Upper Deck has cancelled its annual Certified Diamond Dealer Conference, which had been scheduled for January 4-7 in Los Angeles. The gathering for hobby shop owners, distributors and others who conduct business with the company, is being scuttled because of COVID-19. “We also realize that many shops are just reopening after being shut down for months, and cannot in … [Read more...]
Ruth’s 500th Homer Bat, Lapchick Jersey, 1950s Card Sets, Player Rings Among SCP Auctions Headliners
Nothing goes better with a big Thanksgiving meal than a fresh helping of sports history and collectors are getting a chance to dig in a little early this week. SCP Auctions launched its 2019 Fall Premier Auction on Wednesday, with names like Ruth, Lapchick, Mantle and Mikan joining some high-end vintage baseball cards up for grabs. Leading off is the bat Babe Ruth said … [Read more...]
Movin’ On Up? Strong Interest as PSA 8 1952 Topps Mantle Hits Auction
It's been over nine months since the $2.88 million sale of a PSA 9 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle generated national headlines. While some had pegged the card as a potential $3 million-plus piece, the price did seem to have a positive impact on the market for high-end Mantle market. After a drop in auction prices early in 2018, the last two sales of NM/MT PSA 8 examples … [Read more...]
Retiree Talks of Seven-Figure Collection With 5 1952 Topps Mantle Cards
We've written about that incredible childhood collection that included five 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards and other high-grade beauties from the early 1950s. Consigned to Heritage Auctions, many of them have already sold and a PSA 8.5 Mantle--one of the hobby's best-- is among those currently on the block where it's expected to surpass $1 million. It … [Read more...]
Step-by-Step Guide for Investing in Vintage Baseball Cards
Yeah, we know. Buy stocks and mutual funds. Don’t invest in baseball cards. Believe me, our retirement savings are not locked up in cardboard and we're not suggesting yours should be either. But… there’s no denying that high quality vintage cards have been very solid performers over time. If only we’d bought a few ’52 Mantles when nice ones could be had for under … [Read more...]
One of Hobby’s Best 1952 Topps Sets Headlines Memory Lane Auction
The tenth-rated complete set of 1952 Topps baseball, with all but four of the 407 cards graded PSA 7 or better will be broken up and sold in Memory Lane Inc.’s Spring catalog auction, set to open April 26. Pieced together by a meticulous collector over a period of years with a focus on overall eye appeal, the set includes 140 cards rated 8 or better. The iconic 1952 … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Willie Mays Image from 1952 Topps Card at Auction
It doesn’t get the attention—or the price—of Mickey Mantle’s iconic card from the same set but who wouldn’t want to own the first Topps card of Willie Mays? Like Mantle, Mays was at the dawn of a Hall of Fame career and his appearance in the most popular of all post-War sets is just another element to its stature. Now, RMY Auctions is giving collectors something … [Read more...]
5 Great Cards of Baseball Pioneer Larry Doby
He was the first player to go directly from the Negro Leagues to Major League Baseball. His struggles as the first black player in the American League are sometimes overlooked by the focus on Jackie Robinson but they were every bit as real. The vast majority of his Cleveland teammates were chilly at best in those early days. On the field, he struggled too, in the … [Read more...]
Big Time Collection Added to All-Star FanFest Auction
A Midwestern collector has turned his impressive holdings over to Hunt Auctions for the 13th annual MLB All-Star FanFest Auction, July 10 and 11 in Miami. It will share billing with items from the career of Roberto Clemente at the live auction, held at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The collection was assembled over a number of years and will include numerous … [Read more...]
Kid’s 1985 Confirmation Gift: Minty 1952 Mantle
Even in 1985, it was considered the hobby’s greatest post-War trading card. Owning a nice copy was something the average collector contemplated but often couldn’t afford. One lucky kid’s father recognized the iconic stature of the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, though, and bought one for him as a confirmation gift. The $2,000 cost (about $4,300 in today’s … [Read more...]