It has been a tough year for the nation because of the coronavirus pandemic. Looking forward to 2021 is a common theme, but 2020 was a good year for the sports collectibles business. The December 2020 Auction held by Mile High Card Company is a perfect example, with 710 items sold at the auction that ended Friday. The bids brought in $3.7 million to the Colorado-based … [Read more...]
Huggins & Scott Summer Auction Showcases Autographed Henry Ford Baseball
The Huggins & Scott Summer Auction, which ends Thursday night, will include items of the Georgia Peach, Charlie Hustle and the Iron Horse. Throw in an item from the creator of the Tin Lizzie and the intrigue is turned up a notch. The auction ends Thursday night, beginning with the 30-minute rule at 11 p.m. EDT. As usual, sports cards and memorabilia take center … [Read more...]
Christy Mathewson, Nolan Ryan Items Highlight Huggins And Scott Spring Auction
Memorabilia from two of the greatest right-handed pitchers in major league history — 60 years apart — is up for grabs in the Huggins and Scott 2019 spring auction, which ends Thursday. A check signed in 1922 by Christy Mathewson and a 1982 “Tequila Sunrise” game-used autographed jersey of Nolan Ryan are the highlights in the auction, which will close beginning with the … [Read more...]
Top 10 Selling Items of 2018 at Goldin Auctions
As the year winds down, we’re taking a look at the top-selling sports cards and memorabilia sold through major auction companies in 2018. The Babe still draws a crowd. He's the subject of a current best-selling book and still the number one attraction in the world of baseball memorabilia. Four of the top ten selling items at Goldin Auctions this year dated from … [Read more...]
Baseball and Brew: Rare 1889 Ad Poster Features Ewing, Anson
Just a couple of ballplayers sitting around enjoying a libation after a hard day on the diamond. It was a low-key marketing pitch from Guinness Brewery some 129 years ago but it’s also a very significant piece of sports marketing history; one that’s expected to bring a six-figure price in Heritage Auctions’ February Platinum Night sale. The 24x18” poster pictures 19th … [Read more...]
The Wayback Collector: Old Judge Cards Can Be a Collector’s Worst Nightmare
Recently, I received an email from a collector, who was looking for some help with an Old Judge card. The N172 Old Judge set, produced in the late 1800s, is often considered to be one of the first baseball sets. The collector's inquiry was a common one. Essentially, it boiled down to trying to identify the player on the card. For those unfamiliar with the set, that might … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Anson, Kelly and the 1882 Chicago White Stockings
The faces have faded just a bit in the 136 years since they sat for a photographer, but make no mistake. The image captured in a photo studio that year captured one of the best accumulations of talent in the early history of professional baseball. The 1882 Chicago White Stockings featured Mike “King” Kelly, who loved parties, alcohol and women almost as much as baseball and … [Read more...]
Evolution of 19th Century Baseball Cards
As the sport of baseball was introduced in the 1800s, baseball cards didn't take too long to follow. When exactly the first cards were printed depends on your interpretation of the word 'cards'. But the earliest cards are generally recognized by most collectors as beginning in the 1860s. By the end of the century, those cards had been through quite a few changes. Here's a brief … [Read more...]
5 Key 19th Century Cap Anson Baseball Cards
Adrian C. "Cap" Anson was one of baseball's first true superstars. A .334 hitter, Anson led the league in all sorts of categories during his Hall of Fame career (often, more than once), including hits, batting average, on base percentage, doubles, and OPS. He led the league in RBI eight times. While he was not known for his progressive views on racial equality, he's … [Read more...]
Historic Memorabilia; High End Cards Coming to Goldin’s Live, Catalog Events
Eli Manning's 2008 Super Bowl helmet; a Wayne Gretzky rookie season jersey; Jim Palmer's 1976 Cy Young Award, bats from Cap Anson and Babe Ruth; the Mike Singletary Collection and more than two dozen high-grade rookie cards will be on the auction block next month through Goldin Auctions. The company will hold an 89-lot live event at the Cleveland Airport … [Read more...]