A quartet of world-class cards goes on the auction block beginning Monday as Mile High Card Company opens its Fall Auction. Among the big money gems up for grabs is a PSA 8 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle, a 1951 Bowman #253 Mantle rookie card also graded PSA 8, a 1953-Stahl-Meyer Mantle PSA 7 (part of the #1 PSA Set Registry ranked 1953 Stahl-Meyer collection) and a 1953 … [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...]
Mile High Opens Extra Innings Auction
Mile High Card Company opened its Extra Innings Auction on Monday, with over 400 items up for grabs including complete vintage card sets and unopened product, high-grade singles, autographed pieces and other items. A PSA 9 1969 Topps Nolan Ryan (second year) saw several bids placed as the auction opened on Monday. Pre-War cards on the block include Cobb, Ruth, Gehrig and a … [Read more...]
Vintage Set Break of the Month: 1953 Topps
As it waged war with Bowman for the pennies and nickels of kids, Topps opted for art in 1953. The follow up to the company’s debut set in ’52 was based on oil paintings and the result was pretty impressive. Today, the 1953 Topps set is regarded as one of the best ever made and this month, in cooperation with Burl’s Sports, it’s our Vintage Set Break of the Month. Burl’s … [Read more...]
Vintage Cards Set Records in Memory Lane Auction
The hobby’s first major catalog auction of 2015 came to a close early Sunday when. Memory Lane’s Past and Present auction closed with hundreds of top end sports cards and collectibles changing hands. Among the headline items was a 1933 DeLong Gum Lou Gehrig, graded PSA 8, which sold for a record-setting $45,410. Post-War vintage cards of Hall of Famers can be … [Read more...]
Gary Hughes Collection Highlights Memory Lane Winter Auction
One of the best known sets of 1953 Topps baseball cards is among more than 1,000 lots in the current Memory Lane’s 2014 Winter Auction. The set, loaded with PSA 8 (nm/mt) cards, is part of a collection consigned by collector Gary Hughes, who has spent nearly a half century working in professional baseball. Currently a special advisor to the Boston Red Sox, Hughes has also … [Read more...]
1953 Topps Missing Numbers Revealed
It drove youngsters trying to complete the set a little batty 61 years ago and for years collectors have wondered about the identities of the six cards that were apparently pulled from the last series of 1953 Topps Baseball cards. Apparently, we now know. On his ESPN show Monday night, Keith Olbermann shared images of an old piece of paper long-time hobby … [Read more...]
Limited Nature Part of Satchel Paige Appeal
“Maybe I'll Pitch Forever” was the title of Satchel Paige’s autobiography and even when that book was released it appeared Paige just might be able to pitch at a reasonably high level forever. For those of us who only got to see Paige in newsreel clips or see his face on baseball cards, it is hard to comprehend how any pitcher could make his major league debut at age 42 (at … [Read more...]
Ralph Kiner Cards a Big Part of Baseball’s Post-War Era
Hall of Fame outfielder Ralph Kiner died Thursday at the age of 91. Kiner, who spent most of his 10-year career (1946-55) with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit 369 home runs and still holds the record for most homers by a player in his first five seasons. He had been a popular Mets broadcaster since 1962. For a player of his caliber from the era in which he played, Kiner’s … [Read more...]
Editor’s Blog: Fake Mays, Local and National Media Coverage, Got Any High Numbers?
Unlike the excitement when one dealer was arrested and charged with fraud last year, there haven't been any arrests (that we know of) so far this year, but I spoke with one collector who purchased what he thought was a 1953 Topps Willie Mays at one dealer's table and then got a rude awakening. He submitted it to PSA for grading just a few minutes after buying it and it was … [Read more...]