Records fall in Mile High Card Company auction

Mile High Card Company celebrated its 20th anniversary with a March catalog auction that should set the pace for a bull market in 2017.

Leading the way was a 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle RC PSA 8 that sold for $179,094, a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle BVG 8 NM/MT that brought in $122,826 and a 1925-31 Walter Johnson Game-Used Louisville Slugger Bat PSA/DNA GU 8 that changed hands at a price of $93,326.

“With the amount of exclusive material this auction had to offer, we weren’t the least bit surprised to see some amazing results,” said MHCC President and CEO Brian Drent. “We made it our goal for 2017 to be the best year in Mile High history and this auction has put us on the path toward achieving it.”

Though smaller in size at just under 700 lots, this auction had an extraordinary amount of high-profile sports cards and memorabilia that hadn’t been seen in decades.

Several items broke records for highest prices paid, most notably a 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350/25 Iron Man McGinnity PSA 8 NM/MT that brought in $9,817, nearly tripling the previous world record price. Other record-setters include a 1960 Topps #350 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT that scored a sale of $36,312, nearly $5,000 more than any previous sale; 1966 Topps #30 Pete Rose PSA 9 MINT that sold for $5,316, easily surpassing the previous record of $3,001; a 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky PSA 7 NM that sailed past the previous high of $2,250 to record a sale of $3,043; a 1969 Topps #416 Willie McCovey PSA 10 GEM MINT which sold for $5,224 and blew away the only previously recorded sale; a 1962 Topps #387 Lou Brock Star Rookie PSA 9 MINT that scored a new high of $14,241; and a 1958 Topps #66 Bobby Hull PSA 7 NM, whose $18,613 price also established a new record high for the grade.
Prices realized for key items in the long list of elite cards include a 1909-11 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/30 Ty Cobb Bat Off Shoulder PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $33,453, a 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth PSA 8 NM/MT that was purchased for $68,070, a 1935 Zeenut Joe DiMaggio Throwing with Coupon PSA 2 MK that went to the high bidder for just over $19,000, a 1939 Play Ball #92 Ted Williams PSA 8 NM/MT at $24,574, a 1948 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige PSA 7 NM that was won for $108,039, a 1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $71,106, a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC 60 EX 5 that sold for $32,710, a 1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle Gray Back PSA 9 MINT that netted $47,077, a 1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan PSA 10 GEM MINT that scored $17,747 and a 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky PSA 9 MINT that hammered for $29,621.

Other notables include a 1909-11 T206 Piedmont 350/25 Addie Joss Portrait PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $6,104, a 1916 H801-9 The Globe #182 Hans Wagner PSA 7 NM that changed hands for $10,496, a 1916 M101-5 Sporting News Blank Back #86 Joe Jackson SGC 80 EX/NM 6 that sold for $11,546, a 1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth SGC 80 EX/NM 6 that fetched a price of $15,441, a 1951 Bowman #1 Whitey Ford PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $10,163, a 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle PSA 5 EX netted a near record $11,180, a 1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ that brought in $15,311, a 1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose PSA 8 NM/MT that brought down $6,094 and a 1969 Topps #500 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT sold for $14,581.