Thousands were drowned in the Atlantic Ocean when they were just kids. A late 1950s decision to free up space at the company's headquarters sent the population of 1952 Topps high numbers that would be available to future generations plummeting. Those that survived were in the hands of youngsters who weren't generally concerned with their condition. There were … [Read more...]
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Vintage Baseball Card Collection on Antiques Roadshow Draws a ‘Wow’
Antiques Roadshow came to Green Bay, Wisconsin and while they didn’t find a Don Hutson jersey or one of Vince Lombardi’s old fedoras, they did welcome a nice group of valuable baseball cards. In a show that aired Monday night, a local woman brought three cards from a larger 1950s childhood collection her husband apparently forgotten about until recently. She told … [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...]
Vintage Set Break of the Week: 1952 Topps
The 1952 Topps set is what many mark as the beginning of the era of the modern trading card. Not only did it launch a collecting revolution, it marked the real beginning of the company’s place in American culture. It's home to the '52 Mickey Mantle, the most recognizable and most valuable post-War baseball card, one which has become as much an investment commodity as it … [Read more...]
FDR Baseball, Babe Ruth Items Featured In Mile High Auction
Mile High Card Company officials are feeling sky high about the items the Colorado-based business is offering in its August Catalog Auction. The biggest highlights: a baseball signed by Babe Ruth, and a ball inscribed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith in 1937. In addition, a graded 1952 Topps set rated No. 10 on the PSA registry … [Read more...]
1952 Topps High Numbers Test Even Advanced Collectors
Even the phrase itself strikes a little fear into collectors of vintage baseball cards: 1952 Topps high numbers. Firmly established as one of the rarest standard issue cards of the post-World War II Era, demand is high; supply maddeningly low, especially for higher grade copies. Population reports for the major grading companies show a combined total of fewer than a … [Read more...]
1952 Topps Mantle Sets New Record
There seems to be no end to the rising prices of high-grade vintage cards and leading the pack is the hobby's most famous modern era card. A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle graded PSA 8 sold for $525,800 Thursday night, setting yet another new record for the grade. The card sold as part of a top quality '52 set break conducted by Heritage Auctions. Another PSA 8 example was … [Read more...]
1952 Topps Mantle PSA 8 Sells for $486,100
One of 31 PSA 8 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards sold at auction Sunday evening for a record-breaking price of $486,100. Pre War Card Collector Auctions offered the well-centered example, the fourth to be sold at auction this year. There was no immediate word on the identity of the winning bidder. During this year’s National Sports Collectors Convention, Goldin Auctions … [Read more...]
Ranking the Population of Early Mantle Cards
If you're assuming the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is the rarest of his standard Topps and Bowman cards, you're correct. It's a statistic that most collectors are familiar with. However, a comparison shows the difference in the number of graded Mantles from his first three seasons isn't quite as startling as you might think. The infographic below tallies the population … [Read more...]
Notes: California Man Sports T206 Wagner Tattoo; ’52 Set Hits Six Figures; More Cartoons and Did Dealers Rat Out Johnny Football?
How much does Mikey Douglas of Sacramento, CA love the hobby? Enough to get a tattoo of a T206 Honus Wagner on his calf. Mikey showed it to us via Facebook message earlier this week. Mikey's main tattoo man, Rudy from Highlands Finest , is the artist. Certainly a worthy candidate for grading, but it’s a heckuva hard thing to … [Read more...]
