Giving away an $8,000 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card proved to be a great incentive for Mile High Card Company to bolster consignments for its fall auction. The drawing, held at the National Sports Collectors Convention and won by a Michigan collector, helped the company acquire a record number of submissions for its next catalog.
Among the headliners for the September 28-October 15 sale will be a 1951 Bowman Mantle rookie card graded PSA 8, the #1 PSA rated 1937 O-Pee-Chee set with a 9.13 GPA that includes a PSA 8 Joe DiMaggio, the #1 PSA-rated 1953 Stahl-Meyer collection with an 8.88 GPA that includes a PSA 7 Mantle and the #1 ranked 1950 Drake’s set with a 9.18 GPA.
Other items include a 1911 T205 Hoblitzel (No Stats) EX/NM, 1915 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb NM/MT+, 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth PSA 8, an assortment of unopened baseball wax packs from the 1950’s-1960s, a bevy of important rookie cards that include PSA 9 MINT examples of 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan, 1968 Topps #247 Johnny Bench, 1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan and 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky. PSA 8-rated cards up for bid will include a 1939 Play Ball #92 Ted Williams, 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron, 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente, 1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose and 1961 Fleer #8 Wilt Chamberlain, and a 1923 V145-1 Paterson #25 Bert Corbeau hockey card, one of approximately 10 known to exist.
Advanced 1952 Topps set builders will have a chance to bid on numerous upper end stars and high-numbered cards, including PSA 9 MINT examples of #312 Jackie Robinson, #314 Roy Campanella, #37 Duke Snider, #333 Pee Wee Reese, #392 Hoyt Wilhelm and #36 Gil Hodges in addition to PSA 8 cards of #407 Eddie Mathews, #191 Yogi Berra, #49 Johnny Sain (Page Bio), #48 Joe Page (Sain Bio), #11 Phil Rizzuto, #400 Bill Dickey, and the always elusive #80 Herman Wehmeier. Two mid-grade #311 Mickey Mantle cards will also be on the block, an EX/NM and a PSA 5. You can see some of those cards in this Sports Collectors Daily NSCC video.
The contest is over but consignments continue through August 24 (Call 303-840-2784 or visit milehighcardco.com). Mile High will also be available to meet consignors at the East Coast National Show in White Plains August 13-16.