Own it Now Sale Generates Nearly $500,000

 Content Originally Published by Sports Collectors Daily on Tuesday March 15, 2011.

Paced by the sale of one of the sports card hobby’s most coveted high-grade cards, Memory Lane Inc.’s second Own it Now catalog sale ended with nearly one-half million dollars in sales.

The  three-week event conducted four times per year features only rare or high-grade sports cards and sports memorabilia.  It allows collectors to pay a set price for an item, or take a chance that the item doesn’t sell over a set two-week period and then make an offer during the final week.  The sale opened February 18 and closed Friday, March 11 with 88 lots offered.

The most valuable item sold was a 1948 Leaf Satchel Paige rookie card, considered by many to be the most difficult high-grade post-War baseball card in existence.  Memory Lane offered one graded NM/MT+ (8.5).  It was sold to an east coast collector for an undisclosed price.  The card is notoriously hard to find because it was printed in lesser quantities than its ’48 Leaf brethren and is often found with a host of printing flaws and other defects.

Among the other vintage cards and memorabilia that changed hands were::

• Mint condition 1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig ($75,000)
• 1955 Ted Williams game-used All-Star bat ($57,500)
• 1951 Joe DiMaggio game-used All-Star bat ($49,950)
• 1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb PSA 8  ($27,500)
• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 NM/MT  ($17,500)
• 1888 N162 goodwin Champions Mike “King” Kelly ($15,000)
• 1926 Kut Oaks Babe Ruth die-cut PSA 5  ($12,500)
• 1953 Bowman Color Bob Feller PSA 9  ($9500)

Memory Lane began the Own it Now catalog program as a companion to its quarterly catalog auctions.

The next Own it Now sale will take place later this spring.  Consignments are being accepted until April 30.

Sellers pay a 20% premium for sales made under the Own it Now program.  Buyers pay nothing over and above the price of the item plus shipping costs.

To receive catalogs or consign items to the next event, contact Memory Lane (877.606.LANE (5263) or visit the company’s website.