,000 or more.
1948-49 Leaf Satchel Paige Rookie No. 8 SGC NM
The auction offers a few examples of the 1948 Leaf Paige, but there’s but one known example that’s graded higher than this SGC Near-Mint 7.
One of the coveted short prints, it’s long been regarded as one of the most important cards of the post-WWII era and the key to one of the most challenging and desirable sets in the hobby. It, too, is expected to fetch at least $100,000.
Modern cards are part of the auction as well, including:
*2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Championship Ticket Autograph cards. BGS 8.5 with a 10 autograph grade. #97/100 (Est. $450,000+)
*2017 Panini National Treasures Patrick Mahomes II (Rookie Patch Autograph-Black) No. 161 BGS Mint 9, Auto 10, #4/5 (Est. $175,000+)
*2018 Panini National Treasures Luka Doncic (Rookie Patch Autograph) No. 127 BGS Gem Mint 9.5, Auto 10, Numbered 86/99 (Est. $80,000+)
*1993 Topps Finest Baseball Refractor Complete Set (199), No 11 on the PSA Set Registry (Est. $50,000+)
The non-sports section headliner is a PSA 9 copy of the 1966 Topps Batman #1 that’s expected to bring $15,000 or more.
The auction will close over a two day period, July 14-15.
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