I’m continuing with the “card prices on the move” information this week, but I’m also investigating other data that I think could be interesting and relevant. That said, what would help me is knowing one thing: what’s your biggest problem as a collector?
Or, if you’d rather, you can email me at [email protected].
If you’re having a specific problem as a collector, it’s likely you’re not the only one, and if the same concern(s) keep popping up (especially if they’re data-related), that’ll help me provide info that’s valuable to all of you, which is my main goal with the newsletter.
In this issue you'll find:
Auction highlights
News in the hobby
Vintage sports card prices on the move
Harry Carson’s rookie card and player profile
Recent Vintage Card Voyage videos
ICYMI
Let’s get into it.
Auction Highlights
In order of closing date (as of Sunday evening PT):
Hunt Auctions (ending on April 29)
🏀 1969 Topps Rulers 13 Different w/ 7 HOFers (Raw) - $92
⚾ 1963 Fleer #5 Willie Mays PSA 6 - $99
⚾ 1968 Topps #247 Johnny Bench RC Wrong Back SGC A - $100
Clean Sweep Auctions (ending on April 30)
⚾ Lot of (3) SGC-Graded 1960s Cards w/ Mays, Aaron & Clemente SGC A - SGC 5 - $55 ((1) Jello card, (1) Post Cereal card and (1) East Hills card)
🏈 Lot of (2) Topps FB Complete Sets (1978 & 1980) (Raw - VG-NM/MT) - $44
🏈 1959 Topps #1 Johnny Unitas Auto PSA 3 / PSA/DNA Certified - $78
Goldin Weekly Auction (ending on April 30)
🏈 1971 Topps #156 Terry Bradshaw RC BVG 5.5 - $18
⚾ 1969 Topps Deckle Edge Roberto Clemente #27 SGC 6 - $61
⚾ 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle All-Star #487 SGC 2.5 - $99
Other active auctions:
Sterling Sports Auctions (ends on May 7)
Goldin April Elite Auction (ends on May 9)
Heritage Auctions (ends on May 15)
Hunt Auctions (ends on May 19)
News Briefs
Vintage Sports Card Prices on the Move
As I noted previously, sales have various factors to consider, including the subjective nature of vintage cards, the dynamic of a card sold via auction vs. “buy it now,” how long the card may have been in someone’s store (and thus the seller may be more willing to accept an offer), and how some people may overpay while others may get a great deal.
We’ll again start with baseball, with all lists courtesy of Vintage Card Prices:
Baseball Card | Pct. Increase | Most Recent Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
1957 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 1 | 218% | $954.00 |
1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson PSA 4 | 193% | $83,025.00 |
1964 Topps Giants Warren Spahn PSA 8 | 144% | $41.00 |
1960 Topps Sandy Koufax SGC 84 (7) | 141% | $480.00 |
1965 Topps Athletics 1965 Rookie Stars SGC 84 (7) | 102% | $213.50 |
1980 Topps Rickey Henderson PSA 7 | 84% | $281.01 |
1980 Topps Paul Molitor PSA 9 | 70% | $34.02 |
1954 Topps Al Kaline PSA 4 | 63% | $1,100.05 |
1961 Topps Gil Hodges PSA 7 | 61% | $75.00 |
1958 Topps Mickey Mantle AS PSA 6 | 60% | $707.25 |
This is the second week in a row for Jim Hunter’s rookie card prices to be trending up, with last week’s being a PSA 4 jumping 92%.
Football Card | Pct. Increase | Most Recent Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
1979 Topps Earl Campbell SGC 70 (5.5) | 130% | $31.00 |
1972 Topps Rayfield Wright PSA 7 | 46% | $316.00 |
1954 Bowman George Blanda PSA 6 | 35% | $204.00 |
1973 Topps Ken Anderson PSA 7 | 22% | $78.99 |
Rayfield Wright’s is a high-number card, thus the heightened price in that grade.
Other Sports Card | Pct. Increase | Most Recent Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
1970 Topps NBA Rebounds Leaders (Hayes/Unseld/Alcindor) PSA 7 | 53% | $55.00 |
1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky BVG/BGS 5.5 | 45% | $1,666.97 |
1971 Barrett & Co. Ltd. Famous Sportsmen Gary Player PSA 8 | 42% | $367.99 |
1936 Alfa Olymp-Skylt Fritz Pollard PSA 2 | 22% | $45.00 |
1980 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky PSA 8 | 15% | $592.66 |
This marks the second week in a row for Wayne Gretzky to take up two spots in this list, as his Topps rookie card took two spots last week.
Meanwhile, on the downward trend, this week all 10 are baseball cards:
Card | Pct. Decrease | Most Recent Sale Price |
|---|---|---|
1970 Topps Nolan Ryan PSA 6 | 63% | $586.21 |
1907 Dietsche Detroit Tigers Postcards Detroit Tigers Team PSA 1 | 60% | $645.75 |
1963 Topps Hank Aaron PSA 6 | 54% | $310.00 |
1959 Topps Sandy Koufax SGC 84 (7) | 52% | $380.00 |
1968 Topps Managers Dream (Oliva/Cardenas/Clemente) SGC 84 (7) | 47% | $66.05 |
1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 3 | 45% | $2,214.00* |
1975 Topps Thurman Munson PSA 7 | 45% | $33.54 |
1933 Goudey Joe Cronin SGC 10 (1) | 41% | $50.00 |
1909 White Borders Piedmont & Sweet Caporal Christy Mathewson N.Y. Natl. White Cap SGC 30 (2) | 41% | $1,014.75** |
1969 Topps Pete Rose PSA 8 | 37% | $453.00 |
*Another 1955 Topps Clemente PSA 3 sold the same day, at the same REA auction, for $4,059.00, but I wanted to list the price that represented the downward trend
**Like the above Clemente, another Mathewson of the same grade sold the same day, at the same REA auction, for $1,722
Vintage HOF Rookie Card: Harry Carson
As someone lucky enough to go to the Pro Bowl a few times as a kid in Hawaii (including figuring out which hotel(s) the players stayed at to try to get autographs), I was well aware of how good Harry Carson was due to his repeated appearances in the game during the 1980s.
Harry Carson - LB
HOF Induction in 2006
9-time Pro Bowler, including seven consecutive (1981-87)
Member of the Super Bowl-winning N.Y. Giants in the 1986 season
4-time All Pro (all second team)
Two years in a row had three interceptions as a middle linebacker
Career AV (Approximate Value) - 95
Grade | PSA Pop Count | SGC Pop Count | BVG Pop Count |
|---|---|---|---|
10 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
9 | 64 | 1 | 1 |
8 | 244 | 4 | 7 |
7 | 210 | 22 | 8 |
The average price came out to be $34.80, which is admittedly a bit higher than I thought it would be.
Vintage Card Voyage: Recent Videos
This is the YouTube channel I co-host with my friend Ken.
ICYMI
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Thanks for reading.
Marc