MHCC Kicks off New Year with Inaugural $1.217M Premium Sports Collectibles Auction

Centennial, CO - January 21, 2010

Colorado's Mile High Card Company recently concluded its first-ever Premium Sports Collectibles Auction and is delighted to report several record-breaking sales. Leading the pack was a T206 Eddie Plank graded PSA 3 that fetched $75,083 at the end of the long night. Long-overshadowed by the iconic T206 Wagner, many collectors now agree that the company that printed the groundbreaking T206 set, the American Lithographic Company, pulled the T206 Plank from production for the very same reason it pulled the Wagner; either both Eddie and Hans demanded more money from American Tobacco, an older but still popular theory, or neither superstar wanted his image associated with tobacco for fear he would promote its use among children, a somewhat newer theory recently substantiated by one of MHCC's very own customers whose father had served as the head color artist for a subsidiary of American Lithographic and directly relayed the story to his daughter during her childhood.

According to Mile High founder and President, Brian Drent, the company's new auction format effectively allowed it to bring a noticeably higher-end collectible to its customers in a smaller and quainter atmosphere around the holidays. Drent expressed his satisfaction for both the prices realized and the total number of participating bidders and page hits as well. "Of course we're pleased with the auction results," said Drent. "I thought many of the numbers were very strong, most of which speak to the relative health of our hobby. But there's much more to be excited about. You wouldn't believe some of the collections that have made their way out to our headquarters in Colorado. We firmly believe we do as good if not better of a job than any other company in the hobby, and our hard work continues to pay off." Drent announced that the company will be returning to its 1200 to 1500 lot auction format for its spring event, and he also expressed Mile High's plan to continue its annual Premium Sports Collectibles Auction next holiday season. "Let's just say the best is yet to come," he quipped.

Other top performers from Mile High's inaugural Premium Sports Collectibles Auction ranged from the 19th Century to the 1980s and from E-series candy cards to early Parkhurst hockey cards. Ultra high-grade, low population examples from the 1951 Parkhurst set performed particularly well, as did several mid-grade T206s with scarce and exotic backs such as Hindu and El Principe de Gales. Dozens of high-grade singles spanning all canons annihilated their previous sales records, while set highlights included a staggering $61,770 paid for a completely PSA/SGC graded 1952 Topps set with a 5.49 GPA and, at the opposite end of the spectrum, a delightfully surprising and encouraging $17,556 paid for the #2 Finest 1984 Donruss PSA Master Set Registry. On the memorabilia front, the hammer dropped at $40,812 for a complete 1957 St. Louis Cardinals Stan Musial Home Uniform and $31,851 for a 1917-19 Ty Cobb Game Used Bat from the famous Louisville Slugger archives, while another bidder paid $16,465 for an unopened case of 1975 Topps Mini Wax Boxes. Below, you'll find additional highlights from Mile High Card Company's impressive list of realized prices, which can also be found online (for this and all previous MHCC auctions) at no charge at www.MileHighCardCo.com.    

KEY SCARCITIES

1887 N690 Kalamazoo Bats Harry Wright PSA 2 GOOD - $12,805
1909-11 T206 Eddie Plank PSA 3 VG - $75,083
1910 E93 Standard Caramel Honus Wagner SGC 88 NM/MT 8 - $31,069
1910 E93 Standard Caramel Eddie Plank SGC 88 NM/MT 8 - $25,362
1911-14 D304 Brunners Bread Cy Young SGC 84 NM 7 - $21,554
1915 Cracker Jack #65 Tris Speaker SGC 96 MINT 9 - $10,673
1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth SGC 60 EX 5 - $9,816
1933 Goudey #92 Lou Gehrig SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5 - $12,916
1948 Bowman #69 George Mikan Gray Back Overprint PSA A - $10,555
1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle PSA 8 NM/MT - $11,071
1957 Topps #18 Don Drysdale SGC 96 MINT 9 - $12,818
1972 Topps Cloth Stickers Hank Aaron PSA 10 GEM MINT - $13,543

MEMORABILIA & UNOPENED

1917-19 Ty Cobb Louisville Slugger Sidewritten Game-Used Bat - $31,851
Magnificent Ty Cobb Signed Original Photo From Former Teammate - $3,934
1955 Topps Baseball Unopened Cello Pack GAI 7 NM - $3,190
1957 St. Louis Cardinals Stan Musial Game-Used Complete Uniform - $40,812
1975 Topps Mini Baseball Unopened Wax Pack Case - $16,465
1975 Topps Baseball Lot of 6 Unopened Vending Boxes - $12,490

HIGH-GRADE SCARCITIES

1912 T202 Hassan Triple Birmingham/Turner PSA 8 NM/MT - $2,901
1938 Horrors of War #281 Inside the Maginot PSA 8 NM/MT - $4,175
1948 Leaf Gum Co. #34 Sammy Baugh SGC 88 NM/MT 8 - $6,262
1953 Topps #220 Satchell Paige PSA 8 NM/MT - $3,049
1956 Topps #116 Eddie O'Brien PSA 10 GEM MINT - $3,862
1956 Topps #215 Tommy Byrne PSA 9 MINT - $2,569
1956 Topps #265 Sandy Consuegra PSA 9 MINT - $3,109
1956 Davy Crockett Orange #40 Tragedy Strikes PSA 10 GEM - $1,799
1957 Topps Contest Card "Sat. June 22" PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $1,206
1957 Topps #119 Bart Starr PSA 8 NM/MT - $3,285
1957 Topps #1 Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton PSA 8 NM/MT - $5,414
1962 Topps #20 Rocky Colavito PSA 9 MINT - $1,959
1962 Topps #302 John Edwards PSA 9 MINT - $2,335
1966 Batman A Series #9A Knighting a Thief PSA 10 GEM - $1,115
1967 Topps #476 Tony Perez PSA 9 MINT  - $1,095
1972 Topps #600 Al Kaline PSA 10 GEM MINT - $1,459
1982 Topps Traded #98T Cal Ripken Jr. PSA 10 GEM MINT - $1,485
1989 Fleer Stickers #3 Michael Jordan BGS 10 PRISTINE - $2,986
1994 Fleer Procards #633 Michael Jordan PSA 10 GEM MINT - $2,397

SETS

1934 Goudey Complete Set Completely PSA Graded - $14,825
1952 Topps Complete Set Completely Graded by PSA/SGC - $61,770
1956 Topps Pins Complete Set #2 PSA Set Registry - $5,903
1963 Topps High-Grade Complete Set with PSA/SGC Graded - $10,151
1964 Kahn's Weiners Football Set Completely PSA Graded - $6,407
1984 Donruss Complete Master Set #2 PSA Set Registry - $17,556

MID-GRADE & SCARCE BACK 1909-11 T206 WHITE BORDERS

T206 Sweet Cap Ty Cobb "Bat Off Shoulder" PSA 6 EX/MT - $3,933
T206 Piedmont Ty Cobb "Green Portrait" PSA 4 VG/EX - $2,954
T206 Sweet Cap Christy Mathewson "Portrait" PSA 6 EX/MT - $3,204
T206 Piedmont Eddie Collins PSA 6 EX/MT - $1,780
T206 Sweet Cap Walter Johnson "Hands at Chest" PSA 5 EX - $1,350
T206 EPDG Ty Cobb "Red Portrait" PSA 5 EX - $3,934
T206 EPDG Cy Young "With Glove" PSA 5 EX - $1,485
T206 Red Hindu Home Run Baker PSA 5 EX - $3,795
T206 Hindu Ed Walsh PSA 4 VG/EX -  $1,315
T206 Old Mill Joe Tinker "Portrait" PSA 6 EX/MT - $2,637
T206 Sovereign Mordecai Brown "Portrait" PSA 6 EX/MT - $1,327
T206 Tolstoi Nap Lajoie "With Bat" PSA 5 EX - $1,327

1951 "PARKIES"

1951 Parkhurst #6 Bud MacPherson PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $1,315
1951 Parkhurst #10 Doug Harvey PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $5,142
1951 Parkhurst #13 Billy Reay PSA 9 MINT - $3,821
1951 Parkhurst #17 Gerry Couture PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $1,315
1951 Parkhurst #23 John Henderson PSA 9 MINT - $3,157
1951 Parkhurst #44 Jim McFadden PSA 9 MINT - $4,625
1951 Parkhurst #45 Fred Hucul PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $1,086
1951 Parkhurst #52 The Winning Goal PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $3,576
1951 Parkhurst #53 Jack Stewart PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $1,086
1951 Parkhurst #58 Benny Woit PSA 9 MINT - $4,625
1951 Parkhurst #61 Terry Sawchuk PSA 8 NM/MT - $2,039
1951 Parkhurst #65 Metro Prystai PSA 9 MINT - $3,157
1951 Parkhurst #92 Steve Kraftcheck PSA 9 MINT - $2,371
1951 Parkhurst #100 Wally Hergesheimer PSA 8.5 NM/MT+ - $1,086

CONSIGN TODAY!

Mile High Card Company has distinguished itself among elite auction houses as a specialist in the sport and non-sport card market, consistently realizing record-setting prices for the hobby's finest sets and high-grade singles. Following this highly successful event, MHCC is planning a return to its regular-sized auction format of 1200 to 1500 lots and is vigorously pursuing consignments at this time. An industry leader for almost two decades, Mile High offers the absolute best consignment terms in the industry, and its incredibly knowledgeable staff provides unparalleled hobby expertise and customer service that continue to gain accolades from both ends of the market. With legitimate and consistent results likes those above, interested consignors are urged to explore their various options with the long-established company before trusting their cherished items to another house. Continuing its successful Consignor Incentive Program, the top consignor to Mile High's Spring 2010 auction will receive airfare and lodging for two people for 4 days and 3 nights in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. For more details, and to discuss your valued collectibles with the friendliest and most knowledgeable professionals in the hobby, visit the company's website at www.MileHighCardCo.com or call 303.840.2784 (8:00-5:00 MST M-F).