Jacob “Jake” Smucker feels blessed. The lifelong Lancaster County, PA resident spends much of his time with his nine kids and their families, which includes an incredible 45 grandchildren. But it’s his love for baseball and baseball cards that have helped feed the Amish man’s soul since he was a kid. Now, the 70-year-old farmer is sharing some memories and … [Read more...]
Big Price for PSA 6 ’52 Mantle; Goudey Ruth Cards Bring Nearly $1 Million
A complete quartet of autographed 1933 Babe Ruth cards sold for nearly $1 million combined early Sunday in an auction conducted by St. Louis-based Heartland Sports Cards and Memorabilia. The cards, consigned from a long-held private collection, were all authenticated by PSA. Card #149, with an autograph grade of 7 was the top seller of the four, netting … [Read more...]
Signed Goudey Ruth Cards; Joe Jackson Voucher Headline Heartland Sale
If you missed out on the autographed 1933 Goudey cards from the Uncle Jimmy Collection, you’ve got another shot to snare some others. A group of four different signed Goudey Ruths from a private East Coast collection have made their way to market. The quartet, encompassing all four of Ruth's appearances in the landmark gum card set could bring more than $1 million. “In … [Read more...]
Thanks, Uncle Jimmy: Family Members Reflect on Humble Relative’s 7-Figure Collection
Uncle Jimmy would have been pleased. James Micioni of Boonton, New Jersey, left a treasure trove when he died at age 97 on March 8, 2020. A baseball card and memorabilia collector throughout his life, Micioni had quietly accumulated a stunning collection of cards, photos and autographs. It included thousands of vintage items, including six different signed 1933 Goudey cards … [Read more...]
Notes: Pro Set Back?; Uncle Jimmy’s Joe D Photo; Hobby Exposure; Penny Marshall’s NLBM Donation
Pro Set, which jumped into NFL trading cards with a fury back in 1989 but fizzled out a few years later, appears to be ready for a resurrection. No word yet on who’s involved or if there’s any connection at all to the original incarnation but there are now a “Pro Set is Back” email and Twitter accounts and they’ve released a mockup of a Trevor Lawrence … [Read more...]
Avid Fleer Collector’s Jordan “Rookie Rainbow” Part of Wheatland Auction
One collector’s 34-year obsession with basketball cards—and 1980s Fleer in particular—is on display inside a unique run of the hobby’s hottest card now up for auction. Wheatland Auctions is offering a run of Michael Jordan rookie cards—10 in all—including a run of cards in every grade, from PSA 1-8, all consigned by one avid 1986-87 Fleer basketball collector. The … [Read more...]
Autographed Goudey Ruth Headlines Final Installment of “Uncle Jimmy Collection” Auction
It's been quite a ride for one of the most fabulous finds in hobby history, but it's not quite over yet. The jaw-dropping collection of Jimmy Micioni included countless treasures from a lifetime of chasing autographs, baseball cards, photos and other memorabilia. When the 97-year-old veteran passed away in March 2020, the breadth of his decades long passion became … [Read more...]
2020 Sports Collecting Year in Review
It was like one long Stefon skit from Saturday Night Live. 2020 had everything. Millennial artists doing weird things to famous rookie cards. A case break party at a football stadium. Babe Ruth in a baggie. Pre-War white elephants in Yahtzee boxes. Russian ransomware. Card shows during a raging pandemic. And the hobby's hottest nightclub … [Read more...]
Signed Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey Cards from “Uncle Jimmy” Sell for Over $725,000
Wheatland's October 2020 auction concluded over the weekend and, unsurprisingly, a pair of autographed Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey cards once again led the way. Part of the famous "Uncle Jimmy Collection," the two Ruth cards sold for a combined $725,700. The biggest prize of the two was an immaculate signed card of Ruth's iconic No. 181 card from the set. The card received a … [Read more...]
Part 4 of “Uncle Jimmy Collection” Includes More Ruth, Gehrig Signed Cards
Wheatland Auctions is offering another selection of material from the remarkable collection of "Uncle Jimmy" Micioni in its current online catalog. The late New Jersey collector's stash included hundreds of autographed baseball cards dating back to the 1930s including multiple high quality examples of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Goudey issues. Some sold this … [Read more...]