A Babe Ruth single-signed baseball backed by video footage of the Sultan of Swat personally signing that exact ball headlines Memory Lane Inc.’s Spring 2026 Rarities Auction. Bidding opens Thursday, May 21 at 9:00 a.m. EST and closes Saturday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. EST. Incredibly, the ball carries not only the certification of autograph authenticator PSA/DNA, but is also accompanied by actual video of the ball being signed for the original owner 97 seasons ago—a young boy who approached the Babe at Yankee Stadium in the summer of 1929. It is believed to be the only Babe Ruth autographed baseball documented by actual video of the event itself.
The ball arrives on the auction block five years after it was last offered by Memory Lane as part of the personal collection of Thomas Newman. The ball was first brought to the open market by Memory Lane in 2012.
The lot, accompanied by full authentication and the original video file, anchors a sale stacked with more than 1,460 high-end vintage sports cards and memorabilia lots.
Vintage cards remain Memory Lane’s hallmark, and the auction delivers depth across pre-war and post-war eras. Hundreds of high-grade classics are on offer, including a large run of high-grade 1952 and 1953 Topps baseball cards, more than 168 tobacco-card lots spread across 28 catalog pages (featuring 1909-11 T206 White Borders, T204 Ramly, and T3 Turkey Red Cabinets of legends such as Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, and Cy Young), and dozens of other cornerstone issues from every era.
A true centerpiece of the vintage baseball offerings is a 90-plus lot Roberto Clemente collection — one of the deepest and most comprehensive single-player archives ever presented at public auction. Spanning flagship Topps issues from 1955 through 1972 along with rare regional, team, test, and Topps Venezuelan cards, the collection gives serious collectors a rare chance to build depth in one sale. Standout Clemente lots include:
• 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente Rookie PSA 8 NM-MT (minimum bid $20,000).
• 1968 Topps 3-D Roberto Clemente PSA 10 GEM MINT (minimum bid $25,000)
• 1961 Topps #41 N.L. Batting Leaders PSA 10 GEM MINT (minimum bid $3,000)
Additional vintage baseball highlights in the auction include:
• 1948 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige Rookie PSA 7 NM (minimum bid $50,000).
• Multiple 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth cards
Autograph collectors will find a strong selection of signed rookie and superstar cards, many with PSA/DNA 10 autographs paired with high-grade cards, including a 1969 Topps #260 Reggie Jackson rookie PSA 9 MINT, Auto 10 GEM MINT (minimum bid $25,000). It’s the only known GEM MINT auto on a PSA 9 Jackson rookie. Other autographed cards include:
• 1969 Topps #25 Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) Rookie Signed PSA 8 NM-MT, Auto 10 GEM MINT
• 1955 Topps #50 Jackie Robinson Signed PSA 3 VG, Auto 8 NM-MT
• 1970 Topps Super #12 Roberto Clemente Signed PSA 7 NM, Auto 9 MINT
Basketball collectors will chase a 1984-85 Star Team Set Chicago Bulls sealed team set which contains the Michael Jordan rookie card still in its original factory packaging.
Game-used memorabilia collectors will find offerings highlighted by several Mike Piazza items from the collection of former major league pitcher Tom Candiotti, including catcher’s mask, chest protector, shin guards, and a signed game-used bat, each with MEARS authentication and personal letters from Candiotti.
Modern chase cards round out the sports offerings with ultra-rare 2024 releases:
• 2024 Topps 50/50 Shohei Ohtani Autograph Relic-Gold (#20/50) PSA 10 GEM MINT / Auto 10
• 2024 Topps Dynasty Autographed Logo Patch #AMPLPDJ Derek Jeter – AU MLB Logo 1/1 PSA 10 GEM MINT
Crossover collectors will discover one of the most impressive non-sports offerings in recent Memory Lane history near the end of the sale: a 1999 Pokémon Game First Edition Partial Set (79/103) – All PSA 10 GEM MINT (minimum bid $10,000). This extraordinary collection includes 79 of the 103 cards needed for a complete First Edition Base Set — every card graded PSA 10 GEM MINT — featuring Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, and dozens of other iconic monsters. The current estimated retail value exceeds $80,000.
The complete Spring 2026 Rarities Auction catalog is available for preview now at www.memorylaneinc.com.
