Record-Shattering Prices Highlight $5.5 Million Mile High Card Company August Auction

CASTLE ROCK, CO - A 1962 Topps #200 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT sold in 2017 for the record sum of $35,248. Mile High Card Company’s just completed August auction pushed the new record to a whopping $158,497 and set the pace for a slew of cards, unopened material, and memorabilia that attracted attention from all areas of the hobby and paced new record prices. MHCC CEO Brian Drent couldn’t help but be pleased with the events of the last few weeks, “After coming home from an amazingly successful consignment campaign at the National, we were gratified to see so many record and near-record prices. If there is a slowdown in the market, we certainly didn’t see it in last night’s results.”  

 

Some the standout items that brought in record prices include a 1915 Cracker Jack #68 Honus Wagner SGC 8 NM-MT, over $8,000 higher than the previous mark with a winning bid of $21,815, 1915 Cracker Jack #88 Christy Mathewson SGC 8.5 NM-MT+ that beat the previous record by over $10,000 with a sale of $25,285, 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth SGC 6.5 EX/NM that topped out at $44,685, 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle PSA 6.5 EX/MT+ closing at $81,460, almost double the previous record price for the grade, 1952 Topps #312 Jackie Robinson PSA 7 NM that more than tripled the previous record price of $12,905 with a sale of $38,271, 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente PSA 7 NM edging out the old record mark at $21,841, 1962 Topps #1 Roger Maris PSA 9 MINT that sold for an eye-popping $67,702, over $25,000 more than the record price set just three months ago, 1962 Topps #594 Bob Uecker PSA 9 MINT that more than doubled the previous record with a winning bid of $21,553, 1960 Topps #62 Frank Ryan PSA 10 GEM MINT that earned an astonishing $18,570, 1911 C55 #38 Georges Vezina PSA 5 EX that set a new mark at $13,501, and 1923 V145-1 Paterson #15 Howie Morenz PSA 4 VG-EX  that shattered the old record of $14,101 with a sale of $16,276.

 

The list of marquee sports cards in the August Auction and the prices realized were truly astounding, with a 1903 Breisch Williams E107 Cy Young SGC VG 3 selling for $59,481, 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson PSA 7 NM bringing in $112,782, 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA 2 GOOD fetching $57,931, 1954 Topps #128 Henry Aaron PSA 8 NM/MT drawing a winning bid of $52,525, 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente PSA 8 NM/MT netting the highest sale in over five years at $81,519, 1969 Topps #260 Reggie Jackson PSA 9 MINT that took in $50,004, 1957 Topps #77 Bill Russell PSA 8 NM/MT topping out at $148,943, 1961 Topps #8 Wilt Chamberlain PSA 8 NM/MT beating the last three sales by well over $20,000 with a winning bid of $72,181, 1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor PSA 8 NM/MT that sold for $27,839, 1980 Topps Scoring Leaders Bird Erving Johnson PSA 9 MINT that impressed at $22,009, 1986 Fleer Sticker #8 Michael Jordan PSA 10 GEM MINT that closed at $63,942, 1997 U.D. Game Jersey #GJ13 Michael Jordan PSA 9 MINT that closed at $43,195, 2003 SP Signature #RI-LJ LeBron James Rookie Inkorporated PSA 9 MINT bringing in $28,559, and a 1999 Pokemon Game 1st Edition #4 Charizard Holo PSA 9 MINT that led the non-sports category with a winning bid of $27,754. 

 

Other key cards and their winning bids include 1909-1911 T206 Sweet Caporal 350/30 Ty Cobb Red Portrait PSA 5 EX at $13,729, 1948 Bowman #36 Stan Musial PSA 8 NM/MT at $14,057, 1949 Bowman #224 Satchell Paige PSA 8 NM/MT at $24,052, 1949 Bowman #50 Jackie Robinson PSA 8 NM-MT at $56,554, 1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays PSA 6 EX/MT at $16,693, 1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks PSA 8 NM/MT at $23,692, 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax PSA 8 NM/MT at $29,239, 1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle Gray Back PSA 8 NM/MT at $14,761, 1959 Topps #10 Mickey Mantle SGC 9 MINT at $18,865, 1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose PSA 8 NM/MT at $14,779, Extremely Rare 1967 Topps Stand Up Willie Mays-Final Production that saw heavy bidding and closed a $30,333, 1973 Topps #615 Mike Schmidt RC PSA 9 MINT sold for $17,501, 1994 SP Foil #15 Alex Rodriguez PSA 10 GEM MINT at $13,847, 1981 Topps #21 Magic Johnson PSA 10 GEM MINT at $13,186, 1986 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan PSA 9 MINT at $22.563, 1996 Topps Chrome #138 Kobe Bryant PSA 10 GEM MINT at $11,605, and 1957 Topps #138 John Unitas PSA 8 NM/MT at $15,500.

 

Fanatics of “The Louisville Lip” weren’t disappointed at the breakup of the greatest Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali collection ever assembled, courtesy of three-time Super Bowl Champion Brandon Stokley, as a 1960 Hemmets Journal #23 Cassius Clay Hand Cut PSA 9 MINT sold for $88,818, 1960 Hemmets Journal Panel #6 John Ljunggren Wilma Rudolph Cassius Clay Harold Nielsen Hand Cut PSA 7 NM closed at $14,886, 1965 Edizioni Lampo I Grandi Campioni #154 Cassius Clay PSA 3 VG sold for $20,331 (that last sale in 2012 was for $306), 1965 Collezioni Lampo I Grandi Campioni #154 Cassius Clay PSA 7 NM netted $15,138, 1967 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #451 Cassius Clay PSA 10 GEM MINT received heavy bidding and closed at $7,257, and 1968 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #308 Cassius Clay PSA 10 GEM MINT sold for $12,424. 

 

The 1929-30 game-used Babe Ruth bat, selling for $220,114, was joined by an impressive list of autographs and memorabilia, with a Spectacular Babe Ruth Single-Signed OAL (Barnard) Ball PSA/DNA and JSA, Beckett Ball and Auto 9 closing at $138,914, Exceptional Baseball Hall of Fame Multi-Signed Photograph Featuring Ruth, Cobb, Speaker, Wagner, Lajoie, Collins JSA- One Of Two Known Copies that took in $21,488, Incredible Christy Mathewson Single-Signed ONL Ball JSA-The Finest Single-Signed Mathewson Ball Known to Exist that closed at $71,984 after a hard-fought battle, Ty Cobb Single-Signed OAL (Johnson) Ball Dated In His Hand JSA that sold for $45,848, Walter Johnson Single-Signed OAL Ball PSA/DNA and JSA selling for $57,035, and Michael Jordan Game Used and Signed Sneakers From The 1998 NBA Finals Game One With Nearly 100% Photo Match, Jordan's Last NBA Finals- Sports Investors Auth, JSA- Sourced From Utah Jazz ball boy that found a new collection at $120,585

 

A strong selection of wax boxes and cases caught the eye of collectors of unopened material, led by a 1988-89 Fleer Basketball Unopened Wax Box Case BBCE that was featured at the National and sold for $91,876, and including a 1972 Topps Baseball 5th/6th Series Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE that fetched $32,512, 1974 Topps Baseball Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE selling for $14,176, 1975 Topps Baseball Unopened Wax Box BBCE taking in $29,272, 1974-75 Topps Basketball Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE closing at $13,387, 1960 Topps Football Full Unopened Cello Box BBCE that saw spirited bidding before landing at $56,554, 1975 Topps Football Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE that sold for $12,748, and a 1976 Topps Football Full Unopened Wax Box BBCE that sold for $19,809. A 1976 Topps Football Cello Pack with a Walter Payton Rookie Card on Top PSA 9 MINT received heavy bidding and closed at $7,745. 

 

There were plenty of top-ranked sets available as well with 1953 Glendale Hot Dogs Complete Set Completely PSA Graded #2 Finest on PSA Set Registry bringing in $22,671, 1956 Topps Near-Complete Super Set #8 Current Finest on PSA Set Registry changing hands for $40,688, 1958 Hires Root Beer With Tabs Complete Set #1 Finest on PSA Set Registry that sold for $42,558, 1911 C55 Hockey High-Grade Near-Complete Master Set Completely PSA Graded #9 Finest on PSA Set Registry was broken up and sold individually for a total of $35,507, and 1936 O-Pee-Chee Series D Near Complete Set #8 On PSA Set Registry, also broken up to the tune of $15,420. Other standout assemblages include 1933 Goudey Complete Set With PSA Graded ($57,338), 1952 Topps Complete Set With Graded Mantle ($47,658), 1955 Topps Baseball Complete Set Nearly All PSA Graded ($25,285), Unique 1991 Topps Desert Shield Kindred "Factory Set" Given to Topps Executive with Extensive Family Provenance ($24,667), and 1951 Parkhurst High Grade Near-Complete Set (98/105) Completely PSA Graded ($42,197).

MHCC would like to thank our incredible bidders and consignors for another wildly successful auction as well as the fantastic material that we acquired at the National, and there’s still time to join in with consignments for the October auction. If you desire the maximum possible return for your prized sports cards and/or memorabilia, please call our office at (303) 840-2784 to speak with one of our team of experts, contact us at www.milehighcardco.com, or visit us as The National.