Over the recent weekend, Heritage Auctions held their Winter Sports Card Auction, where some truly remarkable sales took place. One of the standout items was a premiere SGC graded 1916 M101-5 blank back Babe Ruth rookie card, which fetched an astonishing sale price of $630,000. This particular card, rated 5.5 by SGC, is exceptionally rare, with only seven other examples known within SGC’s records. The auction as a whole was a monumental event, amassing over $11.1 million in total sales.
Among the treasures sold at the auction, seven items each fetched upwards of $100,000, including the buyer’s premium. Notably, a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card, in immaculate PSA 10 condition, achieved the highest sale price for a Gem Mint PSA graded copy since September 2021.
One of the highlights of the auction was the impressive collection of vintage, still-sealed boxes. One of these boxes 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 box fetched an impressive sum of $336,000 after being authenticated by BBCE. Rupp Jr., the descendant of the famed Kentucky basketball coach Adolph Rupp, also had a 1953 Topps Willie Mays card in his collection, which commanded a price of $186,000 with a PSA 8 grade.
Furthermore, the auction featured several unopened boxes from a recently discovered collection, acquired towards the end of the previous year. These boxes proved to be highly sought-after, with a 1970 Topps Baseball 6th series cello box breaking records with a sale of $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 was sold for $18,600. The initial offerings from this collection, tied to a former Topps employee, brought in an impressive $284,455, with expectations of reaching into the seven figures as more items are sold in the coming months.
Vintage autographed cards also garnered significant interest at the auction. Mike Greenbaum’s collection of nearly two dozen of these cards, collected in their time of origin, included a standout 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson card. Graded 1.5 with an autograph grade of 8, this card led the pack at a sale price of $117,000. A similarly graded signed Roy Campanella card from the same set fetched $69,000.
Individual card sales were also impressive at the auction. A T206 Ty Cobb Green portrait, graded PSA 6 with a Piedmont advertising back, sold for $105,000. A 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle card, graded PSA 9, reached $80,533, while a 1962 Topps Manager’s Dream card, showcasing both Mantle and Mays, sold for $75,000.
Complete sets were also on offer, with the highest-rated set of 1909-1912 Colgan’s chips discs fetching $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, showcasing the diversity and value of the auction’s selections.
The sales at Heritage Auctions’ Winter Sports Card Auction were truly historic, with a Babe Ruth rookie card and a Michael Jordan rookie card stealing the spotlight. These record-breaking sales highlight the enduring popularity and value of rare sports cards, making it an exciting time for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
