You won’t find any 1952 Mickey Mantle cards in Small Traditions’ latest auction but if you’re a player collector, love to open boxes, like modern era rookie cards, collect autographs or love older regional and oddball sets, you might want to grab a cold beverage. The “Oddballs and Autographs” sale includes over 1,500 lots with most carrying an opening bid of $10.
The auction includes 708 PSA graded cards with 295 of those carrying a gem mint 10 designation and 41 of the 121 Beckett-graded cards ranking either 9.5 or 10. Many are rare or low population regional or food issue cards of popular players from the recent past. Multiple high-grade modern era rookie cards are being offered including numerous early Derek Jeter issues but there are some vintage cards as well.
The auction includes dozens of insert sets and lots from hard-to-find products of the last 20 years as well as low serial numbered single cards. There is a 1999 Upper Deck Piece of History 500 Home Run Club relic card with Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and a partial set and singles of the rare 1992 Donruss Diamond Kings “Supers.” Only about 20 of each card are known to exist.
There are also dozens of unopened boxes, factory sets and hand-collated sets from the last 35 years. 
Collectors of v
intage memorabilia will see dozens of autographs including numerous deceased subjects and dozens of signed 8x10s and autographed baseballs. Vintage card lots include starter sets of 1952 Topps, 1951, 1952 and 1953 Bowman baseball, a collector grade master set of 1951 Topps Red and Blue Backs, several 1970s high-grade Kelloggs sets and single cards, several rare 1972 Lincoln-Mercury postcards including some with Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, some 1940s Baseball Magazine Premiums, and other vintage graded star cards. There are also several graded 1930s Indian 
Gum cards and 1953 Topps License Plate cards.
The auction continues through March 5 at SmallTraditions.com.
Small Traditions is offering a contest in conjunction with the auction on their Facebook page. Collectors can interact there for a chance to win a Derek Jeter 1995 Select Certified Mirror Gold rookie card, graded BGS 9.5 and valued at $500.
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