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Mile High auction features extensive Ali collection, vintage baseball, basketball, hockey cards
Mile High Card Company is offering one of its most extensive collections of sports cards and memorabilia in its August Premium Auction, a collection that features rare and vintage treasures across multiple sports.
“This is the deepest auction from a perspective of headlining items that Mile High Card Company has ever had,” said MHCC CEO and President Brian Drent. “I know I said that very same thing the last two auctions, but this one really does go above and beyond them all.”
The auction, which features 1,524 lots, opens on July 19 and runs through Aug. 5. Mile High will have auction items on display at The National at booths 612 and 614.
One of the highlights is the most extensive collection of graded Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali cards known to exist. Owned by former NFL wide receiver Brandon Stokely, the collection features nearly 250 lots of highly-graded Ali cards, including many one of one European issues that haven’t been seen in the hobby in decades, as well as complete sets of autographed and limited-print cards that rank #1 on the PSA Set Registry.
Key cards include:
• 1960 Hemmets Journal #23 Cassius Clay Hand Cut PSA 9 MINT.
• 1960 Hemmets Journal Panel #6 John Ljunggren Wilma Rudolph Cassius Clay Harold Nielsen Hand Cut PSA 7 NM.
• 1962 Swedish Rekord Journal Hand Cut Cassius Clay PSA 9 MINT.
• 1966 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #377 Cassius Clay BVG 9.5 GEM MINT.
• 1967 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #451 Cassius Clay PSA 10 GEM MINT.
• 1968 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #308 Cassius Clay PSA 10 GEM MINT, with several #1 rated PSA Set Registry collections.
“It’s an incredibly extensive Muhammad Ali card collection, all graded,” Drent said.
Another highlight is a pair of Michael Jordan game-used, signed sneakers from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals. The shoes are nearly 100 percent photo-matched and sourced to the 1998 Utah Jazz ball boy, who signed the letter of authentication. The sneakers are expected to top $250,000.
“That’s going to be huge,” Drent said. “They are fresh to the hobby and we got it straight from the ball boy. That’s pretty awesome.”
The auction also features eight Michael Jordan rookie cards among an impressive collection of basketball items. Among the basketball highlights are:
• A 1957 Topps Bill Russell #77 rookie (PSA 8), valued at more than $240,000.
• 1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor (PSA 8).
• 1986 Fleer Sticker #8 Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 10).
• A 2003 SP Signature LeBron James rookie Inkorporated (PSA 9), a rare, signed insert from his rookie year.
• A 1961 Fleer #43 Jerry West (PSA )
• 1980 Topps Scoring Leaders Bird Erving Johnson (PSA 9)
• 1997 U.D. Game Jersey #GJ13 Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
• A 1988-89 Fleer Basketball unopened wax case (BBCE) that features Jordan’s third-year card, plus rookie cards of Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, John Stockton and Reggie Miller.
Among baseball items are three rare bats and balls signed by Babe Ruth and Christy Matthewson, including a 1929-30 Babe Ruth game-used, professional model Louisville slugger, graded PSA DNA GU 9. The bat, which according to the provenance was used by Ruth to hit three homes, is expected to fetch $350,000 to $400,000.
There is also a single-signed OAL (Barnard) ball, graded 9 and authenticated by PSA/DNA, JSA and Beckett, that Drent says is “one of the finest single-signed Ruth balls in the entire hobby.”
Another lot features the “finest” Christy Matthewson single-signed ONL ball (JSA) known to exist.
Also available are: 1915 Cracker Jack cards featuring Matthewson (SGC 8.5) and Honus Wager (SGC 8); a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth (SGC 6.5); an impressive collection of Mickey Mantle cards, including a 1951 Bowman (PSA 6.5) that Drent says looks like it’s in “near-mint condition”; and a 1962 Topps #200 Mickey Mantle (PSA 9) that hasn’t been seen in the hobby in at least three or four years and could fetch close to $100,000.
Other auction highlights include:
• 1903 Breisch Williams E107 Cy Young card (SGC VG 3).
• 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson (PSA 7).
• 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson (PSA 8).
• 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson (PSA 7).
• 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle (PSA 2).
• 1954 Topps Hank Aaron (PSA 8).
• 1955 Roberto Clemente (PSA 8).
• 1959 Topps #10 Mickey Mantle (SCG 9).
• 1962 Topps #1 Roger Maris.
• 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson rookie (PSA 9).
• 1958 Topps Jim Brown (PSA 8).
• 1960 Topps Football unopened cello box (BBCE).
• 1958 Alifabolaget #635 Pele rookie card (PSA authentic-altered).
• An extensive vintage hockey collection, including a 1911 C55 Hockey complete master set that is #9 on the PSA set registry and a 1936 O-Pee-Chee Series complete set that is #8 on the PSA registry.
The auction also features numerous wax boxes and cases of unopened material, led by a 1988-89 Fleer Basketball Unopened Wax Box Case BBCE and a 1972 Topps Baseball 5th/6th Series Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE.
For more information on the auction, visit milehighcardco.com.
Jeff Owens is the editor of SCD.
