The summer of 2020 has been great for the higher end collectors within the hobby. The beginning of August saw the top lots from Collect Auctions making headlines, and while not having any individual items breaking the million dollar mark, REA Auctions had some very notable (and valuable) results. Bidders went on a full out battle to out bid each other, and get their hands on the top lots. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable items per category.
Top Card Lot
Lot # 7: 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle SGC EX+ 5.5 - $55,200
Regarded as one of the most iconic “blue chips” of vintage baseball cards, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle is perhaps one of the most famous cards of all time, and one of the most valuable post-war card ever released. This card has been making headlines over the years breaking record after record. The most valuable Mickey Mantle was a 1952 Topps PSA 9 that sold for $2.88 million in 2018. It is therefore no surprise that an EX+5.5 would be worth $55,200. In fact, there was another 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle graded VG EX 4 which sold for $36,000. With prices this high, one can only imagine what a MINT 10 would go for.
Top Pack Lot
Lot # 8: 1952 Topps Unopened Five-Cent Wax Pack PSA NM-MT 8 - $63,000
Considered to be one of the “Holy Grails” of pack collecting, this 1952 Topps unopened wax pack is universally regarded as the ultimate post war wax pack. As only 1 of 2 ever to be given a PSA 8 grading, there have been no other 1952 Topps wax packs with a higher grade. Usually packs of this time period can be seen with faded colors, tears to the wrapper, corner breaks, and even loosened seals but not this one. Lot #8 can be seen at almost mint condition, with vibrant colors, magnificent gloss, and a tight seal.
But why is the 1952 Topps so important? Well, 1952 marked the year when “Giant-Size” Baseball Picture Cards were introduced and essentially changed the entire world of card collecting “overnight”. These new large-format cards were so well received that they kick-started Topps’ dominance in the market, significantly outperforming Bowman.
Top Box Lot
Lot # 15: 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball Unopened Wax Box (36 Packs) - $81,000
This 1986-97 Fleer Basketball unopened wax box contains 36 packs, and comes shrink-wrapped by Baseball Card Exchange. This set marks the first basketball set produced by Fleer since 1961. Topps ruled the basketball card market between the 1960’s and 1980’s, so Fleer stopped producing basketball cards after 1961 out of sheer competition. Having said that this set is loaded to the brim with superstars and rookies of Hall of Famers including the iconic 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 rookie with sold for $99,630 in May, 2020. Despite its age, the wax box seems to be in excellent condition.
Top Case Lot
Lot # 16: 1988-1989 Fleer Basketball Factory Sealed Unopened Wax Box Case (12 Boxes) -$63,000
This 1988-89 Fleer Basketball factory sealed wax box case contains 12 wax boxes, each containing 36 packs of 12 cards and 1 sticker. In total, the case includes 5,184 cards and 180 stickers. The 1988-1989 Fleer set includes the rookie cards of Hall of Famers Scottie Pippen , Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, and John Stockton, as well as cards of several other Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing. While it is impossible to provide guarantees in terms of card grading, seeing as the case and boxes are factory sealed, it would be hard to imagine that a generous supply of Mint 9s and Gem Mint 10s of every player in the set is not present.
Top Card Set Lot
Lot # 1099: 1953 Topps PSA-Graded Near-Complete Set (225/274) - All Graded PSA NM-MT 8! -$60,000
Representing just over 82% of the entire set (274), these 225 cards have all been graded by the PSA as PSA 8’s. Every card looks as if it was pack-fresh, with sharp corners, bold colors, and excellent centering. Despite missing 49 cards for completion, this 1953 Topps near complete set would act as an exceptional foundation of, or addition to, any world-class complete set of this popular 1950’s issue.
Top Sticker Lot
Lot # 14: 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball Stickers Uncut Proof Sheet (121 Stickers) -$63,000
This uncut sheet (40.5 x 28.5 inches) of 121 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball Stickers includes 11 complete sets. It features 99 Hall of Famers (eleven of each player) including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Dominique Wilkins. Despite its age, the sheet is in overall excellent condition with very few and minor flaws such as wear on the corners and edges.
Notable Mention: Top Jersey Lot
Lot # 12: 1997-1998 Michael Jordan Signed Chicago Bulls Game-Used Home Jersey - Ex-Penny Marshall Collection -$250,000
Previously owned by actress and director Penny Marshall who bought the item at a 2005 CharitaBulls auction, this 1997-98 game-used Michael Jordan jersey was worn by the basketball legend during his 1997-98 MVP and World Championship season, which was also his final year with the club. The jersey was also photo-matched to confirm that it was the one Jordan was wearing on April 7, 1998, in a game against the Washington Wizards at the United Center in Chicago. Jordan signed the jersey in 2006 at his youth basketball camp and that signing was supervised and witnessed by a representative of Upper Deck. A truly remarkable piece of sports history and memorabilia worth every dollar of its $250,000 price tag.
Did you take part in this auction? Where there any notable items you saw that should make our list? Let us know in the comments bellow.
Want to continue reading? Here are a few posts you might find interesting:
- Collect Auctions: Top Lots From August 2020
- Derek Jeter Rookie Card: Which To Focus On?
- A Look Back At The 1986-87 Fleer Basketball Set
- 1970 Topps Baseball: Everything You Wanted To Know
