Cracker Jack Near Set, 1967 Topps Baseball and Plank Leading LOTG Auction

Bidding is winding down at Love of the Game Auctions’ summer auction. With the auction closing slated to begin with the extended bidding period at 9:00 PM EDT on Saturday, Aug. 24, there is still time to register and place bids for what is sure to be the company’s largest auction yet.

The auction features a host of high-grade complete sets, quality baseball and football memorabilia from the late 19th Century to the present, a host of autographed memorabilia, and an extensive group of scarce and valuable sports cards.

“The auction features a little something for everyone,” said LOTG Auction Director Al Crisafulli. “The pieces that are getting the most attention right now are the T206 Eddie Plank and the enormous collections of 1914 and 1915 Cracker Jack baseball cards. We’ve also got the highest-grade 1964 Topps Football set on the PSA Registry and an incredible 1967 Topps Baseball set. Bidding has been brisk all month, and we’re starting to see bids coming in at a more and more rapid pace as the auction close approaches.”

The T206 Plank is one of the hobby’s most scarce and valuable cards, with high-grade examples reaching into the six-figure range at public auction. One of the rare occasions where an “affordable” Plank becomes available in the hobby, the example offered in this auction is graded POOR 10 by SGC.

“T206 collectors who are looking to get a little closer to completion by adding a Plank should look long and hard at this one,” explained Crisafulli. “The eye appeal in this example is much stronger than most of the low-grade Planks. A T206 Plank is a very rare and desirable card, and collector-grade examples simply don’t become available very often. While the pricing of any Plank can’t be considered “low,” this may be the last “affordable” example the hobby sees for a while, and as prices continue to increase, a Plank may never become available at this price level again.”

The auction also includes a 1914 Cracker Jack near set, currently ranked #4 on the PSA Set Registry at 81% complete. Entering its 100th anniversary, the popularity of Cracker Jack cards has never been higher, and with this collection just 27 cards short of completion, it represents an outstanding opportunity for a collector to acquire a large portion of one of the hobby’s most iconic sets. At the same time, LOTG is providing collectors the opportunity to bid on individual cards and lots – the configuration that receives the highest bid total (the complete set, or the sum total of the bids on the individual lots) will be the “winning” one.

In addition to 1914 Cracker Jacks, the auction features more than 120 cards from the 1915 Cracker Jack set, highlighted by the issue’s two key cards: “Shoeless” Joe Jackson and Ty Cobb. The collection includes dozens of Hall of Famers, all graded by PSA, and available as individual cards and small group lots.

Another scarce Cracker Jack included in this auction is the 1914 example of Del Pratt’s card. One of the most scarce and valuable cards of all the Cracker Jacks, Pratt’s 1914 is one of just two cards where the player’s pose changed on their card from 1914 to 1915. The result is that the 1914 Pratt is one of the most difficult cards to obtain in any condition, a true rarity among the popular Cracker Jack issues.

The auction also features the #1 1964 Topps Football set on the PSA Set Registry, a magnificent set with an incredible grade point average of 8.28. Built by a long-time football collector, the set has been #1 on PSA’s registry for eight of the last 11 years, consistently upgraded and improved upon during that period.

“The 1964 Football set is one of the most beautiful football sets you will ever see,” said Crisafulli. “This particular set is one of the hobby’s most highly-regarded complete sets from an extremely advanced, high-grade collector. It’s simply one of the most attractive high-grade sets you’ll ever see.”

The set also features a spectacular 1967 Topps complete set, currently #14 on the PSA Set Registry with a grade point average of 8.21. One of the finest 1967 Topps sets ever assembled, each of the set’s 609 cards have achieved a grade of at least NM-MT 8, with an astonishing 121 graded MINT 9. Far more important than all the statistical details of this set, however, is the amazing eye appeal of these cards. The collection was assembled by a graphic designer with an intense love for this set and its design, and a perfectionist’s eye for printing detail. In his perfectionism, this set avoids the print defects and centering problems typical of 1960s Topps issues. The result is an absolutely stunning set, many examples of which are available to view on the LOTG auction page.

In addition to these highlights, the Summer LOTG Auction features a host of high-quality baseball and football collectibles, some of which are highlighted here.

1933 Goudey Cards
The auction features a collection of attractive, midgrade cards from this iconic prewar set, highlighted by an EX-MT example of the iconic #160 Lou Gehrig and an attractive, collector-grade example of the classic #144 Babe Ruth card. Each of the other cards were acquired individually by a collector with an eye for bold color and visual appeal, and thus each example outshines its assigned grade.

High-Grade T206 Cards
The auction features a host of higher-grade cards from the highly desirable T206 issue, including 15 different cards graded NMT or better by either PSA or SGC. A number of Hall of Famers in higher grades are also available, highlighted by such names as Ty Cobb, Hugh Duffy, Addie Joss, Willie Keeler, and Christy Mathewson.

19th Century Cards and Memorabilia
19th Century baseball is also well-represented in the auction, highlighted by a number of highly desirable baseball cards such as 1887 N172 Old Judge cards of Hall of Famers Dan Brouthers, Roger Connor, and Hank O’Day, the extremely rare 1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bats card of George “Sleepy” Townsend, or the super high-grade N29 Allen & Ginter Buck Ewing, graded NM 7 by PSA.

The auction also features some unique 19th Century memorabilia, highlighted by an extraordinarily rare 1895 Newsboy Tobacco Cabinet Photo Display. Designed for store owners to house some of the many Newsboy cabinets they were provided as premiums, this well-worn wooden piece is the first example that LOTG has ever seen, an extremely rare document of 19th Century cards.

Unique Autographed Memorabilia
The auction features a complete set of hockey pucks, individually signed by the 1973-74 World Champion Philadelphia Flyers. With 22 pucks in total, this collection makes for a fantastic display and incredible document of one of the Flyers’ most memorable seasons, their first post-expansion Cup.

Also featured are a pair of unbelievable autographed books. The first, a copy of Donald Honig’s pictorial history book The National League: An Illustrated History, has been signed by 88 different players from throughout the history of the game. The companion is, of course, a copy of Honig’s The American League: An Illustrated History, which has been signed by 53 different players. Two unbelievable pieces that represent a lifetime of autograph collecting and an amazing journey through the history of the game, each of the books are in remarkable condition, particularly given the number of signatures they contain.

The auction also features a large assortment of vintage magazines, signed by their cover subjects. Assembled over the course of decades by two avid autograph collectors, the majority of the magazines are popular titles like Sports Illustrated, Street & Smith, and Sport. Featured subjects include Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams and Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Billy Martin, Jim Brown, Y. A. Tittle, Muhammad Ali, and Ali with Joe Frazier.

Scarce Regional Card Issues
The auction’s baseball offering is rounded out by a large assortment of scarce regional issues, highlighted by a stunning complete set of 1960 Bell Brand Dodgers cards. The auction also features 17 different cards from the immensely popular 1954 Wilson Franks set, several scarce examples of 1953 and 1954 Stahl-Meyer cards, 1952 Num Num Foods, 1954-56 Spic and Span, 1965 Kahn’s, and more.

Other key items in the auction include:
• A 1962 Fleer Football complete set, ranked #8 on the PSA Set Registry
• A 1910-era cardboard fan featuring baseball all-stars of the day, including Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and many more Hall of Famers
• An incredible 1908 Cy Young Day postcard, written, signed and mailed by Young
• 1956 Topps U.S. Presidents Complete Set - #16 on the PSA Set Registry
• Beautiful, original painting of Nap Lajoie by famed sports artist Arthur K. Miller
• Rare 1928 Tabacalera La Morena Babe Ruth, from El Salvador, graded VG/EX 4 by PSA.
• A scarce 1909-11 T206 Ray Demmitt St. Louis variation
• Sensational 1895 “New York Giants March” sheet music featuring Amos Rusie and George Davis
• Exceptional 1896 Emerald School Photo Paperweight w/baseball gear
• Original 1922 Baltimore Orioles Type 1 photo w/Lefty Grove
• Large collection of T205s, all SGC-graded (62 in total)

Love of the Game’s summer auction is slated to close on Saturday, August 24. To register for bidding, visit the company’s website.