One of only several dozen surviving examples of the world’s most famous baseball card was sold early Sunday morning when Memory Lane closed out its ‘Holy Grail’ Auction. The $600,000 price fetched for a PSA 2 Honus Wagner was just the 
beginning, though. When the final bids were entered in the early morning hours Sunday, the auction had generated over $5.2 million, smashing the 18-year-old company’s all-time sales record by over $2 million.
The auction included the breakup of a virtually complete T206 set that, in addition to the Wagner, also held an example of the elusive Eddie Plank, a PSA 4 which sold for $76,800, as well as a Sherry “Magie” error card graded EX which sold for $40,800.
The second highest price in the auction went to a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8, which sold for $462,000.
Late bidding action early Sunday resulted in some record prices for low 
pop, high-grade icons. The only PSA 10 1948 Bowman Stan Musial rookie card, which last sold at auction for $129,851 in 2012, soared to $360,000. A ’48 Bowman Yogi Berra PSA 10 which sold for $33,582 back in 2006, rocketed to $192,000 for Memory Lane.
One of just 11 PSA 9 1954 Bowman Mantle cards also saw a flurry of bids as the auction drew to a close, finally ending at a record $204,000, obliterating the old mark of $57,000 set in 2013.
The hobby’s best graded example of the 1951 Toleteros Josh Gibson rookie card, a PSA 8, was also among the highlights, realizing $91,200.
In all, 13 lots in the auction sold for over $50,000.
Other vintage cards generating strong prices included a PSA 9 1957 Topps Frank Robinson rookie which jumped to $48,000, a 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew rookie that hit $38,976, a a 1979 Topps Ozzie Smith graded PSA 10 which sold for $38,976 and a 1962 Topps Willie Mays graded PSA 9, off to a new home for $28,180.
The auction included the William Toppi Wax Pack Collection, which included dozens of vintage packs from every sport including a 1952 Topps baseball pack. Graded 8 by PSA, it sold for a whopping $62,400. Other packs and boxes sold included:
- 1948 Bowman Basketball PSA 8 $55,200
- 1955 Topps All-American Football (Otto Graham back) $49,780]
- 1956 Topps Baseball GAI 8 $29,248
- 1958 Topps Baseball PSA 8 $23,380
- 1972 Topps Baseball Third Series Box $13,135
The auction included numerous highly sought after modern era cards as well including a PSA 10 1993 Upper Deck SP Derek Jeter rookie which hit $54,576 and a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite LeBron James rookie graded mint 9, which climbed to $45,734.
The photo used for Lou Gehrig’s 1932 DeLong baseball card headlined the memorabilia items sold in the auction. The PSA Type 1 image sold for $23,935.
All prices include a 20% buyer’s premium.
Consignments are currently being accepted for upcoming auctions and I Own It Now catalog sales. For more information, visit Memory Lane’s website or call 877-606-LANE (5263).
Related Stories:
1952 Mantle Poised to Pass $1 Million
Memory Lane to Offer Virtually Complete T206 Master Set Break in Special Auction
Ranking the Population of Early Mantle Cards
1952 Topps Mantle Sells for Over $1 Million
Largest PSA Graded Baseball Card Collection Ever Offered Acquired By Memory Lane
T206 Wagner, Top Shelf Vintage Cards Populate Memory Lane’s I Own it Now Catalog
REA Pulls Back Curtain on 2nd Fall Auction
Top Mickey Mantle Card Collection Coming to Auction
Wagner, Ruth, Mantle Top Sellers at REA
PSA 9 1952 Topps Mantle to Hit Auction Block Soon
