Yesterday, we posted a photograph showing Joan Crosby, surrounded by Bowman Gum's baseball cards as she carried out her duties with the company back in 1953. One of Crosby's duties was to track down as many players as she could and get them to sign contracts so the company could put them on its baseball cards. One of those players was a young Mickey Mantle and in … [Read more...]
Most Expensive Sports Memorabilia Auction Items of 2018
Once upon a time (but not really that long ago) any piece of sports memorabilia that sold for $100,000 was a pretty big deal. Now, it doesn't even come close to making a list of the most expensive pieces of sold in a given year. "The hobby" is growing up. The top six items alone totaled $7 million. More records fell in 2018 and once again, the usual … [Read more...]
Top 10 Selling Items at Huggins and Scott in 2018
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. Variety was the word at Huggins & Scott Auctions in 2018. From ancient scorecards to a rare early Pokemon trading cards box that brought big big bucks, there were plenty of interesting lots sold. Here's a look at the … [Read more...]
Signed Mantle Cards; Ted’s Triple Crown Trophy, ‘Original 11’ HOF Relics, Massive 3×5 Collection Headline SCP Auction
Set to run through Saturday, December 8, SCP Auctions’ 2018 Fall Premier is underway with some never before seen pieces among more than 500 lots in the catalog. The headliners include: a remarkable collection of autographed Mickey Mantle baseball cards including 22 of his most coveted singles; Ted Williams’ 1947 Triple Crown trophy from the Williams estate; a 1939 Inaugural … [Read more...]
High Grade Mickey Mantle Cards: How They Stack Up
He remains the gold standard when it comes to collector (and investor) popularity. For those who buy and sell the best of the best, the market for Mickey Mantle cards continues to sizzle. Armed with a list of Mantle's base cards from 1951-1969 and our calculating friend Alexa (a highly underrated device in her own right), we crunched the numbers to make some … [Read more...]
Notes: Shop Door Smash Caught on Video
It's a gut punch for a small business owner when someone does something to make their job even harder than it already is. After getting a call at home about an active alarm at his shop in wee hours of Sunday, Mike Fruitman of Mike's Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, CO, spent his morning looking at security camera video and contacting police. Someone had smashed the glass on … [Read more...]
Goldin Auctions Summer Sale Nets $4 Million
Michael Jordan, Mickey Mantle and Mike Trout were the athletic stars during the Goldin Auctions 2018 Summer Live and Premium Auction that ended Saturday night, but American politicians also shared center stage. The 900 lots of sports, historical and entertainment memorabilia combined to net $4 million in sales. A 1997-98 game-used and signed home jersey worn by … [Read more...]
Ruth 60th Home Run Bat Sells for $660,000
The Baseball Hall of Fame claims to own the bat Babe Ruth used to hit his record-setting 60th home run in 1927 but prominent collectors believed The Babe's weapon of choice that day is the one found in Heritage Auctions' Spring catalog. Inscribed to Ruth friend Joe E. Brown, a nationally known actor-comedian who was among the first celebrity sports collectors, the bat … [Read more...]
’52 Topps Mantle Wasn’t Only Heavy Hitting Vintage Card in Heritage Sale
The mint 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle generated most of the headlines but there were plenty of other big ticket vintage cards sold in Heritage Auctions’ two-day Spring Trading Card catalog. The two-day auction that kicked off with the much-publicized ‘52 Mantle owned by Evan Mathis reaching $2.88 million wrapped up late Friday night. Two other ’52 Mantle cards also drew a … [Read more...]
Mickey Mantle Rookie Card Smashes Record in Memory Lane Auction
A little over four years ago, Memory Lane generated headlines with the sale of a PSA 9 (mint) Mickey Mantle rookie card. Early Sunday morning, that record-setting $220,150 sale was blown away in the company’s Fall Auction when the same 1951 Bowman gem soared to $588,000. The iconic card topped bidding in Memory Lane’s Fall Classic Auction, which tallied over $3.5 … [Read more...]