A little over four years ago, Memory Lane generated headlines with the sale of a PSA 9 (mint) Mickey Mantle rookie card. Early Sunday morning, that record-setting $220,150 sale was blown away in the company’s Fall Auction when the same 1951 Bowman gem soared to $588,000.
The iconic card topped bidding in Memory Lane’s Fall Classic Auction, which tallied over $3.5 million. The company set a record for highest average price per lot in the relatively small 522-lot auction.
The second highest priced card in the sale was for a 1953 Topps Willie Mays graded PSA 9. One of just two at that level, the second-year Topps issue sold for $132,000.
Bidders also had the rare opportunity to chase a 1922 Babe Ruth side-written Louisville Slugger game-used bat. The bat, sent by Ruth to Kentucky during spring training 1923 as a model for the company to add more lumber to the Yankee legend’s arsenal, is graded GU 10 by PSA/DNA. When the dust settled, the bat sold for $408,000.
The only PSA 10 example of the 1910 E98 Honus Wagner, one that originated with the famous Black Swamp Find, led a flashy parade of pre-War cards in the auction, selling for $99,600. Another Black Swamp card, a PSA 9 Ty Cobb (red background) sold for $26,400.
Several high-grade T206s drew a crowd of interested collectors including:
- Ty Cobb (green portrait) PSA 7 $67,200
- Ty Cobb (bat on shoulder) PSA 8 $66,000
- Walter Johnson (portrait) PSA 8 $56,400
- Ty Cobb (red portrait) PSA 7 $35,060
- Christy Mathewson (portrait) PSA 8 $49,200
- Mordecai Brown (portrait) PSA 8 $28,159
- Johnny Evers (with bat/Cubs on shirt) PSA 8 $20,060
- Vic Willis (with bat/St. Louis) PSA 8 $13,399
One of the two PSA 10 1956 Topps Luis Aparicio rookie cards soared to $53,380 while a PSA 10 ’56 Sandy Koufax brought $45,860.
A 1967 Topps Roberto Clemente, also graded PSA 10, sold for $28,176.
Collectors of vintage unopened material zeroed in on a 1961-62 Fleer unopened box of 24 packs. Likely teeming with some of the top basketball rookie cards of all-time, the box rocketed to $93,600. A 1970 Topps Super baseball box sold for $7,575.
The auction also included several high-grade Type 1 photographs. Images of Joe Jackson, Walter Johnson, Rogers Hornsby, Joe DiMaggio and Hank Aaron sold for over $5,000 each.
Prices include a 20% buyer’s premium.
Memory Lane is accepting consignments for its next major catalog auction, set to open in December. For more information, visit the company’s website or call 877-606-LANE (5263).
Related Stories:
Mickey Mantle’s Signed Rookie Card Contract Coming to Auction
T206 Wagner Headlines New Memory Lane Auction
High Grade Mickey Mantle Cards: How They Stack Up
Signed 1951, ’52 Mantle Cards Coming to Auction
Notes: Mantle Rookie Sales; Baseball Artist at Work; Topps ‘Cards’ in Braves’ New Park; Heritage Museum
Minty Mickey Mantle Rookie Headlines New Mile High Auction
Vintage Cards Shine in Memory Lane Sale
Ultimate Mickey Mantle Collector Opts to Liquidate
