Boasting what Mastro officials call "the most significant trio of bats ever brought to public auction at one time, including a Babe Ruth bat given to Buck Weaver, a 1927 side-written Lou Gehrig bat and the only documented Walter Johnson bat known to exist, the auction behemoth unveils its summer auction that will feature more than 2,500 lots of sports and Americana items.

The Premier Catalog Auction, which opens July 31 and concludes Aug. 15-18, also features a vast array of high-end uniforms/jerseys representing all major sports, high-grade baseball cards, The Mark Friedland Collection of autographed baseball cards, a selection of vintage baseball photographs, and a very rare PGA trophy.

Company officials described the auction as one of the most diverse the auction company has ever conducted. The sale will include items from an
increasing number of collecting genres, including the rapidly expanding Fine Arts division and the newly created Comic Books and Comic Art division.

According to Doug Allen, president of Mastro Auctions, the diversity of the August 2006 Premier Auction is a clear indication that the company is on target with its plans for expansion to better service its customers. "The results of our April 2006 sale were encouraging. Both new and existing customers reacted positively to the event and its new facets, most notably the Fine Arts component of the sale," said Allen. "The August auction will include our second Fine Arts event and introduce our inaugural Comic Books and Comic Art effort."

Top Americana, Comic Books and Comic Art and Fine Arts items include:

• A large collection of oil paintings;
• A considerable selection of decorative glass and lamps;
• All the original comic artwork for Spiderman No. 31 and more than 200 other high-grade comic books;
• Historical and presidential items of significance, and;
• A variety of entertainment items including an Oscar, an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony.

Specific highlights include: 1920 Babe Ruth game-used and inscribed bat originally given to Buck Weaver (minimum bid $25,000); 1927 Lou Gehrig sidewritten bat, MEARS A-9.5 ($25,000); 1920 Walter Johnson sidewritten bat ($10,000); 1921-31 Ty Cobb game-used bat MEARS A-7.5 ($10,000); 1905 Napoleon Lajoie game-used bat MEARS A-8; $5,000; 1921-31 Tris Speaker game-used bat MEARS A-8 ($2,500); Jimmie Foxx 1930s game-used bat MEARS A-7.5 ($2,500); Joe Jackson 1914-15 Pro Model cork handle 40K game-used bat MEARS A-5 ($2,500).

Jerseys, uniforms and equipment: 1957 Ted Williams complete game-worn uniform with LOA from Williams ($10,000); Wayne Gretzky 1981-82 Edmonton Oilers game-worn road jersey ($5,000); Brooks Robinson 1963 Baltimore Orioles game-worn home jersey ($3,500); Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1980s Los Angeles Lakers game-worn and signed ($1,500); Lou Boudreau 1949 Cleveland Indians game-worn home uniform MEARS A-9.5 ($1,500); Link Lyman #12 Chicago Bears game-worn road uniform MEARS A-4 ($1,000); Walter Payton 1984-86 Chicago Bears game-worn home jersey MEARS A-4 ($1,000); Tony Dorsett 1976 Pitt home jersey ($500).

Single baseball cards: 1952 Topps No. 311 Mickey Mantle PSA NM-MT 8 ($10,000); 1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio PSA MINT 9 ($10,000); 1911 T5 Pinkerton Tobacco Joe Jackson ($5,000); 1917 E135 Collins-McCarthy No. 147 Babe Ruth SGC 88 NM/MT 8 ($5,000); 1917 E135 Collins-McCarthy No. 82 Joe Jackson SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5 ($5,000); 1933 Goudey No. 53 Babe Ruth PSA NM-MT 8 ($5,000); 1954 Topps No. 128 Henry Aaron PSA MINT 9 ($2,500); 1911 T207 Brown Background Loudermilk PSA NM 7 ($2,500); 1952 Topps No. 311 Mickey Mantle PSA EX-MT 6 (2,500); 1911 T3 Turkey Red No. 9 Ty Cobb PSA EX-MT 6 ($2,500); 1911 T205 Gold Border Walter Johnson PSA NM-MT 8 ($2,500); 1934 Goudey No. 61 Lou Gehrig PSA NM-MT 8 ($2,500); 1933 Goudey No. 181 Babe Ruth PSA 8 ($2,500); 1955 Topps No. 123 Sandy Koufax PSA MT 9 ($2,500).

Sets and near/partial sets: 1910 E93 Standard Caramel SGC-graded complete set ($10,000); 1954 Topps complete PSA-graded set ($5,000); E135 Collins-McCarthy SGC-graded near set ($5,000); 1959 Topps PSA-graded complete set ($5,000); 1962 Topps PSA NM-MT 8 partial set ($5,000); 1911 T3 Turkey Red Cabinets PSA-graded collection ($2,500); 1911 T3 Turkey Red Cabinets PSA EX 5 collection ($2,500); 1911 T205 Gold Border card complete set plus variations ($2,500), 1912 T207 Brown Background near master set with recruit cigarette box ($2,500); 1965 Topps NM-MT 8 and Mint 9 near set ($2,500); 1963 Topps high-grade near set all graded PSA NM-MT 8 ($2,500); 1909-1910 E97 C.A. Briggs Co. complete set on uncut sheets ($2,500); 1910 E93 Standard Caramel complete set on uncut sheets ($2,500); 1948 Leaf Baseball set ($2,500); 1952 Topps Baseball set ($2,500); 1949 Bowman set with nine variations ($2,500); 1909-11 T206 White Border near set ($2,500); 1956 Topps complete set (340) plus checklists ($2,500); 1960 Topps PSA-Graded complete set ($2,500).

Mark Friedland autographed card collection: Autographed 1953 Topps PSA-authenticated near set with 271 signatures ($2,500); Autographed 1956 Topps PSA-authenticated near set with 325 signatures ($2,500).
Autographed baseballs: Babe Ruth single-signed ball ($5,000); Ty Cobb single-signed ball PSA NM-MT 8 ($2,500); Circa 1930 Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig signed baseball ($1,500).

Baseball photography: Vintage Lou Gehrig rookie era photo by Charles Conlon ($1,000); Circa 1912 Ty Cobb portrait photo by Charles Conlon ($1,000); Vintage Babe Ruth rookie-era photo by Paul Thompson ($1,000).
Baseball signatures: Christy Mathewson 1925 signed personal check PSA/DNA Mint 9 ($1,500); Lou Gehrig double-signed 1927 Exhibit card SGC/JSA "Authentic" ($1,500); Babe Ruth Merry Christmas personalized ball and Santa photo ($1,000).

Baseball awards/trophies: Bill Stafford's 1961 New York Yankees world championship player's ring ($2,500); 1977 New York Yankees world champions front office ring ($2,500).

Unopened wax boxes/cases: 1975 Topps cello case ($2,500); 1971 Topps GAI fourth and fifth series vending boxes GAI NM-MT 8 ($1,500); 1972 Topps Baseball GAI-graded vending boxes ($1,500).

Basketball items: 1961 Fleer Basketball No. 8 Wilt Chamberlain PSA Gem MT 10 ($5,000); 1986 Fleer Basketball graded Gem MT 10 set ($5,000); James Naismith archive including 20 complete or partial signatures ($2,500).

Football collectibles: Warren McVea 1969 Kansas City Chiefs World Champions Super Bowl IV player's ring ($2,500); Sam Adams 1983 Oakland Raiders World Champions Super Bowl XVIII player's ring ($2,500); 1935 National Chicle PSA-graded complete set ($2,500).

Hockey memorabilia: 1941 Chicago Coin All-Star Hockey pinball machine ($2,500); 1911-12 C55 PSA-graded set ($900).
Boxing mementoes: Holmes Cooney Fight original oil painting by Leroy Neiman ($2,500); Muhammad Ali 1971 double-signed handwritten quotations ($500).

Golf highlights: Walter Burkemo's personal 1953 PGA championship trophy and state of Michigan HOF plaque ($2,500); 1998 Ryder Cup championship team signed official scorecards with Tiger Woods and Payne Stewart ($1,000).

Presidential pedigree: Thomas Jefferson 1802 signed handwritten letter as president ($10,000); John Adams 1819 signed letter ($5,000); George Washington handwritten signed letter ($2,500).

Political campaign items: Pair of the "winners" pin from the 1912 presidential campaign ($2,500); 1908 Taft "Steamroller" Pin ($2,500).
Non-sports cards: Horrors of War original artwork collection of 135 ($10,000); 1940 R145 Gum Inc. Superman PSA-graded complete set ($5,000); 1965 Topps "King Kong" test set ($2,500); 1965 Topps "Bewitched" complete 26-card test set GAI-graded ($2,500).

To pre-register for Mastro Auctions August 2006 Premier Auction and receive auction catalogs, call 630-472-1200 or go to www.mastroauctions.com.