T206 Wagner, High-Grade Vintage and Modern Cards, Bonds’ 500th HR Ball Headline SCP Auctions Sale
From a T206 Honus Wagner to the personal collection of a former ABA player, Goudey set breaks to a trophy from a Triple Crown winning horse, SCP Auctions’ newly launched Fall Premier Auction cuts a wide swath.
The 1,200-lot catalog also includes the ball hit by Barry Bonds for his 500th home run, a rare pair of autographed Michael Jordan shoes, one of the hobby’s best 1961 Topps baseball sets sold card-by-card and numerous high-end modern era sports cards.
Bidding opened Wednesday.
The T206 Honus Wagner card graded PSA Authentic restored, is the unquestioned headliner. The card is expected to sell for at least $2 million. SCP last sold a Wagner in May 2019, a PSA Good 2 specimen that went for $1.2 million. Since that time, the demand and value for the Holy Grail of sports cards has skyrocketed. Earlier this year, an SGC Authentic restored Wagner brought over $2.5 million at auction.
The sports card offerings span numerous decades but a large section is reserved for the breakup of the 1961 Topps Baseball set with all 587 cards graded either 9 or 10 by PSA. In all, over 200 Gem Mint 10s are being offered, including the #578 Mickey Mantle All-Star, one of just four on the PSA Population Report. The set also features rookie cards of San Francisco Giants ace Juan Marichal and Chicago Cubs outfielder Billy Williams. Both are PSA 10s. The Williams card offered is one of just two Gem Mint 10s in the PSA population report, and the Marichal is one of six. The first card (#1 Dick Groat) and last card (#589 Warren Spahn All Star) in the set are also graded PSA Gem Mint 10, with the Groat being a pop of 2 and the Spahn the only 10 in existence.
The near set of 1933 Goudey cards include two of the four Babe Ruth cards, both Lou Gehrig cards, and the coveted Napoleon Lajoie in a PSA 3.5 grade. The #144 Ruth is a PSA 7 and the #149 Ruth is a PSA 4. A recent example of the #144 in a PSA 7 sold for over $160,000 at auction in June of this year.
Other key vintage cards include a 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie graded PSA 9 and a 1968 Topps #280 Mickey Mantle PSA 10.
Vintage basketball card collectors will be chasing a 1980-81 Topps Larry Bird/Julius Erving/Magic Johnson Scoring Leaders rookie graded SGC 10. The SGC Population Report lists just eight 10s in their library of the 1,520 examples on record.
Modern cards in the auction include a 2020 National Treasures Green Jersey Number Justin Herbert Jersey autograph card (# to 10), a 1 of 1 2017 Immaculate Collection Patch Autographs Tags Kevin Durant and a 1997 E-X2001 Essential Credentials Now Tim Duncan graded BGS 9.5.
Other modern cards include a 2012 Upper Deck All-Time Greats Signatures Silver Michael Jordan (#1/5) and a 2003 SPX Lebron James Jersey Autograph. Both are expected to bring $15,000 or more.
On the memorabilia side of the sale is the ball Bonds blasted into San Francisco Bay for his 500th home run. In a year where he would also break the single-season record for most homers with 73, Bonds’ biggest bomb of the campaign came on April 17, 2001. To date, Bonds is the only player in MLB history to hit 500 home runs and steal 500 bases.
The ball is hitting the hobby for the first time via the man who scooped it out of the depths of the bay, Joseph Figone, who had already grabbed the first ball Bonds hit into McCovey Cove a year prior. That ball is also in the auction.
Only 13 horses have won horse racing’s Triple Crown since 1875, the first season all three races were run and the auction includes a trophy honoring one of them—1978 winner Affirmed. Originally presented to trainer Laz Barrera, the trophy remains in near-mint conditionand carries a $250,000+ pre-sale estimate.
For basketball memorabilia enthusiasts, SCP is presenting a pair of Air Jordan 1 ‘Player Sample’ sneakers with PSA/DNA and Beckett LOAs signed by Michael Jordan during his rookie season. Part of a Nike test, the shoes were made in very limited quantities and were never available in stores. Jordan signed the tongue of the right shoe.
Baseball memorabilia is highlighted by a scarce Roger Peckinpaugh game-worn 1918 New York Yankees road jersey and a ball signed by Christy Mathewson at the 1910 World Series. Peckinpaugh’s jersey is complete with a WWI memorial armband on the left sleeve. This allows it to be dated to the year 1918, when he led the league in double plays turned by a shortstop. The Mathewson signed ball comes with a PSA/DNA LOA.
The collection of former ABA legend John Beasley is being offered by the first time. Beasley was a three-time ABA All Star and MVP of the 1969 ABA All-Star Game. His game-worn full uniforms from all three ABA All-Star game appearances are being offered, as well as his MVP trophy from the 1969 game. The 1968 ABA All-Star game Beasley appeared in was the first in league history.
Several rare and historic PSA/DNA Type 1 original photographs have been consigned to SCP. These lots include a 1984 Chicago Sun Times photo from Jordan’s first contract signing with the Bulls, a rare “Eyes of Lou Gehrig” photograph and a shot from Babe Ruth’s first appearance in a Yankees uniform.
Other significant game-worn jerseys offered include a 2020-21 Stephen Curry jersey photo-matched to two games combining for 68 points, a 1970 Pele Brazil match-worn and signed shirt, a Jan. 29, 2021 Julius Randle gamer, and an Aaron Judge April 26, 2017 New York Yankees jersey from his first home run against the Red Sox.
Some modern era championship jewelry rounds out the ale. A 2018 Washington Capitals Stanley Cup championship ring, 1998 New York Yankees World Series ring, Mel Daniels’ 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame induction ring, and Jason Terry’s 2011 Dallas Mavericks NBA championship ring are all up for grabs.
Bidding continues through October 30 at SCPAuctions.com.
