Miller & Miller’s Inaugural, Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia Auction will be Held on January 25

A complete, high-graded 1957 Topps Baseball 407-card set, a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle card PSA graded 1.5 FR, and a partial set (155 of 324) of 1951 Bowman baseball cards, including Mickey Mantle’s highly sought-after rookie card, highlight the Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia auction set to close on Saturday, January 25th at 9am Eastern time by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. This is an online-only auction, with no live webcast portion. Lots will close in sequential order beginning at 9am Eastern time on auction day.

A total of 260 lots – all sports-related and many rare and highly collectible examples – will come up for bid. Online bidding will be available at the Miller & Miller website and Live Auctioneers. “The inaugural Miller and Miller Sports Cards & Memorabilia sale features a lineup of holy grail cards and historically significant memorabilia that offers collectors a rare opportunity to own a diverse selection of items and purchase in Canadian dollars,” said Ben Pernfuss, Consignment Director for the sale. “This is an historic offering of 260 lots of sport collecting’s finest items.”

Historic Baseball Sets

Mr. Pernfuss pointed to Mickey Mantle’s much sought-after 1952 Topps card, alongside his 1951 Bowman card, both graded by PSA, as must-haves for serious collectors. “Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth feature in many aspects, including signed balls, found footage, and original photos, while hockey collectors will be thrilled with the lineup of full sets and pre-war cards,” he said.

The masterfully curated 1957 Topps Baseball 407-card set represents a historic grouping and has become the standard card size for all future baseball card sets. It includes more Hall of Fame inductees than any other set in history and features 407 graded numbered cards, plus four PSA graded checklists representing the set’s four series. The set is expected to bring $65,000-$75,000.

All Estimates in This Report are in Canadian Dollars

The set includes four contest cards that allowed fans to guess game scores to win “top prizes”, each of the four contest cards representing a different game date; the rare Lucky Penny Card and Lucky Penny Keychain that was the redemption prize for receiving this card; and a 1957 Topps 1-cent wrapper that would have housed the cards in this set. All cards are graded 6 and above. Very few items in the world of collecting speak for themselves, but the iconic 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle card is one of them. “Holy grail” is a term that is often used to describe the significance of the card.

The 1952 Topps baseball card set stands as one of the most significant in baseball card collecting. Topps Company founded in 1908. The card holds a PSA 1.5 fair condition grade and displays strong color and eye appeal. The 1.5 FR grade, recently assigned to the card, results from a crease in the top right corner, which falls outside the image of Mantle. The corners are imperfect with most significant softness to the left side corners.

Iconic Sports Memorabilia

Despite that, the card should fetch $30,000-$40,000. The 1951 Bowman partial set of 155 baseball cards features the rare #253 Mickey Mantle rookie card, graded PSA 4.5 VG-EX+. The set also includes the PSA graded 6 EX-MT Ted Williams card, the PSA graded 5 Yogi Berra card, and other Hall of Famers. The set maintains consistency with the grades on these cards, averaging in the range of PSA 5-6 (est. $20,000-$25,000). Lot #94 features the 1966 Topps #35 Bobby Orr rookie card, graded PSA 6 EX-MT. Orr ranks as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, known for his unmatched speed, skill, and offensive ability.

The card is an iconic image of a hockey legend in his first season. The grade describes the card well, with no visible flaws to the field or edges and minimal corner wear (est. $10,000-$15,000). Lot #126 features a Worth Official League baseball signed circa 1927-1930 by Yankees slugger Lou Gehrig, accompanied by a cardboard box with a label from the New Rochelle (New York) Book Store, near where Gehrig grew up. Included is a full PSA/DNA LOA and JSA LOA, a PSA/DNA autograph grade of 8, a baseball grade of 6, and an overall grade of 7 (est. $10,000-$15,000).

Hall of Fame Collection

Lot #130 is a baseball dual signed in blue ink by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Found in Canada, the ball was reportedly signed at a late 1920s Canadian stop of the duo’s “barnstorming” tours. Ruth signed on the “Sweet Spot” position, with Gehrig on the side panel. The ball is a Spalding “Babe Ruth Home Run Special” PSA/DNA and JSA authenticated ball (est. $10,000-$15,000). Lot #128 consists of two circa 1927-28 Type 1 PSA/DNA photographs, one of Babe Ruth and the other of Lou Gehrig, showing the pair in matching batting stances taken during the same “barnstorming” game featuring Babe Ruth’s “Bustin’ Babes” and Lou Gehrig’s “Larrupin’ Lous”.

Both 5 inch by 7 inch photos are encapsulated and in excellent condition (est. $10,000-$12,000). Lot #89 is the 1986-87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan rookie card, widely considered the most desirable Jordan rookie card, accurately depicting one of the greatest basketball players in the world and a must-have in the world of basketball card collecting.

The card is graded Beckett 8 in Near Mint-Mint condition. Visually, the card exhibits only minimal flaws (est. $8,000-$9,000). Here is a link to the auction on the Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. website. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia auction slated for Saturday, January 25th, beginning at 9am Eastern time, please visit there website.