Bussineau Results: The Sweet Smell of Rarities

Greg Bussineau Sports Rarities has announced the successful completion of its Spring 2012 catalog/Internet auction event. Concluded on April 5, the auction generated total prices realized of $680,250. There were 4,586 registered bidders, 355 active bidders and 175 different winning bidders. A total of 561 lots were featured, of which 559 (99.6 percent) sold. There were 3,427 bids placed, for an average of 6.1 bids per lot.

“The market for rare and/or very high-grade sportscards is the strongest it’s been in the last five years,” said Greg Bussineau. “In this auction, a number of popular and important cards sold for the highest prices on record. Also, we added close to 100 new registered bidders since our last sale, which confirms that interest in sports collectibles continues to grow.”

The following five lots achieved the highest prices realized:
1. 1960 Topps Baseball complete PSA-graded set (GPA 8.29) – $46,200
2. 1952 Topps No. 311 Mickey Mantle PSA 7 – $30,000
3. 1954 Bowman No. 65 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 – $28,920
4. 1952 Bowman No. 101 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 – $24,720
5. 1909-11 T206 Rube Waddell (Throwing) PSA 9 – $23,520.

The following six lots received the most bids:
1. 1906 Fan Craze N.L. Luther H. Taylor SGC 92 – 31 bids
2. 1912 T202 Desperate Slide for Third – Ty Cobb/O’Leary PSA 7 – 29 bids
3. 1912 T202 Devlin Gets His Man – Christy Mathewson/Devlin (Giants) PSA 7 – 29 bids
4. 1977 Topps No. 360 Walter Payton PSA 10 – 29 bids
5. 1952 Bowman No. 101 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 – 28 bids
6. 1933 Goudey Sports Kings No. 8 Walter Hagen PSA 8.5 – 28 bids

The following five lots had the most unique daily visitors to their website page:
1. 1952 Bowman No. 101 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 – 550 hits
2. 1960 Topps Baseball complete PSA-graded set (GPA 8.29) – 540 hits
3. 1952 Topps No. 311 Mickey Mantle PSA 7 – 532 hits
4. 1954 Bowman No. 65 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 – 447 hits
5. 1959 Topps Baseball near complete graded set – 388 hits.

Prewar baseball highlights
The following are some of the prices realized for the prewar baseball card highlights: 1906 Fan Craze N.L. Luther H. Taylor SGC 92, $3,750; 1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb (Red Portrait) SGC 84, $6,360; 1909-11 T206 Rube Waddell (Throwing) PSA 9, $23,520; 1912 T202 Desperate Slide for Third – Ty Cobb/O’Leary PSA 7, $7,850; 1912 T202 Devlin Gets His Man – Christy Mathewson/Devlin (Giants) PSA 7, $4,980; 1912 T202 Too Late for Devlin – Meyers/Wiltse PSA 7.5, $3,150; 1912 T202 Ty Cobb Steals Third – Austin/Stovall PSA 7, $3,420; 1916 Herpolsheimer Co. No. 91 Walter Johnson PSA 7, $6,360; and 1935 Diamond Stars No. 66 Ducky Medwick PSA 9, $4,620.

Postwar baseball highlights
Postwar lots in the auction were led by the following: 1952 Bowman No. 101 Mickey Mantle PSA 9, $24,720; 1954 Bowman No. 65 Mickey Mantle PSA 9, $28,920; 1956 Topps No. 5 Ted Williams PSA 8.5, $3,060; 1956 Topps No. 130 Willie Mays PSA 9, $4,320; 1960 Topps Baseball complete PSA-graded set (GPA 8.29), $46,200; and 1966 Topps No. 300 Bob Clemente PSA 9, $3,180.

Football and other sports
Football results were led by: 1959 Topps No. 23 Bart Starr PSA 10, $7,260; 1959 Topps No. 40 Bobby Layne PSA 10, $3,150; 1963 Topps No. 98 Fran Tarkenton PSA 9, $3,750; 1976 Topps No. 148 Walter Payton PSA 10, $5,310; 1977 Topps No. 360 Walter Payton PSA 10, $4,110; and 1984 Topps No. 228 Walter Payton PSA 10, $2,430.
Other sports highlights include a 1960 Topps No. 14 Stan Mikita PSA 8 selling for $1,950 and a 1933 Goudey Sport Kings No. 8 Walter Hagen PSA 8.5 bringing $9,960.

Bussineau’s next auction is scheduled for July 5-26. Consignments are currently being accepted. A special limited time offer with substantial incentives is currently available to early consignors. Anyone interested in consigning should call Greg Bussineau at (231) 922-8037 or visit www.gregbussineau.com to sign up for a future catalog or register to bid online.