High-grade E93 Standard Carmel set tops Mile High’s Auction

Bidding is underway for Mile High Card Co.’s Oct. 1 auction. Company president Brian Drent didn’t hesitate to call this auction Mile High’s strongest and most all-inclusive offering in its 12-year history. When asked to sum up the 1,572 lots of the auction in one word, Drent responded that the current offering is, simply, “thorough.”

Multiple pages of the catalog are dedicated to each of the following issues: N172 Old Judge Cigarettes, E90-1 American Caramels, E91 American Caramels (in uncut sheet form), E93 Standard Caramels, E96 Philadelphia Caramels, E104-1 Nadja Caramels, PC760 Rose Company Postcards, T3 Turkey Reds, T200s, T201s, T202s, T205s, T206s, T207s, T209s, T212s, Cracker Jacks, Zeenuts, Goudeys, DeLongs, Diamond Stars, Play Balls, Leafs, Red Mans, an array of high-grade Bowman and Topps singles.

A few of the highlights of the single-card selection include: the highest-graded T205 Gold Border Cy Young (PSA 8.5); 1916 M101-5 Sporting News Babe Ruth in PSA 7; T5 Pinkerton Cabinet Joe Jackson; 1914 Cracker Jack Jackson SGC 80; 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle singles, graded SGC 7 and SGC 5; and a Mint or better example of almost every Topps Mantle card ever issued.

Other prewar singles include: 1933 Goudey Ruth No. 144, PSA 8; 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig No. 92, PSA 8; 1893 Honest Duke Cabinet of Ed Delehanty; 1910 E90-2 American Caramel Wagner SGC 5; 1909 E90-1 American Caramel Jackson (graded Authentic); 1910 E93 Standard Caramel Ty Cobb PSA 6; 1910 E93 Standard Caramel Wagner PSA 6; 1934 Goudey Gehrig No. 61, SGC 8; 1911 T201 Mecca Double Folder Street/Johnson PSA 8.5; 1910 E93 Standard Caramel Christy Mathewson PSA 6; 1915 Cracker Jack Nap Lajoie PSA 9; 1911 T201 Mecca Double Folder Mathewson/Bridwell PSA 8.5; 1940 Play Ball Jackson PSA 8; and a 1915 Cracker Jack Eddie Collins PSA 8.5.

Other post-war singles include: 1951 Bowman Willie Mays BVG 8.5; 1951 Bowman Mays PSA 8; 1952 Topps Ed Mathews SGC 7.5; 1951 Bowman Whitey Ford PSA 8; 1958 Topps Mantle PSA 9; 1959 Topps Mantle PSA 9; 1952 Bowman Mantle PSA 8; 1954 Topps Hank Aaron PSA 8; 1955 Topps All-American Jim Thorpe PSA 9; 1962 Topps Managers Dream Mantle/Mays PSA 9; 1954 Bowman Mantle PSA 8.5; 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 8; 1952 Topps Cookie Lavagetto PSA 9; 1960 Topps Mantle PSA 9; 1949 Bowman Satchell Paige PSA 8.5; 1957 Topps Don Drysdale PSA 9; 1963 I.D.L. Drug Store Clemente PSA 9; 1963 Topps Mantle PSA 9; 1948 Leaf Warren Spahn PSA 8.5; and a 1976 Topps Football Walter Payton BVG 10 Pristine.

Mile High also has an equally impressive selection of unopened wax, cellos, and racks, as well complete sets, dozens of which rank in the top-10 of their respective Set Registry leader boards. Included among these sets are the following highlights: the No. 2 Finest 1910 E93 Standard Caramel PSA Set; the No. 1 set of 1911 T209 Contentnea; the No. 1 Finest 1939 R303-B Goudey Premiums PSA Set; the No. 1 Finest 1951 Topps Connie Mack’s All Stars PSA Set; the No. 2 Finest 1952 Bowman Large Football PSA Set; and the No. 1 Finest 1964 Topps Football PSA Set; and other sets in completely graded, partially graded, and raw, ungraded form from both sports and non-sports.

Other elite complete and partial sets include: 1956 Topps complete set with every card graded PSA 8; 1910 E96 Philadelphia Caramel complete set with every card graded by PSA and SGC; 1912 T207 near-complete master set completely graded, with scarce Irving Lewis and Louis Lowdermilk singles; 1955 Bowman Baseball complete graded set featuring 287 PSA 8-graded singles; and a 1950 Bowman Football complete set with every card graded PSA 8 or higher.
Top unopened items include: a 1962 Topps Series 1 unopened cello box; 1968 Topps Hockey Rack Pack Esposito/Orr on front GAI 8; 1957 Topps Hockey Wax Pack GAI 5; 1968 Topps Baseball Rack Pack GAI 8.5; 1969 Topps Football Rack Pack with Geroge Blanda showing GAI 6; 1969 Topps Baseball Rack Pack with Bob Gibson on front GAI 8.5; 1971 Topps Baseball Rack Pack GAI 8; 1957 Topps Cello Pack with Blanda on front and back GAI 6; 1972 Topps Football Series 1 unopened 10-cent Wax Box; and a 1966 Philadelphia Football Cello Pack with Dick Butkus on the back GAI 8.
Finally, to complement this cardboard offering, the current Mile High catalog also features a handful of select pieces of memorabilia, including a 1910-11 Pittsburgh Pirates Sweater attributed to Elmer Steele, a circa 1957 Ted Williams game-used bat graded GU-10, a single-signed Babe Ruth ball graded PSA 7, and a selection of Type 1 Joe Jackson photographs and original Carl Horner studio cabinets.

The Oct. 1 auction appears to offer something for just about everybody, from prewar collectors to post-war, from high-grade aficionados to collector-grade type enthusiasts. According to the Mile High’s auction coordinator, Ben Gassaway, the company is looking forward to “providing stability in the collectibles market by surmounting our firm record despite the current state of the economy.”

Drent, the company’s founder, agrees: “We definitely expect this to be our best event yet. In the past, our operational capacities usually topped us out at around $2.3 million. We were slightly bottlenecked. But this past winter we expanded our offices, hired new personnel, and put together a spectacular selection of material.”

All of the items listed and more are available for bidding either by going to the company’s website at www.milehighcardco.com or contacting MHCC via telephone at (303) 840-2784.

A full-color catalog was mailed to all registered bidders. Potential bidders who would like to receive a catalog can call or e-mail, and a free copy will be sent. The auction will end Oct. 1. Mile High Card Co. will accept bids via website, phone or fax. To register or participate, visit the website or call MHCC directly. Call or email concerning consignments for future auctions.