1952 Topps Set Reels in $382,741, Bird Jersey Tops $60K in Mile High Auction

Smaller in size than the traditional Mile High Card Co. auction, MHCC’s August event provided plenty of elite star power. Leading the way was a 1952 Topps Baseball set ranked #10 on the PSA Set Registry. The set was sold in individual lots that totaled $382,741.

“While the totals on the 1952 Topps cards were impressive, they weren’t as surprising as many other items. We expected this to be a particularly strong event and our expectations were greatly exceeded,” said MHCC President and CEO Brian Drent.

The 1952 Topps set was led, of course, by a stunning 1952 #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 7 NM that sold for $166,944, with the 1952 #407 Eddie Mathews rookie card PSA 7 hauling in an astonishing $38,129, 1952 #1 Andy Pafko PSA 7 NM netting $12,140 and 1952 #312 Jackie Robinson PSA 7 NM closing at $9,833. MHCC was fortunate enough to be able to offer three other 1952 #311 Mickey Mantle cards in this auction as well, with a PSA 6 EX/MT selling for $64,828, an SGC 70 EX+ 5.5 that sold for $49,394 and a PSA 4 VG/EX that closed out at $25,194.

Some of the finest memorabilia that MHCC has ever offered was presented in the August catalog, much of it fresh to the hobby. A hotly contested 1979-80 Larry Bird rookie year complete uniform graded MEARS A10 finally settled at an astronomical figure of $60,125, almost triple the price it sold for at auction just two years ago; a 1979-81 Joe Montana San Francisco 49ers game-worn rookie era jersey MEARS A10 fetched $24,947; 1969-70 Reggie Jackson Oakland A's game-worn green mist style flannel jersey MEARS A 8.5 collected $14,242, 1959 Tony Kubek New York Yankees game-used home flannel sold for $6,991; a Franklin D. Roosevelt single-signed OAL (Harridge) ball Inscribed to Clark Griffith and attributed to Opening Day 1937 that graced the catalog cover reeled in $37,257.

More highlights: a spectacular Babe Ruth single-signed OAL (Harridge) ball changed hands to the tune of $33,792 and a 1938 New York Yankees team-signed OAL (Harridge) ball with (21) signatures and featuring Gehrig and DiMaggio reached the sum of $5,960. A 1952 Bowman #101 Mickey Mantle autographed card PSA/DNA 9 Mint reached a stunning level at $7,786, a 1910s Ty Cobb Type I original photo sold for $2,194 and a 1950s Ted Williams Type I original photo Used in 1954, '55 and '56 cards by George Woodruff sold for $1,359.

Elite postwar rookie and star cards dominated the auction and brought in some incredible results, including 1948 Bowman #6 Yogi Berra PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ at $13,745, well more than double the previous record price; 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle PSA 6 EX/MT that sold for $20,015; 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron SGC 96 Mint 9 that tipped the scales at an uncanny $127,873; 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron EX/NM 6 sold for $4,923; 1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks PSA 7 NM brought in $3,567; 1954 Topps #201 Al Kaline PSA 9 MINT that broke $41,000; and 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente PSA 8 NM/MT closing at $56,000.

More results: 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax PSA 8 NM/MT sold for just short of $19,000, 1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle Gray Back PSA 7 NM was added to a new collection for $3,397, 1958 Topps #47 Roger Maris PSA 9 MINT at $14,004, 1959 Topps #514 Bob Gibson PSA 9 MINT that brought in $34,582, 1959 Topps #10 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM/MT came in strong at $5,418, 1964 Topps #9 NL Home Run Leaders PSA 10 GEM MINT that will make its PSA Set Registry presence felt at $3,924, 1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan PSA 9 MINT that soared at $45,289, two 1965 Topps #122 Joe Namath rookie cards, a PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $37,869 and a PSA 7 that earned $8,814, and a 1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan PSA 9 MINT, still the king of the hardcourt at $6,299.

Other high-profile offerings include a 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 150 Walter Johnson Portrait PSA 8 NM/MT that brought in $46,033, double the previous record set last year, 1912 T204 Ramly Wildfire Schulte PSA 8 NM/MT that netted $2,478, 1914 Cracker Jack Roger Bresnahan No Number on Back PSA 5 EX that sold for $3,397, 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth PSA 9(OC) MINT that sold for $38,728, 1953 Topps #1 Jackie Robinson NM/MT+ 8.5 that broke the previous record with a sale of $10,150, 1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM/MT, an amazing specimen that netted $52,428, 1959 Topps #10 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $5,418, 1961 Topps #577 Hank Aaron PSA 10 GEM MINT that brought in $4,161, 1964 Topps #50 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT that changed hands for $13,542, 1964 Topps #250 Al Kaline PSA 10 GEM MINT that brought in $4,749, 1951 Topps Connie Mack's All-Stars Edward Collins PSA 8 NM/MT- The Only Example Ever Graded NM/MT 8 by PSA and it showed with a selling price of $8,125, and 1955 Topps All-American #68 The Four Horsemen PSA 9 MINT that set a record with a price of $5,036.

A 1927 New York Yankees World Series Press Pin sold for a strong price of $2,368 and a 1935 Goudey Complete Set #14 on PSA Set Registry netted $4,477. The always popular 1960s Hartland Statues complete set received spirited action with a sale price of $2,840, 1964 Outer Limits High-Grade Complete Set All Graded nailed down $4,167 and the ultimate prize for any basketball card enthusiast, a 1986 Fleer Basketball Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE, found a new home for a sale price of $60,694.