Some future Pro Football Hall of Famers are being drafted this week. We just don't know their names yet. We do know the names of some past greats who were once NFL draftees and some of the jerseys they wore on the way to Canton are among the top items in the new Heritage Auctions catalog. The auction includes the hobby's only known jersey … [Read more...]
1961 Fleer Football Set Topped Topps in Size
In 1961, professional football was split between two leagues, the decades old National Football League (NFL) and the newly formed American Football League (AFL). It would be five years before the two leagues would announce a planned merger and six before the first Super Bowl. The football card industry was also divided that year as both Topps and Fleer produced large … [Read more...]
Hornung Heisman, Gehrig All-Star Pin, Bonds 716 Memorabilia at Goldin Auctions
Goldin Auctions has opened bidding on its Spring Premium Live Auction with 70 high value lots on the block including Paul Hornung’s 1956 Heisman Trophy, a 1939 All-Star Game pin given to Lou Gehrig and the complete ensemble used by Barry Bonds to hit his 716th career home run in 2006. Bidding is underway online now but the auction will close with a live segment on May … [Read more...]
1964 Philadelphia Football Cards Ushered In New Era
It was a swell product while it lasted. In 1964, the Philadelphia Gum Company obtained the licensing rights to produce National Football League trading cards, ending the stranglehold Topps had held since 1956. Topps executive Sy Berger had gotten an agreement through NFL commissioner Bert Bell to produce cards starting in 1956 and continued through 1963. That pact … [Read more...]
Big Bucks for Ozzie’s Gold Gloves, Babe’s Sweater, Oscar’s MVP and Hornung’s Heisman
Ozzie Smith’s 13 Gold Glove Awards from 1980-1992 sold for $519,203, the only known Babe Ruth Yankees team sweater went for $250,642, Oscar Robertson’s 1963-64 Most Valuable Player Award attracted a bid of $17 7,632 and Paul Hornung’s Heisman Memorial Trophy sold for $173,102 in SCP Auctions’ November auction which concluded early Sunday. All prices are inclusive of a 20 … [Read more...]
Paul Hornung Selling Packers Championship Rings, Other Items
You can add Pro Football Hall of Famer Paul Hornung to the list of former stars who are selling off chunks of their collections at auction as the year winds to a close. Hornung, a Heisman Trophy winner at Notre Dame and star halfback for Vince Lombardi's Packers in the 1960s, has consigned 17 lots to SCP Auctions for its current sale including re-issues of his NFL … [Read more...]
Vintage Cards, Sets Strong for Heritage
High-grade baseball sets and singles were up for grabs in Heritage Auctions' latest Signature event but it was a hockey card set that topped bidding in the card portion of the two-day event. A 1912 C57 set of 50, rated the second best on PSA's Set Registry, sold for $89,625. The rare set is one of three tobacco card sets from the era that featured hockey players. The … [Read more...]
Topps in their Class: NFL’s Most Valuable #1 Draft Pick Cards
Being the number one overall draft pick comes with plenty of fanfare but if you're a football card collector, take a pass. Going back to the 1950s, only about one of every four number one picks went on to a Hall of Fame career. Many were total flops. Only a few top selections bring big bucks on the open market. The most valuable rookie card of all of the number one draft … [Read more...]
Home Run Bats, Vintage Card Sets Top Auction
The bat used by Ernie Banks to hit the final home run of his Hall of Fame career sold for over $60,000, topping Memory Lane’s Springtime Classic Auction, which closed early Sunday morning. Total auction proceeds were over $1.6 million. The Banks bat, displaying significant game use, included a copy of a letter of authenticity from WGN Broadcasting Company dated 1971. The … [Read more...]
Game-Worn Jersey Finds Highlight Auction
Heritage Auctions will count on a trio of never-before-offered game worn jerseys, from Mickey Mantle, Bobby Orr and Paul Hornung to anchor the deep variety of vintage sports memorabilia and trading cards the company is offering in its upcoming April 22-23 Signature Auction, online at HA.com and live in Dallas. “Not only are the Mantle, Orr and Hornung among the most … [Read more...]