The improbable “Beer Box Find” that brought a treasure trove of rare vintage unopened boxes to the market several weeks ago has a sequel in the works.
Mile High Card Company will offer several more vintage unopened wax boxes in its September auction–including one full AND one nearly full 1965 Topps Football wax box–all originating with the same Tennessee family that had consigned the first batch.
Dubbed “The Beer Box Find” for being stored in a 1960s Stroh’s beer case, the original collection which sold last month was led by a group of 1948 Bowman baseball wax packs that sold for over $500,000. In all, the collection of long-forgotten material that also included numerous early 1960s boxes, netted just over $900,000 in total sales, an illustration of the strength of the market for vintage unopened baseball card boxes.
All things considered, the second round might be even bigger and better than the original. Company President Brian Drent made a second visit to the consignor’s home last week to bring in the new batch. It wasn’t immediately clear if the boxes were discovered after the consignor signed over the first batch of boxes or were held back until the first group had been sold.
Either way, the collection is another jaw-dropper.
There are 21 of 24 packs in the ’65 Topps football box, the issue that gave us Joe Namath’s rookie card. Also up for grabs will be a 1960 Leaf Baseball Full Unopened Wax Box, a 1962 Topps Baseball Bucks nearly full box (119/120 packs), two 1964 Topps Football partial boxes (23/24 and 19/24), a 1964 Topps Baseball Photo Tattoos Nearly partial box (103/120), a 1971 Topps Baseball Topps first series baseball box missing only one pack and the only known 1968 Topps Test Basketball unopened pack.
Collectors of unopened non-sports material will be able to get into the act this time with full and near full wax boxes of issues that have not have not been seen in decades, led by a 1964 Topps Outer Limits full wax box. Other items include 1960s Topps Real Wood Plaks Nearly Full Wax Box (20/24), 1963 Topps Beverly Hillbillies Nearly Full Unopened Wax Box (23/24), extremely rare 1964 Beatles Plaks Nearly Full Unopened Wax Box (26/36), 1965 Fleer Gomer Pyle Full Unopened Wax Box, 1965 Topps Gilligan’s Island Partial Unopened Wax Box (15/24), 1967 Topps Funny Travel Posters Nearly Full Unopened Wax Box (23/24), 1968 Topps Batty Bookcovers Nearly Full Unopened Wax Box (23/24), exceptionally rare 1969 Topps Wacky Ads Nearly Full Unopened Wax Box (21/24) with Scarce “Good and Empty” Showing and 1970 Topps Funny Doors Nearly Full Unopened Wax Box (21/24).
You can see several of the boxes in the gallery below. They’ll be authenticated by BBCE and some will be on display at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.
More auction details are expected to be released in the weeks ahead.
For registration information, visit the company’s website at www.milehighcardco.com or call (303) 840-2784.