COMPLIMENTARY COPY TM
The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 45, NO. 29 FRIDAY JULY 18, 2014
Baseball Card And Memorabilia Records Set In $8.5 Million REA Auction ollectors of high-end baseball cards and memorabilia were glued to Robert Edward Auctions (REA) as prices soared to astounding levels across the board during the record-setting April 26th auction. An incredible 147 lots sold for $10,000 or more. Nine lots eclipsed the $100,000 mark. The total sales of $8.52 million defined this sale as one of the largest and most successful baseball auctions in collecting history. World Record Prices: A never-before-offered 1874 Boston Red Stockings Cigar poster featuring George Wright sold for $189,600. This set a new world record for a baseball-related advertising poster, and even more significantly, this result also rep-
C
resented a record price for any kind of American advertising poster ever. A 1968 Mickey Mantle jersey, purchased in 1985 as a personal keepsake of his favorite player for the then-princely sum of $5,000 (and, fortunately, kept safely all these years), stunned the owner with its final realized price of $201,450. Carlton Fisk’s iconic home run ball from Game 6 of the 1975 World Series drew national media attention and sold for $142,200. An outstanding 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card in EXMT condition (reserve $25,000) was hammered down at $142,200. A newly-discovered example of 1887 N172 Old Judge tobacco card of Hall-of-Famer Deacon White,
Multiple Groundbreaking Prices Achieved
A 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Series ring sold for $38,512.
The 1874 Red Stockings cigar advertising display poster featuring George Wright set a record for an American advertising poster of any kind, selling for $189,600.
The list of extraordinary record-setting prices seems almost endless. “These results speak for themselves, about the quality of the material offered, about the appreciation of the collecting world for how REA presents items and conducts auctions, about the welldeserved trust collectors have in REA, and about the strength of the market,” said REA president Robert Lifson.
with his portrait on the card misidentified as “McGreachery,” perhaps best illustrates the strength of 19th-century cards at REA. One of only two examples known, the Old Judge “McGreachery” rarity (reserve $10,000) soared to an astounding $130,350. This auction result set a new record for any Old Judge tobacco card ever sold privately or at auction.
The Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig signed baseball, graded NM-MT 8, realized $82,950.
T206 Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb Back: One of only 13 examples known of the legendary T206 Ty Cobb with “Ty Cobb Tobacco” advertising on reverse (reserve $25,000) was consigned by the original collector, who purchased it at Robert Edward Auctions in 1997. In that historic auction 17 years ago, a then newlydiscovered find of five T206 Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb back examples (approximately doubling the known population at the time) were offered at the same time. In 1997, this card sold for $22,224. In Robert Edward Auctions’ 2014 spring sale, it realized an astounding record $154,050. “All T206 Ty Cobb with Ty Cobb advertising back cards are rare and special, and all have gone up in value considerably since 1997,” noted Lifson. “This particular card not only had a special provenance, but there was definitely a consensus that this card
was undergraded. It may have technically graded a modest PSA 1, but it was just a very strong card, far better looking than suggested by the grade. It had everything going for it. There was an overwhelming amount of interest.” 1909 T204 Ramly Tobacco Card Collection: The finest collection of 1909 T204 Ramly Tobacco cards to ever come to auction included a total of 183 cards presented in 101 lots. According to REA vintage card expert Dean Faragi, “This was an unprecedented Ramly collection, both in terms of quantity and quality.” The collector who assembled the Ramlys did so in the early days of the organized hobby, when condition was just starting to have a significant impact on value. “He constantly upgraded his set. When he found a high grade Ramly, even if he didn’t need it, he bought it,” noted Faragi. “His philosophy was ‘You can never have too much of a good thing.’” That philosophy certainly paid off. The Ramly collection realized an astounding total of $297,790. The highest graded T204 Walter Johnson in the collection (reserve $10,000), a remarkable card graded MINT, which was once a part of the collection of legendary hobby pioneer Frank Nagy, all alone sold for $59,250. More $100,000+ Highlights: A 1909-11 T206 “White Border” near complete set that included 518 of the 524 cards in the set (reserve $25,000; estimate $50,000+) sold for an extremely impressive $100,725. The 1889 Brooklyn Base Ball Club Application for Membership in the National League was one of the most hotly contested lots in the auction. REA memorabilia expert Tom D’Alonzo picked the Brooklyn Application as perhaps the most historically significant item in the auction. Said D’Alonzo, “This was a true treasure. It is the single most important document that could possibly exist relating to the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. This application
A 1968 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees signed game-used road jersey sold for $201,450.
An outstanding 1919-22 “Shoeless Joe” Jackson “Black Betsy” promodel bat sold for $65,175.
literally represents the birth of the Brooklyn National League franchise.” Originating directly from the family of former National League president Nicholas Young, it was purchased by the consignor for $27,500 in the mid1990s and has been the centerpiece of his advanced Brooklyn Dodgers collection for the past two decades. As far as value, times have changed! “There’s no putting a value on an item as important as this. There’s no right number. But the final selling price didn’t surprise me at all,” commented D’Alonzo. In this auction, the first and only time (Continued on page 2)
This 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #30 A 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Ty Cobb, PSA NM-MT+ 8.5, sold SGC EX/NM 80 set a record for the for a record $106,650. grade at $41,475.
The 1909 T204 Ramly Tobacco colThis 1915 Boston Red Sox World Champions panoramic photo with Babe lection of 183 cards realized an astounding total of $297,790. A T206 Ty Cobb with “Ty Cobb” Back realized a record $154,050. Ruth sold for an extraordinary $50,362.