Auctions
Vintage hoops cards from Topps’ first 1957 Basketball set headlines Memory Lane Rarities Auction
The return of Topps Basketball has rejuvenated the basketball card hobby, sending hoops collectors searching for this year’s hottest rookies and coveted vintage cards.
Memory Lane Inc. has a wide selection of iconic basketball cards in its 2026 Winter Rarities Auction, including Topps’ very first basketball set.
One of the highlights of the auction, which opened Jan. 5, is the 1957-58 Topps Basketball set, which features such icons as Bill Russell, Hall of Famers Cliff Hagan, Frank Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn and Larry Costello, and rookie cards of Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit, Jack Twyman and Tom Gola. Nearly all of the cards in the historic 80-card set are graded PSA 8 or better.
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The auction, which runs through Jan. 31, also features a large group of autographed cards, including the 1980-81 Larry Bird-Magic Johnson-Julius Erving tri-panel gem, cards from the iconic 1986-87 Fleer Basketball set, and multiple 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan cards.
One of the most unique items features NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar—an exceptionally rare ticket from a Jan. 30, 1965 high school game between the previously-named Lew Alcindor and New York’s Power Memorial and DeMatha High School of Washington, DC. Alcindor, who later changed his name to Abdul-Jabbar, helped DeMatha end Power’s 46-game winning streak in a game often referred to as the greatest high school basketball showdown ever.
The auction is also headlined by an array of Pre-War cards, including two PSA 8 examples of iconic T206 Ty Cobb “bat off shoulder” and “bat on shoulder” cards. Bidding for each opened at $50,000. Also featured is a rare Drum Tobacco back T206 Sam Crawford card from the iconic set collectors refer to as “The Monster.”
Other Pre-War gems include 1915 Cracker Jack cards of Cobb, Joe Jackson and Walter Johnson, as well as several Babe Ruth cards.
There are also a pair of 1950s set breaks, one of which represents the second half of a complete, high-grade set of 1953 Topps baseball cards that began in Memory Lane’s Summer Rarities Auction. Among the gems offered this time are PSA 8 examples of both the #1 Jackie Robinson and the #244 Willie Mays, and PSA 9s of Whitey Ford and Roy Campanella.
The auction features hundreds of rare and high-grade single cards from every major sport, including: multiple Jackie Robinson rookie cards; a PSA 7 Mickey Mantle rookie; three of the iconic 1952 Topps Mantle cards; the top-ranked 1951 Topps Red Back master set, with each in two-player panel form; and vintage football cards, including a PSA 10 Joe Montana rookie.
As usual, Memory Lane features a nice collection of Babe Ruth cards, including a rare 1920 National Caramel (E220); 1921 Exhibit; and a 1923 World Series Game 6 full ticket that marks the first ever New York Yankees World Series title. There are also autographed baseballs pairing Ruth with fellow greats like Lou Gehrig and Dizzy Dean.
Also featured is a selection of autographed Pete Rose memorabilia along with game-used autographed items collected by former big league pitcher Tom Candiotti.
