We’ll be under a full moon when Mile High Auction Company’s upcoming auction winds down next month. When it opens to bidders next week, collectors will be seeing some items that only come available once in a full moon.
The catalog includes several pieces that have rarely come to auction and some that have never been sold before. Among the headliners: an 1888 N173 Old Judge King Kelly “Street Clothes” variation cabinet card that is one of only four known to exist, game-used bats from each member of the legendary 500 home run club, a 1933 V353 World Wide Gum (Canadian Goudey) Uncut Sheet with three Babe Ruth Cards and Lou Gehrig, Roberto Clemente’s 1972 All-Star ring and a new collection of ultra-rare 1968 Topps Dice Game cards.
“This auction is loaded.” said MHCC President and CEO Brian Drent, who with his consignment team has assembled what they call “the most comprehensive selection of material in the company’s history.”
The King Kelly cabinet card is joined by several other pre-War card highlights including a 1911 T201 Mecca Double Folder Matthewson/Bridwell NM/MT+ 8.5, a 1912 T202 Hassan Cigarettes #129 Ty Cobb Steals Third SGC 86 NM+ 7.5, a 1915 E106 American Caramel Honus Wagner Batting PSA 5 EX, a 1919 T213 Coupon Cigarettes Type 3 Mathewson PSA 8 NM/MT, a 1922 W575-2/1924 Knight Motors Ruth and Cobb uncut panel, a 1930 Baguer Chocolate Ruth PSA 7 NM, a 1933 Goudey #149 Ruth SGC 7 NM, a 1933 Sport Kings #35 Knute Rockne SGC 96 MINT 9 and a 1934 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig SGC 88 NM/MT 8. Also among the rare pieces is a 1933 V353 World Wide Gum uncut color process proof sheet series of eight with Jimmie Foxx and other Hall of Famers.
Post-War highlights include an SGC 7 NM 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, a 1951 Bowman Mantle rookie PSA 6.5 EX/MT+, a 1952 Bowman #101 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM/MT, a 1960 Topps #200 Willie Mays PSA 9 MINT, a 1964 Topps Giants #3 Sandy Koufax PSA 10 GEM MINT, a 1967 Topps #581 Tom Seaver PSA 9 MINT, a 1973 O-Pee-Chee #615 Mike Schmidt PSA 10 GEM MINT, a 1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas NNOF PSA 9 MINT and 1958 Topps #62 Jimmy Brown SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5.
There are five cards from the 1961 Topps Dice Game test series being offered in the auction, all newly discovered and each the only example known: Bill White SGC 5 EX, Norm Siebern SGC 4 VG/EX, Jim Davenport SGC 2 GOOD, Dick Groat SGC 2 GOOD and Bill Mazeroski SGC 2 GOOD.
Top-notch sets and near sets include the eighth best accumulation of T206 cards on PSA’s Set Registry with 477 of the 520 main cards included, all in PSA holders. There is also a partial graded set of 1911 T205 Gold Borders, a graded group of 110 1915 Cracker Jacks, the top-rated 1962 Kahn’s Weiners baseball set on PSA’s Registry, a 1966 Topps baseball near complete master set listed eighth on the registry (being offered as a full group and by individual cards) and a high-grade near set of 1951 Parkhurst hockey.
Collectors of vintage non-sports cards will see the second best PSA-rated 1956 Topps Elvis Presley set and the third best 1957 Topps Hit Stars set.
As we reported last month, the auction will include game model bats from every member of the 500 home run club and other superstars. Among them: a 1921-31 Babe Ruth Louisville Slugger Professional Model MEARS A6, a 1926-27 Jimmie Foxx Spalding rookie-era PSA/DNA GU 9, a 1939-40 Ted Williams rookie era Louisville Slugger PSA/DNA GU 9, a 1943 Mel Ott Louisville Slugger PSA/DNA GU 8, an early Frank Robinson signed Louisville Slugger PSA/DNA GU 8.5, a 1950s Harmon Killebrew Louisville Slugger PSA/DNA GU 8.5, a 1959-60 Eddie Mathews Adirondack PSA/DNA GU 10, the bat Willie Mays used to his his 272nd career home run with that notation on the barrel (GU 9), a 1965-68 Mickey Mantle Louisville Slugger PSA/DNA GU, a 2002 Derek Jeter Signed Louisville Slugger PSA/DNA GU 9 and a 2013 Mike Trout Old Hickory bat PSA/DNA GU 10.
Other memorabilia includes a high-grade single-signed Ruth baseball with the rare 1943 “two star” Harridge American League ball, a group of Type 1 photographs including a 1916 Chicago American Giants panoramic image featuring Rube Foster, “Pop” Lloyd and Pete Hill, a 1921-22 Santa Clara Leopardos PSA/DNA Type I image that includes Oscar Charleston and Alejandro Oms, a circa 1928 Negro League Real-Photo Postcard featuring Martin Dihigo and Jud Wilson, a 1921 Babe Ruth PSA/DNA Type I Paul Thompson photo, another Ruth photo from 1921 by Underwood and Underwood and a 1918 Fort Porter baseball panoramic image that includes Shoeless Joe Jackson and Lefty Williams.
The auction opens Monday, March 4 and closes Thursday, March 21 at milehighcardco.com.
Several other auctions are planned for the remainder of 2019. For consignment information, call (303) 840-2784 or contact the company through their website.
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