Auctions
Reggie Jackson, Nolan Ryan rookie cards top Memory Lane Rarities Auction
When Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan broke into the big leagues in 1968, few imagined that they would become Hall of Famers and two of the greatest players in MLB history.
Jackson batted .250 with 29 home runs and 74 RBI in 154 games for the Oakland A’s. Ryan pitched 134 innings for the New York Mets, producing a 6-9 record with 133 strikeouts.
Jackson would break out in a big way in 1969, belting 47 home runs with 118 RBI. Ryan pitched just 89 innings for the “Miracle Mets” in 1969, going 6-3 with 92 strikeouts for the surprising World Series champions.
Both would go on to establish themselves as game-changing stars, Jackson as an elite slugger and Ryan as one of the most dominant pitchers in the game. Jackson finished his Hall of Fame career with 563 home runs and 1,702 RBI. Ryan won 324 games, tossed a record seven no-hitters and finished his career with a record 5,714 strikeouts.
Both also have two of the most coveted rookie cards from the 1960s.
Jackson’s 1969 Topps Rookie card, graded PSA 9 with a PSA 10 autograph, topped the Spring Rarities Auction at Memory Lane Inc., selling for $135,484.
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An autographed 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie card, graded PSA 8 with a 10 autograph, sold for $116,742.
The $7.75 million auction featured several other big sales, including:
• A 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige rookie, graded PSA 7, which sold for $184,736, a record for the grade, surpassing the previous mark of $158,600 set last year.
• A signed 1984 Topps John Elway rookie card, graded PSA 10 with 10 autograph, brought $111,182.
• A signed 1984 Topps Dan Marino rookie card, with dual 10 grades, reached $79,015.
• A 2024 Topps 50/50 Shohei Ohtani Autograph Relic Gold card, numbered to 50 and graded PSA 10 with a 9 autograph, sold for $96,043.
Other vintage baseball cards that netted big sales included:
• A signed 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson card, graded PSA 3 with an 8 autograph: $61,909.
• A signed 1970 Topps Super Roberto Clemente card, graded PSA 7 with a 9 autograph: $38,359.
• A 1964 Topps Pete Rose card, graded PSA 9: $79,015.
• A 1959 Topps Roberto Clemente (PSA 9): $78,235.
• A 1963 Topps Stan Musial (PSA 9): $62,479.
• A 1954 Topps Yogi Berra (PSA 9): $28,030.
• A 1969 O-Pee-Chee Roberto Clemente (PSA 10): $38,359.
• A 1968 O-Pee-Chee Clemente PSA 9: $27,258.
• A 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie (PSA 8): $19,541.
Several pre-war cards also netted big sales, including:
• An 1888 N162 Goodwin Champions Cap Anson (PSA 7): $85,141.
• 1887 N172 Old Judge Ed Delahanty (PSA 5.5): $58,961
• A trio of high-grade E98 cards, including Ty Cobb at $41,903, Cy Young at $43,484 and Lefty Grove at $48,416.
Several T206 tobacco cards also attracted heavy bidding. A Christy Mathewson White Cap PSA 8 realized $122,579, while a Mathewson Portrait PSA 8 sold for $91,470.
Two Ty Cobb examples brought $47,257 and $40,823, respectively, and a Hughie Jennings Portrait PSA 8 sold for $42,864.
