REA Marketplace netting big sales; key cards on display at National Sports Collectors Convention
Since launching its own online store in March, REA has done almost $2 million in sales at its new REA Marketplace, including a record-breaking, six-figure sale of NBA classic.
A PSA 10 copy of the iconic 1980 Topps Basketball Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rookie card (with Julius Erving) sold for $600,000, the highest sale of the classic card since 2022.
Other REA Marketplace highlights include:
• A E90-1 Joe Jackson rookie card for $155,000, the highest price ever for the card in PSA VG 3 grade.
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• 1939 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio (PSA MINT 9) (Highest Graded) for $150,000.
• 1948-1949 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson Rookie PSA EX-MT 6 for $49,875, a record for the card in that grade.
The REA Marketplace has consistently featured 800-1,000 items in its inventory, with new items added almost every day. It will have several cards and collectibles on display at its booth (#812) at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago July 30-Aug. 3.
REA's Summer Catalog Auction opens July 29 and runs through Aug. 17. Highlights from the Summer Auction will be displayed at REA Booth #2310 at The National, while REA Marketplace items will be on display and available for purchase at booth #812.
Here's a look at five must-see items from the Summer Auction that REA will have on display at The National:
• 1949 Bowman #50 Jackie Robinson (PSA NM-MT+ 8.5). The 1949 Bowmans have always posed a problem for condition-minded collectors, making high-grade examples hard to find. Of 1,861 cards graded by PSA, only a dozen have a higher grade.
• 2001 Bowman Chrome Japanese #351 Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Gold Refractor #52/99 (PSA GEM MINT 10).
The finest example of the top rookie card of the new Hall of Famer. The offered example is the Japanese text variation (relating to the stats and bio printed on the back, which were printed in both English and Japanese). Available only via redemption cards that expired in 2003, only 99 Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Ichiro rookie cards were produced—50 English text examples with odd serial numbers, and 49 Japanese text examples in even serial numbers. This is the only Japanese text variation with a PSA 10 grade. There are no BGS 10 examples on record. All 49 examples of the Japanese text variations are accounted for, and none appear to remain ungraded, making this the highest-graded version.
• 1986 Topps Football #161 Jerry Rice Rookie (PSA GEM MINT 10). Of the 40,178 Rice rookies submitted to PSA from the 1986 Topps football set, only 63 have received a top grade.
• 1954 Dan-Dee Potato Chips Mickey Mantle (SGC MINT 9). One of the most difficult Mantle cards to find in a high grade, this SGC 9 is one of the three highest graded examples known to exist.
One of Mantle’s most attractive cards, the 1954 Dan-Dee cards were issued one card per package with Dan-Dee Potato Chips. As a result, they usually have condition issues, including creases and potato-chip grease stains. This is one of the top sets among 1950s food issues and one of Mantle’s most coveted cards.
• Pete Rose Cincinnati Reds signed and photo-matched game-used home jersey from 1976 World Championship season. Graded A9.5 by MEARS and photo-matched by Resolution Photomatching, Rose signed and inscribed the jersey in black marker on the right breast.
Moderate wear is exhibited throughout, including some light soiling on the front and back. The jersey is photo-matched to one Rose wore against the Atlanta Braves in Cincinnati Oct. 1-3 of 1976. The Reds swept the Yankees in the 1976 World Series.