Rare Baseball Cards Up for Grabs in Heritage Auctions' Summer Sports Card Event

• Posted: June 26, 2024, 12:47 pm
• in Sports Card News
• by bionic

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Heritage Auctions is hosting an exciting Summer Sports Card Catalog Auction on July 12-13, featuring some of the rarest and most sought-after baseball cards. Highlights of the auction include a mint-condition 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson card, a gem-mint Michael Jordan Fleer rookie card, and a gem-mint chrome rookie card signed by a young Bryce Harper. The event also boasts a variety of sealed packs, boxes, and cases, each containing potential treasures. Among the offerings are signed Shohei Ohtani cards and premium Ty Cobb tobacco cards, making this auction a premier event for collectors. Additionally, Babe Ruth’s iconic “Called Shot” jersey is among the Hall of Fame treasures on the block.

One of the standout collections in this auction is the 1959 baseball cards that were once stapled to containers of Canadian cookies. These cards are incredibly rare, with only 69 known to exist according to PSA’s population report. This event features 37 of those cards, showcasing legends such as Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial, Eddie Mathews, Whitey Ford, Ernie Banks, and Yogi Berra.

The name Dad’s Cookies may not be widely recognized, but these cards hold significant historical value. Joe Orlando, Heritage’s Executive Vice President in Sports, explains, “These cards excite even the most veteran collector because they’re something most hobbyists haven’t seen in years — or, more likely, ever. These Dad’s Cookies cards are why people hunt for these things — to find that lost gem, the forgotten treasure.”

The Dad’s Cookies cards were produced by Exhibits Supply Company, a Chicago-based company founded in 1907. Initially, Exhibits created picture postcards distributed in arcades and later expanded to include baseball players, boxers, movie stars, and more. In 1959, Dad’s Cookies used these cards as promotional items, attaching them to cookie bags and boxes. Each card included a note from the company’s Scottish mascot, “Sandy,” encouraging kids to collect all 64 “autographed” pictures of “a BIG LEAGUE BASEBALL STAR.” The rarity of these cards is due to their distribution method and the limited number that have survived.

The auction also features two of the most coveted Ty Cobb T206 cards from the early 1900s. One is the El Principe de Gales Ty Cobb, graded PSA NM 7, an extremely rare card with only one known example featuring the El Principe de Gales advertisement on the back. The other is the American Beauty Portrait-Red Cobb, graded PSA EX-MT 6, the highest-graded example of its kind. Orlando highlights their importance: “The red portrait is so popular, but the scarcer backs are a big deal to those who take T206 collecting to the next level, especially when it’s the finest known example, as is the case with these Cobbs.”

Collectors will also be interested in the variety of sealed boxes and cases available, such as the 1970 Topps Baseball Wax Box (1st & 3rd Series) containing 24 unopened packs with potential cards of Carl Yastrzemski, Vida Blue’s rookie card, Rod Carew, Tom Seaver, or Roberto Clemente. These items hold nostalgic value and the thrill of uncovering hidden treasures. Orlando says, “It’s time in a bottle, your childhood frozen in time. And it’s about what might be inside.”

The auction also includes newer boxes and cases like the 2015 Upper Deck Hockey Series 1 Hobby Unopened Case with 12 boxes and the 2020 Panini Flawless Football Factory Sealed Case with two boxes. These offer the excitement of potentially finding rare cards, such as a Connor McDavid rookie card or a gem-mint rookie patch auto. Orlando comments, “There’s a contingent of people who really enjoy opening this stuff and unlocking the mystery. It can take a serious amount of courage, but it’s part of what makes this collecting category so intriguing.”

Heritage Auctions’ Summer Sports Card Catalog Auction promises to be an extraordinary event for sports memorabilia enthusiasts, offering a rare opportunity to acquire some of the most valuable and elusive cards in the hobby.