Topps still tops with collectors of baseball cards

A 1956 Topps Master Set in mint condition achieved $250,000 plus the buyer’s premium in November 2019 at RR Auction. Image courtesy of RR Auction and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Topps baseball cards have been around since the early 1950s. In light of the January 2022 news that the veteran firm has been acquired for roughly $500 million by Fanatics, a sports gear and apparel retailer, it makes sense to take a closer look at the company and the history of baseball cards as well.

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Baseball treasures lurk within AOK May 22 auction

A century of baseball in three baseball cards (left to right): a 1911 Christy Matthewson T201 Mecca cigarettes card; a 1954 Jackie Robinson #10 Topps card; and a 2011 Mike Trout Bowman rookie card (RC) #101. All appear in AOK Auctions’s May 22 sale.
A century of baseball in three baseball cards (left to right): A 1954 Jackie Robinson #10 Topps card; a 1911 Christy Matthewson T201 Mecca cigarettes card; and a 2011 Mike Trout Bowman rookie card (RC) #101. All appear in AOK Auctions’s May 22 sale.

DAMASCUS, Va. – Sometimes, a whole tranche of treasures unexpectedly appears within the lineup of a larger auction. Such is the case with AOK Auction Gallery‘s May 22 sale featuring the Estate of Kelli Martin. Nesting within it is a head-turning selection of scarce baseball memorabilia–autographs, balls, baseball cards, and ephemera. Some pieces are modern, but many are early or vintage. The auction starts at 10 am Eastern time, with absentee and Internet live bidding available through LiveAuctioneers.

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