Wagner, Gehrig Pieces Top Inaugural Auction

Originally Posted by Sports Collectors Daily on May 4th, 2009.

Legendary Auctions, operated by former members of the recently dissolved Mastro Auctions' team, wrapped up its first catalog sale early Friday morning.

The two-day event included over 1,000 sports and Americana items.

A 1910 Tip Top Bread Honus Wagner card, graded SGC 60, was the top selling item, bringing a final bid of $23,000. With the company's 20% buyer's premium added on, the final realized price for the regional card was $27,600. Tip Top honored the 1909 World Series champs with a promotional set of 25 cards that could be obtained by mailing in bread wrappers.

A number of T206 cards were offered, highlighted by a Ty Cobb portrait in PSA 8 condition that sold for $19,200 and a group of 195 different PSA 5s ($19,200).

A previously unknown 1934 Goudey window advertising sign promoting the card issue and spokesman Lou Gehrig's "Knot Hole League" brought 26 bids and a final price of $26,400.

One tough to find basketball card set also broached the $20,000 mark. In 1968, Topps offered a 'test issue' the year before jumping back into the basketball arena a year later. A group of 18 graded 1968-69 Topps test cards, four short of a full set of 22, sold for $24,000.

A 1953 Topps baseball set of 274, including 62 PSA 8s, topped out at $22,800 while a 1957-58 Parkhurst hockey near set of 47 cards, all graded, brought $19,200 including the buyer's premium.

Topping the memorabilia portion of the sale was a University of Iowa letterman's sweater and high school football helmet once worn by 1939 Heisman Trophy winner Nile Kinnick of Iowa, who was killed in World War II. The items brought $21,600.

Among the other sports memorabilia items sold by Legendary:

• Single-signed Hughie Jennings ball dating from the 1920s $15,600
• Nellie Fox 1949 era Philadelphia A's jersey $15,600
• 1917-18 era Babe Ruth autographed baseball $12,000