Over the recent weekend, Heritage Auctions hosted its Winter Sports Card Auction, which featured an extraordinary sale of rare and valuable sports cards. The highlight of the auction was the premiere SGC graded 1916 M101-5 blank back Babe Ruth rookie card, which reached an astounding sale price of $630,000. Graded 5.5 by SGC, this card is exceptionally rare, with only seven other examples known within SGC’s records. This auction turned out to be a monumental event, with total sales exceeding $11.1 million. Notably, seven items each fetched upwards of $100,000, including the buyer’s premium.
One of the standout items in the auction was a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card, which was immaculately graded PSA 10. This card achieved the highest sale price for a Gem Mint PSA graded copy since September 2021, further solidifying Jordan’s status as one of the most sought-after athletes in the world of card collecting.
The auction also featured a remarkable selection of vintage, still-sealed boxes. One of the highlights was a 1965 Topps Baseball wax box, containing cards from the second, third, and fourth series. This particular box, originating from the collection of Adolph “Herky” Rupp Jr., descendant of the famous Kentucky basketball coach, Adolph Rupp, was sold for an impressive $336,000 after being authenticated by BBCE. Rupp Jr.’s collection also included a 1953 Topps Willie Mays card, graded PSA 8, which commanded a price of $186,000.
In addition to these remarkable finds, the auction unveiled several unopened boxes from a collection that had recently come to light. Acquired toward the end of the previous year, these boxes fetched significant prices. A 1970 Topps Baseball 6th series cello box broke 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 already reached $284,455, with anticipation of surpassing the seven-figure mark as more items are sold in the coming months.
The auction also boasted a collection of nearly two dozen vintage autographed cards that had been amassed by Mike Greenbaum during their time of origin. One of the standout autographed cards was a 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson card, graded 1.5 with an autograph grade of 8, which fetched a remarkable $117,000. A similarly graded signed Roy Campanella card from the same set sold for $69,000, highlighting the enduring appeal of these historic baseball legends.
Among the individual card sales, a T206 Ty Cobb Green portrait, graded PSA 6 and featuring a Piedmont advertising back, sold for an impressive $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 selling for $54,000. The 16th ranked 1969-70 Topps Basketball set fetched $93,000, and an all-PSA 8 1952 Bowman baseball set was acquired for $84,000, showcasing the diverse and valuable selections available at the auction.
Heritage Auctions’ Winter Sports Card Auction was a resounding success, attracting collectors and enthusiasts from around the world. The record-breaking sales of the Babe Ruth rookie card and the Gem Mint Michael Jordan rookie card further solidified their places as iconic pieces of sports memorabilia, leaving collectors and fans eager to see what the next auction will bring.
