Love of the Game Auctions has launched its Summer Premier Auction, with nearly 800 lots open for bidding through August 28.
High-grade Hall of Fame rookie cards, complete sets, prewar rarities and unopened material are among the premier items in the 136-page catalog.
The auction features a number of high-end baseball cards, led by the most popular of all postwar issues, the 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 5.
As is the case with most Love of the Game auctions, the auction features a large assortment of pre-war baseball cards. A T206 Cy Young Portrait graded PSA 8 leads the way. It’s one of just seven with the Sweet Caporal back to attain that lofty grade.
Another ultra-rare card is a 1910 E105 Mello-Mint Honus Wagner, one of just six graded by PSA. The auction also features original vintage cards from the playing careers of Babe Ruth, Joe Jackson, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and others.
For the second consecutive auction, the company features a “Great Cards” pullout, which includes nearly 50 higher-value cards from all sports. “These are truly special cards,” explains Auction Director Al Crisafulli. “Cards that deserve to be highlighted because of rarity, condition, or overall desirability. It’s a pleasure to feature such a fantastic assortment of cards that we can highlight some great ones in this manner. It’s a great way to spotlight a group of cards that stand apart from the rest of the auction.
“We present these cards not as important investments,” Crisafulli explains, “although they are probably that as well – but as a curated selection of quality sports artifacts, sort of a look through hobby history at its most important cards.”
Hall of Fame Rookie Cards
Among the high-grade vintage rookie cards in the auction are a 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella, 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew, 1967 Topps Rod Carew, 1954-56 Spic and Span Hank Aaron, 1957 Topps Jim Bunning, 1965 Topps Tony Perez, and 1966 Topps Jim Palmer, each graded MINT 9 by PSA.
Other important rookie cards include a 1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson (PSA EX-MT 6), 1951 Bowman Willie Mays (PSA EX 5), 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle (PSA GOOD 2), 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson (PSA VG-EX 4), 1954 Topps Al Kaline (PSA NM-MT+ 8.5), 1960 Venezuelan Topps Carl Yastrzemski (PSA VG-EX 4), 1948 Leaf Ralph Kiner (PSA NM 7), 1949 Bowman Robin Roberts (PSA NM 7), 1949 Bowman Duke Snider (PSA EX-MT 6), 1951 Bowman Nellie Fox (PSA NM+ 7.5), 1956 Kahn’s Weiners Frank Robinson, 1965 Topps Steve Carlton (PSA NM-MT+ 8.5), 1966 Topps Don Sutton (PSA NM-MT+ 8.5), 1968 Topps Johnny Bench (PSA NM+ 7.5), and others.
Other sports are represented as well, with rookie cards of Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Joe Namath, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Fran Tarkenton, Mike Ditka, Lance Alwaorth, Len Dawson, Gale Sayers, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach and Tom Brady among the listings.
Unopened Packs and Boxes
In addition to the 1968 Topps cello pack, the auction features a number of seldom seen vintage and modern packs and boxes, highlighted by 1954 Topps Canadian, 1954 Bowman, 1956 Topps and 1957 Topps baseball packs. Unopened boxes include 1933 Upper Deck SP Baseball, 1997 Skybox Series 1 basketball, 2001 Bowman baseball, 1996 Fleer Skybox basketball, 1998 Fleer basketball, 1997 Skybox Z-force basketball.
The auction features more than 100 lots of factory-sealed modern baseball, basketball and football boxes, all from a large original-owner collection, fresh to the hobby.
19th Century Baseball
Hall of Famers and type cards from tough 19th Century issues up for grabs include an extremely rare 1889 Police Gazette cabinet of Hall of Famer “Smiling” Mickey Welch, the only example from this difficult issue we have ever encountered.
The auction also features cards from tougher issues like an 1887 N693 Kalamazoo Bats Boston Team card featuring Hall of Famers King Kelly and “Ole Hoss” Radbourn, an 1886 Lorillard’s Detroit League team card featuring Hall of Famers Ned Hanlon, Dan Brouthers, Deacon White and Sam Thompson, and tough issues like N403 Yum Yum Tobacco and N566 Newsboy Cabinets.
Old Judge Cigarettes are well represented, with N173s of Cap Anson, Buck Ewing, King Kelly and more, and N172 cards of Tim Keefe, Tommy McCarthy, and others.
Complete and Partial Sets
The auction features numerous complete and partial sets, graded and ungraded, from multiple sports. Highlights include the 19th best 1969 Topps Baseball set on the PSA Set Registry, with each card graded NM-MT 8 or better with the exception of one PSA 7 common. Another highlight is a 1933 Goudey near-complete PSA-graded set missing just four cards for completion, and a 1911 T205 master set missing just three cards for completion.
Other complete and partial baseball sets include 1934 Goudey, 1939 World Wide Gum V351, 1941 Playball, 1959 Topps, 1960 Lake-to-Lake Dairy, 1965 Topps, 1966 Topps, and 1968 Topps.
Complete and partial football sets include 1959 Topps, 1960 Fleer, 1961 Topps, 1962 Topps, 1963 Fleer, 1964 Topps, 1965 Philadelphia, 1965 Topps, 1966 Topps, 1967 Topps, 1968 Topps, 1969 Topps and 1971 Topps.
Among the memorabilia on the block is an original painting of Christy Mathewson by noted sports artist Jennifer Ettinger. Other pieces include a full 1955-56 Puerto Rican All-Star uniform by the all-time Puerto Rican League home run king Bob Thurman, a large selection of World Series ticket stubs, and a number of memorabilia items originating from the collection of former Baltimore Orioles broadcaster Ted Patterson. Love of the Game has been offering Patterson’s collection over the past year and will continue throughout 2021 and into 2022. Patterson, a longtime friend of Love of the Game, passed away in February.
To register for the auction and review the selection online, visit the company’s website.
