Butter Krust Wagner Card, Munson Bat Now Available

An ultra-rare 1911-14 Butter Krust Honus Wagner card, Tommy John’s 1978 World Series jersey and a Thurman Munson game-used bat headline Collectible Classics’ CCA30 auction, which closes Dec. 15. Online at www.auctionscc.com, CCA30 presents 503 lots of sports and non-sports collectibles.

Butter Krust is the rarest of five backs issued by the General Baking Co. of Buffalo. PSA has graded the Wagner card EX 5. It is one of only 25 Butter Krust cards in the PSA Population Report, and the only Wagner.

Fifteen other Wagner lots are being offered. Among them is the only known original copy of Wagner’s 1916 wedding photo, a vintage fountain pen autograph and a rare 1915 Baseball Magazine with the Wagner premium inside. Other PSA-graded Wagner cards are a NM 7 1906 WG3 Fan Craze, an EX 5 1910 E93 Standard Caramel and an EX-MT 6 1916 M101-5 Sporting News blank-backed example.

CCA30 features 121 lots from Part 2 of the Tommy John Collection, including three game-used jerseys and the Munson bat. PSA/DNA authenticated the Hillerich & Bradsby S44 bat as game-used. Ten other bats reviewed by PSA/DNA are open for bidding, including 1950 Tommy Henrich Hillerich & Bradsby D29 bat graded GU 8 and game-used models representing Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, Frank Robinson and Willie Stargell.

A home jersey John wore while representing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1978 World Series is one of three being offered from his collection. The jersey bears the No. 19 patch the Dodgers worn in honor of Jim Gilliam, who died two days before the Series began. The two other game-used jerseys are from the 1969 Chicago White Sox (home) and the 1985 Oakland Athletics (road).

The auction is loaded with other important and interesting collectibles from John’s career, which continues to have significant potential to land him in the Hall of Fame. A baseball is autographed by John and twice by Dr. Frank Jobe, who performed the breakthrough surgery that saved the pitcher’s career. Orel Hersheiser, another Jobe patient, also signed.

In 1977, pitching for Los Angeles, John made a strong case for Cy Young honors, but finished second in voting to Steve Carlton. He settled for the BBWAA “Dodgers Pitcher of the Year” Trophy, which is also up for bid.

The auction presents several mementoes for John’s early days in baseball: A 1953 team-signed Little League ball; a team-signed ball from his first pro team, the 1961 Dubuque Packers, and a game-used ball from a 1962 shutout with Jacksonville.

Game-used or commemorative baseballs from his major league career are also being offered, including his first win and first shutout with the New York Yankees and his 21st victory in 1979.

Other highlights include his 1977 World Series bat, his 1979 All-Star Game ring, a 1966 Gibson F25 Folksinger acoustic guitar, a 1970s warm-up jacket from Jim Gilliam, a bar and two custom-made bar stools from his home, a game-used Dodgers batting helmet, his 1986 New York Yankees spring training home and road jerseys and bats commemorating league championships and All-Star Games.

Several autographed boxing lots in the auction are noteworthy. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier autographs are on the cover of a 1975 Sports Illustrated issue. Ali also autographed a copy of the 1975 original comic Superman vs. Muhammad Ali and an offbeat vintage record album, “The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay!”

Cards are always a Collectible Classics staple. CCA 30 has 42 lots of graded cards, 13 from the 19th century and 20 more for the prewar era. Also included are more than 75 lots of “raw” cards ranging from an 1865 Frank Leslie’s woodcut print focusing on Jim Creighton and an 1889 Goodwin round album page of Monte Ward to an unopened 1992 Bowman box of 36 baseball packs.

Other items of special interest include autographs of three of Notre Dame’s Four Horsemen, including Don Miller; a 1906 WG3 Fan Craze card of Fred Clarke PSA 9; an autographed photo of Judy Resnik, one of the crew members who perished in the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle disaster; three items autographed by Roberto Clemente; a Forbes Field box seat; two 1910 Orange Borders cards, including one uncataloged; a 1939 New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds World Series pennant; a 1940 Reds “World Champs” pennant; a rare copy of the 1925 sheet music “The Peppy Pirates;” a Pitt Stadium plaque autographed by Tony Dorsett; Rogers Hornsby signed photo; items autographed by Secretariat owner Penny Tweedy; a vintage Arnold Palmer signed photo; a 1903 Hamilton King Girls near set of “Flag Girls;” a rare magazine with Marilyn Monroe on the cover, a photo autographed by President Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, and another signed by President Richard and Pat Nixon.

For a free color catalog, call Collectible Classics at (724) 446-3079, or visit www.auctionscc.com.