Huggins and Scott’s 2016 “Event of the Year”, the August Auction, opens for bidding Monday with over 1,700 lots.
Among the highlights are a 1960 Topps Baseball unopened cello box and 145 lots from what auction officials say is a “fresh to the hobby” collection of period-signed 1933 Goudey baseball cards, including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Eddie Collins and the “Holy Grail” – Earl Clark, who died in a car accident in 1938.
Huggins and Scott says the cards were collected in the 1930s by someone who obtained the majority of the signatures while attending games at Fenway Park and Braves Field not long after the Goudey cards were released. They were originally acquired as a group by a collector in the 1980s but are now coming to auction for the first time since then.
Another item collectors have never seen come to market should also draw considerable interest. A New Jersey family has consigned a newly discovered, previously uncatalogued 1887 Four Base Hits Tobacco Jimmy Ryan card, one passed down through several generations. The one-of-a-kind card carries a $5,000 minimum bid despite carrying an SGC 10 (poor) designation.
The auction also includes dozens of pre-War cards including PSA and SGC-graded Hall of Famers from the T206 set.
Post-War cards up for grabs include a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card (PSA 8 oc); a 1951 Bowman baseball collection of 215 different cards each graded PSA NM-MT 8 with no qualifiers; a 1952 Bowman baseball collection of 184 different cards each graded PSA NM-MT 8 with no qualifiers; a complete 1961 Topps baseball set with each card graded PSA 8; a 1952
Tip Top Bread Mantle label; a 1953 Hunter Wieners St. Louis Cardinals complete set of (26); a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie SGC 80 EX-MT 6; a 1956 Topps Sandy Koufax PSA 9 (only one better); 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie (PSA 8) and that ‘60 cello box of 36 packs including one with a Yaz rookie on top.
The auction will also feature the fourth and final installment of the “We Are The Champions” section featuring team-signed baseballs from a number of World Series Champions from 1922-1938, including the coveted 1927 and 1928 Yankees each with Ruth and Gehrig; multiple examples of single-signed Babe Ruth baseballs, including one PSA/DNA graded 5.5; a higher grade Ruth & Gehrig dual-signed baseballs; a Gehrig cut signature graded PSA MINT 9; an extremely rare Alexander Cartwright 1879 signed receipt; a Ruth signed original Art Brewster cartoon sketch; a 1913 Giants/White Sox World Tour signed baseball with McGraw, Comiskey, Buck Weaver, Tris Speaker and Jim Thorpe; a number of signed checks including Ruth, Cobb, Johnson, Hack Wilson and Jackie Robinson; the finest collection of signed Baseball Hall of Fame Centennial First Day Covers ever assembled including Ruth, Evers, Wagner, Johnson, Cobb, Alexander, Tinker, Young, Ott, Hornsby, Foxx, Collins and more.
Other memorabilia being offered in the 263-page catalog includes Eddie Plank’s 1905 and 1910 Philadelphia Athletics World Champions pendants from his estate and a number of original works of baseball art from noted artists Andy Jurinko, William Feldman, Burris Jenkins, Willard Mullin and others.
Game-used items up for bid include a 1931 Jackie Hayes game used Senators jersey (MEARS 8.5); an Orlando Cepeda 1962 Giants jersey; Pete Rose’s 1983 post-season Phillies road jersey; game used bats from Cal Ripken (
PSA/DNA 10), newly inducted Hall of Famers Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr, Frank Thomas and David Ortiz; Brooks Robinson’s first professional used hat from his minor league days with the San Antonio Missions; plus a number of other game-used bats, jerseys, jackets, hats, shoes and equipment.
Among the non-baseball items included in the sale are Alexander Ovechkin’s first game used Capitals jersey; a rare 1968-69 OPC hockey unopened pack PSA 8; a collection directly from the home of Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen including game used shoulder pads, cleats, trophies, game balls and more; Michael Jordan’s “true” rookie card – 1984-85 Star Company BGS 8.5 and a 1986-87 Fleer basketball complete set with each card graded PSA NM-MT 8. There are also several Muhammad Ali-related items in the auction.
Several items not in the printed catalog will be showcased online in the ‘Web Gems’ section of the catalog.. Bidding continues through August 11 at HugginsandScott.com.
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