Mickey Mantle’s first baseball card & cards dating back to the 1880s will be sold at a Nov. 3 auction.
In addition to the Mantle rookie card, from the 1951 Bowman set, the sale will feature rookie cards of many other sports legends and cards of early baseball Hall of Famers Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson and Tris Speaker.
Gateway Gallery Auction, 643 Kriner Road, schedules multiple sports card auctions each year, and this collection is among the finest it has offered. The number of rookie cards, the age of some of the cards and the variety of items make this sale stand out. The Nov. 3 sports auction will be the first of two sales from the same outstanding collection, and also will include football, basketball, boxing, hockey and golf cards.
Rookie cards will be a highlight of the sale, and include the first football cards of Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, Jim Brown, Otto Graham, George Blanda, Bob Waterfield, Tom Brady, Roger Staubach, Bob Lilly, Fran Tarkenton, Lynn Swann, Franco Harris, Brian Piccolo, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Ken Stabler, Jack Kemp, Brett Favre, Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Sam Huff and Tony Dorsett.
Basketball rookie cards include Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Bradley and Charles Barkley.
Baseball cards will comprise the majority of the sale, and rookie cards include those of Jimmy Foxx, Carl Hubbell, Al Kaline, Tommy Lasorda, Sandy Koufax, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Roger Maris, Willie McCovey, Ron Santo, Orlando Cepeda, Rocky Colavito, Willie Stargell, Steve Carlton, Mike Schmidt, Jim Palmer, Catfish Hunter and many others.
Early baseball cards from 1887 and 1888 will be sold, as will other “tobacco” cards from the early 20th Century. Baseball cards originally came with packages of tobacco, and later, with candy or gum. A rare Babe Ruth card, the 1933 Goudey Sport King’s Gum card, and a Ruth card from the 1954 Topps Look ‘N See set are in the collection. The Gehrig card is from 1931.
Also on the auction block will be items signed by Ted Williams, Brooks Robinson, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Bill Dickey, Jim Palmer, Mike Schmidt, Warren Spahn, Cal Ripken Jr., Richie Ashburn, Joe Montana, Shaquille O’Neal, Wayne Gretzsky and many other Hall of Famers.
The sale will begin at 10 a.m. and includes single cards, sets, autographed cards, photos and baseballs. For a complete listing, view www.gatewayauction.com or call 263-6512 or 1-800-315-3265 for more information. There will be an opportunity to view the items prior to the sale, both online and at the auction location. Bidding will occur in-person and online.
A second sale from this collection, not yet scheduled, will include cards of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb, as well as rookie cards of Joe DiMaggio, Satchel Paige, Stan Musial, Bob Feller, Roy Campanella, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Harmon Killebrew, Luis Aparicio, Carl Yastrzemski, Nolan Ryan, Reggie Jackson, Gale Sayers, Roger Staubach and Michael Jordan. Mickey Mantle cards from 1952-59 also will be sold.
