1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth PSA 7 Hits Record $2.46M in Mile High Card Company November Auction

CASTLE ROCK, CO. - A 1916 M101-4 Sporting News Babe Ruth PSA 7 NM rookie card brought in a record price of $2.46M to pace Mile High Card Company’s November Auction, a year-ending event that generated over $5.7M in total sales. “We were pleased with the outcome of the Ruth rookie card, but the results all across the board only confirm that the hobby is still strong and getting stronger,” said MHCC President and CEO Brian Drent.   

Following the M101-4 Ruth were two of the most significant cards of the modern era; a 1993 SP Foil #279 Derek Jeter PSA 10 GEM MINT that sold for $369,628 and a 2017 National Treasures Holo Silver #161 Patrick Mahomes II Rookie Jersey Patch Auto (RPA) 20/25 BGS 9 MINT AUTO 10 that fetched $164,784. Even with a fantastic trio like this pacing the event, the auction was filled with record-shattering results: a 1950-51 Toleteros Joshua Gibson PSA 4 VG-EX sold for $106,648, nearly five times the previous record sale for the grade, 1911 T205 Gold Border Ty Cobb PSA 5 EX set a new top mark with a sale of $13,729, 1934 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig SGC 7 NM went from a previous high of $11K to $19,003, 1934 Goudey #62 Hank Greenberg PSA 6.5 EX-MT+ went from a previous high of $1,500 to a new record $5,542, 1948 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige PSA 1.5 FAIR that pushed the old record of $10K to a new high of $22,906, 1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays PSA 6.5 EX/MT+ that edged out the previous record at $35,009, 1954 Topps #37 Whitey Ford PSA 9 MINT that sold for $21,553, breaking the record mark by over $7,000, 1956 Topps #135 Mickey Mantle Gray Back PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ that pushed the new record higher by over $5,000 with a sale of $35,009, 1956 Topps #5 Ted Williams Gray Back PSA 9 MINT that took in $32,274 and broke the previous record by more than $7,000, 1956 Topps #30 Jackie Robinson Gray Back PSA 9 MINT that pushed the previous mark of just over $43,000 to an amazing $57,035, 1954 Topps #128 Henry Aaron PSA 8 NM/MT that set a new highwater mark at $64,515, and a 1926 Lambert & Butler Who's Who in Sport #2 R.T. Jones PSA 9 MINT, one of the finest in existence, selling for $43,225 and breaking the sales record set in a previous MHCC auction. And then there were the low-pop GEM MINT 1969 Topps baseball cards that obliterated all previous sales; 1969 Topps #55 Jerry Grote PSA 10 GEM MINT at $17,873, 1969 Topps #72 Ron Taylor PSA 10 GEM MINT at $30,577, 1969 Topps #90 Jerry Koosman PSA 10 GEM MINT at $11,423, 1969 Topps #112 J. C. Martin PSA 10 GEM MINT at $15,800, 1969 Topps #343 Dan Frisella PSA 10 GEM MINT at $15,800, 1969 Topps #364 Tommie Agee PSA 10 GEM MINT at $15,800, 1969 Topps #585 Ron Swoboda PSA 10 GEM MINT at $11,543, 1969 Topps #601 Tug McGraw PSA 10 GEM MINT at $14,548, and 1969 Topps #402 Ken Boswell PSA 10 GEM MINT at $15,276.

Other key cards were a pair of 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle cards, graded PSA 3 and PSA 2, selling for $70,367 and $34,210 respectively, a 1948 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige PSA 3 VG that brought in $27,534, 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson PSA 5 EX that closed at $34,714, 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle PSA 6 EX/MT that took in $44,308, 1957 Topps #77 Bill Russell PSA 6.5 EX-MT+ selling for $42,197, 1961 Fleer #8 Wilt Chamberlain PSA 8 NM/MT that closed at $50,548, 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson PSA 8 NM/MT that took down $21,488, and on the more modern side of the hobby, a 2000-01 SP Authentic Sign Of The Times Triple #KBMJMG Bryant/Jordan/Johnson 05/25 BGS sold for $45,388, 2007 U.D. Chronology #138 Michael Jordan Autograph 28/99 PSA DNA Cert 9 MINT selling for $21,307, and a 2019 Panini Passing The Torch #PTTT-13 Brady/Manning/Mahomes Autograph 1/5 PSA 6 EX/MT Auto 9 netted $17,098,

Collectors of unopened material and memorabilia were once again very satisfied with the assortment of this auction, led by an amazing 1979 Chicago Black Hawks/Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky NHL Debut Ticket Stub PSA 3 VG (MK) that impressed with a close of $101,567, a  pair of 1989 Upper Deck baseball low number unopened wax cases that sold for $7,257 each, 1968 Topps Baseball Wax Pack 3rd Series PSA 8 NM-MT nabbing $6,514, 1971 Topps Baseball Wax Pack 1st Series PSA 7 NM bringing in $4,334, 1996-97 Bowman's Best Basketball Unopened Hobby Box that brought in $5,105, 2012-13 Panini Marquee Basketball Unopened Hobby Case that netted $5,617, and 2012-13 Panini Basketball Elite Factory Sealed Unopened Hobby Case that fetched $6,169, An Exceptional Babe Ruth Autographed Home Run Ticket 8/11/1926 HR #346 PSA/DNA that sold for $13,501 led the impressive selection of memorabilia, which included a 1919 Joe Jackson Type I Original Photograph With Fabulous Image of Jackson Batting PSA/DNA taking in $13,404, Ken Griffey Jr. Signed Team Ball When He Was 14 Years Old JSA that garnered strong interest and sold for $6,169, and a rare 

If you were looking for high-quality complete sets, you found them in the MHCC November auction as well with offerings of a 1911 T201 Mecca Double Folder Complete Set - Completely PSA Graded #10 on PSA Set Registry that brought down $22,906, 1960 Topps Football Complete Set #3 Finest on PSA Set Registry selling for $18,865, 1971-72 Exceptionally Scarce Bazooka Hockey Complete Set that cleared $11,318, and a 1966 Batman Riddler Back Near Complete High Grade Set - Completely PSA Graded With Secret Decoder #4 Finest on PSA Set Registry, selling for $11,716. 

As always, we are immensely grateful to our incredible bidders and consignors for helping us present another ground-breaking auction and are currently accepting consignments for our first auction of 2022, so if you desire the maximum possible return for your prized sports cards and memorabilia, please call our office at (303) 840-2784 to speak with one of MHCC’s experts, or visit our website at www.milehighcardco.com