The third best 1952 Topps Baseball set and the number one All-Time Finest 1965 Topps Football set on the PSA Registry are among the headline items up for bid as Mile High Card Company kicks off its Spring Auction.
The 1952 Topps set had already reached $227,500 in the first 12 hours of bidding.
“The ’52 Topps Mantle and the 1965 Namath rookie card are probably the two most iconic post-war issues of their respective sports. We’re honored to be able to offer both cards as part of two of the most impressive collections ever assembled,” said Mile High President Brian Drent. “And that’s just the beginning. The momentum of our exclusive Winter Auction has definitely continued through to the Spring.”
Catalogs have been shipped and should reach registered bidders shortly. Bidding is now open and runs through April 10.
While MHCC always seems to present a high-grade ’52 Topps set for auction, what’s being offered this time around is truly unprecedented; at an overall GPA of over 7.7, company officials say it’s the best set ever offered for public auction and features cards that have not been made available to collectors in many years.
Highlighted by #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 7, #1 Andy Pafko black back PSA 8 and #407 Eddie Mathews PSA 7.5, included are PSA 8 cards of Willie Mays and Jackie Robinson as well as difficult low-pop examples of #9 Hogue, 20 Loes, 320 Rutherford, 326 Shuba, 388 Chipman, 
and numerous low-numbered black backs among others.
The ’65 Topps football set comes as close to perfection as any collection from the 1960’s. Considering current populations, it’s nearly impossible to improve. Of the over 21,000 cards submitted to PSA, only six have graded Gem Mint and all are included in this set. Only seven other existing cards have the ability to raise the overall GPA.
A 1963 Topps baseball master set, #8 on the Set Registry with an 8.18 GPA and an extremely scarce 1958 Bell Brand Los Angeles Dodgers near complete set (9/10) in unopened cello packs are also part of a large array of assemblages from the 1950s through 1970s to be offered among the 1,791 lots in the auction.
For those collectors who appreciate pre-war issues, MHCC is offering a 1910 E93 Standard Caramel Christy Mathewson PSA 5, 1915 Cracker Jack #37 Grover Alexander PSA 8, a complete T201 Mecca Double Folder set and an exceedingly scarce 1933 Blue Bird Babe Ruth PSA 8.5 in addition to a selection of Turkey Reds, Goudeys, and E101 “Set of 50” cards.
Notable post-war singles include a 1952 Topps #311 Mantle graded NM+, a 1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays RC graded NM/MT+, 1955 Topps #164 Clemente RC PSA 8, 1954 Topps #90 Mays PSA 9, 1958 Topps #150 Mantle PSA 9, and hundreds of PSA 9 MINT graded cards from the 1960s.
Modern-day collectors won’t be disappointed as high grade 1972 through 1975 Topps set are being offered as well as a 1975 Topps #223 Robin Yount RC PSA 10 and a massive horde of over 9,000 1991 Desert Shield cards.
Various high-grade vintage cards featuring Bobby Orr, Roger Staubach, Carl Yastrzemski and John Havlicek will be available as well.
The auction will go beyond cards, however. Autographed photos, signed and authenticated Perez-Steele cards and game-used material, including jerseys from Cal Ripken, Barry Bonds, John Stockton and Karl Malone, with a bat and cleats from Carl Yastrzemski are included. Vintage World Series programs and Super Bowl tickets are also available.
Bidding is available via the company’s website or by phone at 303-840-2784. Questions are welcome. MHCC is also seeking consignments for a premium high-end auction in August that will be previewed at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland. Mile High will be at shows in Boston and Cleveland this weekend from March 28-30, the TRISTAR show in San Francisco April 25-27, and of course, the National at the end of July.
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