Records Fall in Mile High Auction, M101-4 Sporting News Ruth Tops $90K

The sportscard memorabilia market continues to show that high-grade cards are a good investment, as prices keep rising, even for cards that sold just months ago.

The latest testament to the rising market is the Mile High Card Co. sale that concluded in mid-March in which several examples set records and prices continued to skyrocket.

“We’re incredibly pleased with the overall results of the auction and presume it is an indicator that our industry is entering a bull market. The Goudeys and 1961 Topps cards brought in some monstrous prices, and the Namath card … wow!” said Mile High's CEO and President Brian Drent.

The aforementioned Joe Namath card, a 1965 Topps rookie card graded PSA 8, sold for $22,394, almost double the previous record set in the December 2014 MHCC auction.

A break-up of the No. 2 PSA Set Registry-rated collection of 1961 Topps Baseball yielded a cumulative total of $161,258 with record-breaking results: #300 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 - $7,375, #133 Ralph Houk PSA 9 - $4,872, #405 Gehrig Benched PSA 10 - $4,316, #2 Maris PSA 9 - $4,161, #160 Whitey Ford PSA 9 - $3,993, #484 Aaron MVP PSA 10 - $3,630, #260 Drysdale PSA 10 - $3,567, #138 Murtaugh PSA 9 - $3,325, #581 Frank Robinson All-Star PSA 10 - $3,242, #559 Jim Gentile PSA 9 - $3,022, and #563 Bob Cerv PSA 9 - $3,000.

The break-up of a Top 10 1933 Goudey collection produced similarly successful results with both PSA 8 Babe Ruth cards (#144 and 181) realizing at or near record sale prices of $28,880 and Ruth’s PSA 7 #53 and #149 earning new top prices of $27,505 and $24,366, respectively. Card #25 Paul Waner nearly doubled its previous PSA 8 record with a price of $8,726 and #235 Fred Fitzsimmons PSA 9, a card that previously sold for a high of just over $3,300 in 2012, brought in the staggering sum of $9,422.

Of course, the centerpiece of this auction was the M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie card graded EX, which sold for $90,053. Just four months ago the same card sold for $77,675 by another auction house.

Joe Montana’s PSA 10 graded 1981 Topps rookie card pushed past its previous high, also in the December 2014 MHCC auction, with a winning bid just under $15,000.

Other incredible pieces that re-wrote the record books for prices realized include a 1910 Tip Top Bread Honus Wagner PSA 5 at $42,039 (nearly $13,000 over its last sale), 1912 T227 Series of Champions Ty Cobb PSA 6 at $21,048, 1968 Topps 3-D Boog Powell – Stamped Reverse PSA 9 at $13,721 (last sale was $4,500) and an 1895 Mayo Cut Plug Ed Delahanty EX/NM at $12,299.

Two extraordinary 20th century baseball pin sets were offered and performed admirably: a 1909-12 Sweet Caporal pin set, ranked #2 on PSA’s Set Registry sold for $24,579 and the No. 1 PSA ranked Domino Disc set from the same time period sold for $21,226. Also, the No. 2 PSA ranked 1955 Topps Rails and Sails complete set brought in a strong $19,567.

Full results are available for viewing at: www.milehighcardco.com.