Cards for Hall of Famers are often the most expensive in pre-war baseball card sets. Finding mid-grade copies of them, particularly in rare sets, can cost more than $1,000. However, while many cards of Hall of Fame players in the pre-war era are on the pricey side, there are lots of inexpensive ones, too. Here are some of the cheapest around. 1913 Nap Lajoie Game Card The … [Read more...]
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Photo of the Day: Mel Ott, Teen Big Leaguer
Mel Ott was just 18 but already had 35 big league games under his belt when he stepped in front of a camera for this photo in the early spring of 1927. Small but powerful, Ott was a tremendous prospect. Little did anyone know at the time, however, that he would become one of the most feared hitters in baseball history. The photo captures the 5’9” slugger before … [Read more...]
Historic Game-Used Items; Rare T206 Cobb Top $9.3 Million Heritage Auction
High-end game-used memorabilia and some iconic sports cards helped push Heritage Auctions’ latest catalog tally to $9.3 million. The auction, which closed with two sections on Saturday and Sunday nights, set several records across game-used jerseys, bats, and rare sports cards. Kept in a closet for decades by the Wisconsin man who’d received it as a young boy … [Read more...]
Jackie Robinson Cap with Beanball Protection Soars to $590,994
A cap worn early in Jackie Robinson’s career sold for $590,994 early Saturday morning in a Lelands.com auction. The blue Brooklyn Dodgers wool cap included three protective plates sewn into the lining to aid the first African-American big leaguer as he faced pitches thrown near his head. The price, which included a 20% buyer’s premium tacked onto the winning bid, was … [Read more...]
Rocky Statue, Jordan’s Olympic Shoes on Block as SCP Auctions Sale Commences
Hundreds of pieces of sports memorabilia are hitting the auction block Wednesday via SCP Auctions' Fall Catalog. Among the headliners are a pair of Michael Jordan’s 1984 Summer Olympics game-worn and dual signed Converse shoes, two Olympic medals won by U.S.sprinter Jim Hines during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Wilt Chamberlain’s 1971 NBA All-Star Game jersey, … [Read more...]
Notes: 1908 Game Ball; Mantle Rookie Soars; HBO Segment
Notre Dame beat Miami (OH) on Saturday, 52-17. It was the first time the two schools had met since 1908. You might think the odds of anything still around from that first meeting—let alone any “game used” items—would be astronomical. WNDU-TV discovered the actual game ball from that meeting. It wasn’t in some trophy case on campus, though. Watch … [Read more...]
Mel Ott Family Consigns Game-Used Memorabilia to SCP Auctions
SCP Auctions will offer several items from the career of Baseball Hall of Famer Mel Ott in its 2017 Fall Premier Auction. Eight different lots from the Baseball Hall of Famer’s personal collection will open for bidding on Wed., Oct. 18. Each item will be accompanied by a letter from the Ott Family. The online auction runs through Sat., Nov. 4. “It’s our … [Read more...]
Namath Rookie Card Photo Brings Big Bucks at Auction
The 1965 photo that became one of the most valuable football cards ever created sold for a whopping $66,000 late last week in Huggins & Scott's Summer Auction. The black and white image of Joe Namath taken in the hallway of a hospital became his iconic rookie card in Topps' 1965 AFL set. While the card itself can sell for big bucks, the photo offered in the auction … [Read more...]
1934-36 Batter Up Cards Offer Unique Challenges
Young baseball card collectors had some choices during the mid-1930s. Goudey Gum Company was producing them, although their 1934 and '35 sets weren’t nearly as comprehensive as their landmark 1933 issue. Massachusetts-based National Chicle was also trying to sell gum and during the years 1934-36, they came out with a couple of sets: the Diamond Stars issue … [Read more...]
Bespectacled Honus Wagner and Mel Ott
He looked much different than he did 36 years earlier when his soon-to-be famous baseball card had briefly appeared inside packages of cigarettes. A frozen moment in time is our Photo of the Day from RMY Auctions. The World War II era image captures an aging Wagner catching up with veteran Mel Ott as the latter moved in on one of Wagner's records. Wagner was … [Read more...]
