Mile High Card Company has opened a 3,100-lot fall auction centered on premium vintage material, with bidding running through Oct. 22. The sale reaches across baseball, football and hockey, but the deepest attention is likely to fall on a group of marquee pre-war and post-war cards led by Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Ty Cobb and Jackie Robinson.
The headline item is a 1933 Sport Kings Gum #2 Babe Ruth graded SGC 9, described as the only example at that grade. In a sale packed with star power and set-building appeal, that card gives the auction a true centerpiece, especially for collectors focused on condition scarcity in iconic multi-sport issues.
Beyond the top Ruth, the event includes major individual cards, unusual Mantle pieces and two registry-level set offerings that could draw serious interest from advanced collectors looking for depth instead of a single trophy lot.
1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth Leads the Sale
The most prominent card in the auction is the 1933 Sport Kings Gum #2 Babe Ruth in SGC 9. Sport Kings has long held a special place in the vintage market because of its bold design, broad athletic checklist and relative crossover appeal outside traditional baseball collecting. A high-grade Ruth from the issue already stands as a cornerstone item. The added distinction of being the only SGC 9 example makes it one of the clearest condition-rarity plays in the sale.
For more collector background, read Four High-Grade Mickey Mantle Cards Head to Auction With Fresh Market Comps in Focus.
Collectors who compete at the high end of the vintage market often separate cards into two categories: famous cards that are always in demand, and famous cards that become especially difficult when grade enters the equation. This Ruth sits firmly in the second group. The player, set and population profile combine to make it one of the auction's defining lots.
Strong Vintage Baseball Star Cards Fill Out the Auction
The rest of the baseball lineup is deep enough that many auctions would build their entire promotion around one or two of these cards. Here, they function more like an upper-tier supporting cast around the lead Ruth and the featured set offerings.
Among the standout baseball singles is a 1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays graded SGC 8 with an MBA Silver Diamond designation. Early 1950s Mays cards remain among the most desirable post-war Hall of Fame issues, and a high-grade example from the landmark 1952 Topps release should command attention from both player collectors and investors focused on blue-chip cardboard.
For another perspective on this story, read SGC 9 1933 Sport Kings Babe Ruth Leads 3,100-Lot Vintage Card Auction.
Mickey Mantle appears in multiple forms, beginning with a 1961 Topps All-Star #578 graded PSA 10. Gem Mint Mantle cards from mainstream Topps issues carry obvious appeal because they combine one of the hobby's most chased names with extreme condition sensitivity. Also included is a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded MBA 2.5 GOOD+, giving bidders a much different entry point into one of the sport's most famous cards. Even at a modest grade, the 1952 Topps Mantle sits in a category that transcends ordinary vintage demand.
Additional baseball highlights include:
- 1975 Topps Mini #228 George Brett, graded MBA 10
- 1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth, graded PSA 5.5
- 1954 Bowman #89 Willie Mays, graded PSA 9
- 1909 E92 Croft's Candy Ty Cobb, graded PSA 1.5 FAIR
- 1948 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson, graded MBA 4
That mix covers several different corners of the hobby. The 1933 Goudey Ruth speaks to pre-war demand in one of baseball's most recognizable gum sets. The 1954 Bowman Willie Mays in PSA 9 adds elite-condition post-war star power. The Croft's Candy Cobb brings true rarity from the candy-card era. The 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson taps into one of the hobby's most historically important player checklists. And the George Brett Topps Mini in a top grade gives the auction an appealing 1970s key for collectors who prefer later vintage.
Rare Mickey Mantle Memorabilia Adds a Different Layer
The auction is not limited to standard trading cards. It also includes two unusual Mickey Mantle pieces that should interest memorabilia-focused bidders and advanced Mantle specialists.
One is a 1958 Mantle Haggar Slacks card and pamphlet pairing with the original string hang tag, described as possibly the only known example. Items like this tend to attract a different segment of the market than mainstream Topps cards because the appeal comes from survival rate, oddball status and originality rather than checklist demand alone. When the original display or packaging element remains attached, that can elevate the collectible far beyond a typical promotional survivor.
The second is a 1960s Mickey Mantle best wishes card. While not as universally recognized as his mainstream card issues, pieces like this can be especially attractive to collectors assembling broader Mantle runs that extend into regional, promotional and lesser-seen paper items.
Non-Baseball Lots Bring Brady, Gretzky, Starr and Payton Into the Mix
Although vintage baseball drives most of the headline value, the auction also offers several major non-baseball cards that widen the buyer pool.
- 1957 Topps #119 Bart Starr, graded MBA 9
- 2000 Playoff Contenders #144 Tom Brady AU, graded OTIA 8.5 with 10 Auto
- 1979 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky, graded MBA 8
- 1976 Topps #148 Walter Payton autographed, PSA/DNA 6 with Auto 9
The Tom Brady rookie autograph from 2000 Playoff Contenders stands out immediately because it remains one of the most important modern football cards in the hobby. Even in a vintage-heavy sale, a certified Brady Contenders auto is capable of drawing national-level attention. The 1979 O-Pee-Chee Wayne Gretzky offers similar star gravity on the hockey side, while the 1957 Topps Bart Starr and signed 1976 Topps Walter Payton provide Hall of Fame depth for football collectors.
That cross-sport range matters in a large auction format. It allows bidders who arrive for baseball to stay engaged elsewhere in the catalog, while also giving football and hockey buyers reasons to participate in a sale otherwise dominated by diamond-era names.
A Near Complete T206 Polar Bear Back Set Could Be One of the Most Important Offerings
For many advanced collectors, the most intriguing material in the auction may not be a single card at all. A 1909-11 T206 Polar Bear Back near complete set is ranked No. 1 on the PSA Set Registry with a 5.643 GPA, and it is being offered both as a full collection and through individual lots.
T206 remains the defining tobacco-era baseball issue, and Polar Bear-backed examples hold a special place within the broader set because they offer a distinct collecting challenge tied to brand scarcity, back collecting and player availability. A near complete top-ranked grouping from this issue represents years of specialized work, patience and capital.
The set's highlighted rarities include:
- Ray Demmitt, PSA 6
- Bill O'Hara, PSA 4
Those two names immediately matter to experienced T206 collectors because they are among the key hurdles in assembling advanced runs of the issue. Their presence helps explain why the set has such high-level registry standing.
Other notable Polar Bear-backed cards named in the collection include:
- Ty Cobb Portrait-Red, PSA 5
- Ty Cobb Bat Off Shoulder, PSA 5
- Walter Johnson Hands At Chest, PSA 6
- Christy Mathewson Dark Cap, PSA 5
- Tris Speaker, PSA 5
- Cy Young Clev. Glove Shows, PSA 6
- Home Run Baker, PSA 7
The fact that the collection will be sold both intact and in separate lots creates two possible storylines. One is whether a set-focused buyer steps up to preserve a premier registry-caliber group. The other is whether individual Hall of Famers and key rarities become targets for collectors who want a shot at famous backs and major subjects without taking on the entire set.
1962 Topps Football Registry Collection Offers High-Grade Depth
The second major set attraction is a 1962 Topps Football collection ranked No. 1 on the All-Time PSA Set Registry with a 9.36 GPA. That number alone signals an elite level of quality for a vintage football issue known for star power and broad collector appeal.
Key cards listed from the collection include:
- Johnny Unitas, PSA 8.5
- Lenny Moore, PSA 9
- Mike Ditka, PSA 8
- Jim Brown, PSA 8
- Ernie Davis, PSA 8.5
- Bart Starr, PSA 9
- Paul Hornung, PSA 9
- Fran Tarkenton, PSA 9
For football set collectors, this kind of offering stands out because it combines registry status with name recognition. The stars are not hidden in obscure commons or niche backs. Unitas, Brown, Starr, Ditka and Tarkenton are foundational figures in vintage football collecting, and strong grades on those cards help validate the quality level of the full build.
High-end set material can behave differently from single-card trophy lots. A buyer is not only purchasing condition and player quality, but also the years of assembly work behind a top-ranked collection. That often appeals to bidders who value accomplishment and completeness as much as the cardboard itself.
Why the Mix of Stars, Sets and Scarcity Matters
What gives this sale its depth is the way it combines three separate collecting lanes in one catalog. First, there are iconic single cards with immediate hobby recognition, such as the Sport Kings Ruth, 1952 Topps Mantle and 1952 Topps Willie Mays. Second, there are condition-sensitive star cards in lofty grades, including the 1961 Topps All-Star Mantle and 1954 Bowman Mays. Third, there are assembled sets and unusual memorabilia pieces that appeal to more specialized buyers.
That balance is important in the current high-end market. Elite buyers are often looking for one of two things: a card with simple universal demand, or something they are unlikely to see again soon. This auction appears positioned to offer both. The Ruth, Mantle and Mays cards satisfy the blue-chip side of the equation. The Haggar Slacks Mantle piece, the Polar Bear near set and the top-ranked 1962 Topps Football collection satisfy the scarcity-and-assembly side.
The auction also shows how broad the premium market remains. Pre-war baseball, classic post-war stars, modern football autographs, top hockey rookies and registry-ready football sets all have legitimate representation here. For bidders watching the upper end of the hobby, that range should make the results worth following through the Oct. 22 close.
Photo Gallery
