Unopened Cases and Ruth, Gehrig Signed Items Lead Lineup at Collect Auctions

Fresh off a sale of a 1975 Topps Baseball unopened cello case that brought $66,570, Collect Auctions again has an excellent assortment of unopened material in a sale that kicks off March 24 and ends April 3.

The cards will be joined by familiar names in the autograph world – Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to name two – in a complete lineup that will feature more than 900 lots covering all of the major sports and political, entertainment and historic subjects.

“We’ve really cemented a corner of the market with our unopened material, and that will continue in this sale, especially on the football side of things,” said Steve Bloedow, director of Collect Auctions. “The 1975 baseball cello case from the last auction turned some heads, and we’re trying to keep that momentum going.”

In the upcoming sale, Collect Auctions will offer unopened vending cases of 1975, 1977, 1981 and 1982 Topps Football, consisting of 24 500-count vending boxes in each case. The 1975 Topps Football case is the biggest draw, with an opening bid of $10,000 and the chance to grab pristine rookie cards of Lynn Swann, Dan Fouts, Joe Theismann, Cliff Branch, Rocky Bleier, Drew Pearson and Mel Blount.

Other unopened material in the lineup includes a 1968-69 Topps Hockey vending box, 1972-73 Topps Hockey vending box, 1972-73 Topps Basketball wax box, 1970 Topps Football Series 1 vending box, 1972 Topps Football Series 1 vending box, 1972 Topps Football Series 2 wax box and 1973 Topps Baseball 4th series wax box, among others.

In the autograph category, Collect Auctions is lining up some heavy hitters, starting with a Babe Ruth double-signed personal check from 1936 (PSA/DNA). Teammate and fellow Yankee icon Lou Gehrig is well represented with a signed 1933 Goudey No. 92 card (graded PSA/DNA 5).

“Gehrig’s signature is one of the most desirable in the entire hobby, and Goudey is one of the popular sets ever, so to find a Goudey card signed by Gehrig is a truly coveted item,” Bloedow commented.

Those two pieces will be joined by Roger Maris and Mel Ott single-signed balls, a Jackie Robinson signed check (1972), a Ruth cut signature dated to 1943 and other Hall of Fame items.

In other sports, impressive signed items include a Michael Jordan signed 1987-88 Chicago Bulls hand-painted warm-up jersey (UDA), Wilt Chamberlain signed Spalding basketball, Wayne Gretzky signed Easton hockey gloves (UDA), Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier signed George Kalinsky lithograph and Julius Erving and Connie Hawkins ABA reunion signed basketball.

Team-signed lots in the auction include a 1972 Miami Dolphins Ron Lewis litho (Artist’s Proof 4/17), 1996 N.Y. Yankees World Champions team-signed ball, 1961 N.Y. Yankees World Champions Ron Lewis litho with Maris cut signature, 1969 N.Y. Mets cut signature display, 1969 N.Y. Jets Super Bowl III helmet and 1986 N.Y. Giants Super Bowl XXI Giants helmet.

The non-sport signatures in the auction are equally as impressive, starting with an Apollo 11 crew-signed photo with Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin (PSA/DNA 9.5). There’s also a James Polk and James Buchanan dual-signed appointment; “Million Dollar Quartet” 11-by-14 photo signed by Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins (PSA/DNA 10); Elvis Presley signed personal check to a member of the Memphis Mafia (1971); and a Marilyn Monroe signed check (1959) with Joe DiMaggio cut signature display.

For more information on this sale, including information on uncut sheets, game-used bats and Miracle on Ice team-signed items, visit www.collectauctions.com. Call (888) 463-3036 for more information.