Over the recent weekend, Heritage Auctions’ Winter Sports Card Auction made history with its remarkable sales. The highlight of the event was the sale of a premiere Babe Ruth rookie card, a 1916 M101-5 blank back card graded 5.5 by SGC, which fetched an astounding price of $630,000. This rare card is one of only seven known examples recorded by SGC. The auction as a whole amassed an impressive total of over $11.1 million in sales, with several items achieving prices upwards of $100,000, including the buyer’s premium. Notably, a Gem Mint PSA 10 Michael Jordan rookie card from the 1986-87 Fleer collection set a new record for the highest sale price for a Gem Mint PSA graded copy since September 2021.
Among the treasures sold at the auction were vintage, still-sealed boxes that garnered great interest. One notable item was a 1965 Topps Baseball wax box, containing cards from the second, third, and fourth series. Originating from the collection of Adolph “Herky” Rupp Jr., the descendant of renowned Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp, this box was authenticated by BBCE and was auctioned for an impressive $336,000. Rupp Jr.’s collection also included a 1953 Topps Willie Mays card graded PSA 8, which commanded a price of $186,000.
The auction also showcased several unopened boxes from a recently discovered collection acquired towards the end of the previous year. These boxes attracted considerable attention, resulting in record-breaking sales. A 1970 Topps Baseball 6th series cello box sold for $105,000, a 1968 Topps Football 1st series 36-pack cello box set a new benchmark at $99,000, and a 1973 Topps Baseball 3rd series 500-count vending box fetched $18,600. The initial sales from this collection, tied to a former Topps employee, reached $284,455, with expectations of surpassing seven figures as more items are auctioned in the coming months.
Furthermore, the auction featured a remarkable assortment of nearly two dozen vintage autographed cards, meticulously collected by Mike Greenbaum during their time of origin. One standout was a 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson card, graded 1.5 with an autograph grade of 8, which achieved the highest sale price in this category at $117,000. Another notable sale was a similarly graded signed Roy Campanella card from the same set, which fetched $69,000.
Individual card sales were also noteworthy, with a T206 Ty Cobb Green portrait, graded PSA 6, and featuring a Piedmont advertising back, selling for $105,000. A 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle card, graded PSA 9, reached an impressive $80,533, while a 1962 Topps Manager’s Dream card, showcasing both Mantle and Mays, sold for $75,000.
Complete sets were in demand as well, with the highest-rated set of 1909-1912 Colgan’s chips discs selling for $54,000. The 16th ranked 1969-70 Topps Basketball set garnered $93,000, and an all-PSA 8 1952 Bowman baseball set was acquired for $84,000, revealing the diverse and valuable selections available in the auction.
Heritage Auctions’ Winter Sports Card Auction truly made waves in the collectibles market, breaking records and showcasing an extraordinary array of rare and valuable cards and sealed boxes. The sale of the premiere Babe Ruth rookie card and the Gem Mint PSA 10 Michael Jordan rookie card exemplified the high demand and enthusiasm among collectors for these iconic sports memorabilia. As the auction concluded with exceptional sales, it solidified Heritage Auctions’ position as a leader in the world of sports card auctions.
