Mantle, Clemente all-stars at Heritage sports collectors auction
One of finest know examples of the 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente #164 rookie card sold for an astounding $310,700. Heritage Auctions image
DALLAS – Mickey Mantle proved himself the undisputed king of postwar baseball memorabilia on July 30 as a PSA-graded 8 example of his Topps 1952 #311 rookie card (below left) realized $382,400 and a 1966 game-worn New York Yankees road jersey (below right) hit $322,650 to lead Heritage Auctions’ $6.1 million Platinum Night Sports offerings at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.
LiveAuctioneers.com provided absentee and Internet live bidding.
The iconic Topps 1952 Mickey Mantle rookie card, PSA-graded 8, knocked it out of the park selling for $382,400, while from the back end of his career, the 1966 Yankees jersey still hit $322,650. Heritage Auctions images
Not terribly far behind was a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente #164 PSA-graded 9, which streaked to its jaw-dropping $310,700. The presented card is one of the finest known examples and one of just 11 Clemente rookies assessed at a Mint 9 level by PSA.
While baseball memorabilia may rule the hobby overall, treasures from the NFL have been making significant inroads in recent years, especially in the form of Super Bowl rings. During the Platinum Night auction there were significant football fireworks when the 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl XX Championship Ring presented to William “Refrigerator” Perry – the largest Super Bowl ring ever created, at an estimated size 25 – soared to an incredible $203,150, the second highest price ever realized for a Super Bowl ring.
One of the stars of auction, a circa 1860 Brooklyn Atlantics Baseball Card – the earliest team baseball card to ever surface for public auction – which garnered massive international media attention, did not disappoint when it’s time came to cross the block, as it realized $179,250. The card, passed down in the family of player Archibald McMahon for more than 150 years, shattered its high estimate of $50,000. It was offered by western Massachusetts resident and New York native Florence Sasso, 75, the great grand-niece-in-law of McMahon.
The earliest team baseball card to ever come up for public auction, this circa 1860 Brooklyn Atlantics, sold for $179,250. Heritage Auctions image
This early 1930s Lou Gehrig game-worn New York Yankees cap realized $179,250. Heritage Auctions image
In near mint (PSA NM-MT 8) condition, the 1914 Cracker Jack baseball card of Joe Jackson, when ‘Shoeless Joe’ played for Cleveland, sold for $101,575. Heritage Auctions image
Click here to view the fully illustrated catalog for this sale, complete with prices realized.
