A near mint set of 1911 Mecca Double Folders. A bevy of Babe Ruth autographed items including a PSA 9 graded single-signed baseball. An ultra-rate 1912 Colgan’s Chips Ty Cobb. Even a canister of Elvis’ hair. Dozens of ultra high-grade vintage sports card sets and singles join rare sports and Americana items in the inaugural Own it Now catalog event hosted by Memory Lane Inc. is open and ends November 18th. The auction company’s new venture offers collectors and fans the chance to buy some of the finest sports memorabilia in existence when the 140-lot catalog goes live next week…or take a chance and make an offer. Catalogs will be delivered to those on the company’s mailing list this week. To receive a free copy, contact Memory Lane (877.606.LANE (5263) or visit the company’s website (http://www.memorylaneinc.com). “These are all items that you don’t see every day,” said Memory Lane’s J.P. Cohen. “The idea of Own it Now is to take the risk out of selling an item or a set through an auction. For the buyer, it’s a chance to own something really nice without having to bid on it.”
The event has brought out items that are normally only seen in major catalog auctions including some of the best vintage sets on PSA’s Set Registry, several one-of-a-kind high grade single cards and some autographs of sports’ most famous icons like Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.
For the first two weeks, items in the catalog will be available at a set price. Once that time is up, any unsold items will be open to offers, which Memory Lane will relay to sellers who will then decide whether to accept. “It’ll be an interesting dilemma for buyers,” said Cohen. “If I wait, will I get this or should I pull the trigger to avoid the risk of missing out?”
Among the headliners is a 1935 National Chicle football set, rated second best in existence with one PSA 10, 13 cards rated 9 and a large number of 8s including the tough Bronko Nagurski card. Its Own it Now price is $285,000.
There is an official American League baseball signed on the sweet spot by Babe Ruth. The signature grades a 10; the ball an 8 for an overall grade of 9. The ball carries an Own it Now price of $175,000.
Vintage card collectors will see the #2 rated T201 Mecca Double Folders set offered. Carrying an average PSA grade of 7.96, the 50-card, 100-player set includes 46 at PSA 8 or better. The popular Double Folders were issued in packs of Mecca cigarettes and are one of the most beautiful and highly desired pre-War sets.
One lot in the catalog is described as the “world’s best Bobby Jones collection” and it’s hard to argue with that claim. The lot includes mint examples of the 1932 U.S. Caramel card of the iconic golfer, a 1933 Goudey Sport Kings, a 1926 Lambert and Butler and a 1927 Churchman’s Famous Golfers among several others. The collection of 1920s and 30s cards carries a price of $195,000.
In addition to the high grade signed baseball, other Babe Ruth items offered include a 1928 dual signed Ruth and Lou Gehrig official AL baseball, a mint rated 1933 Goudey Ruth #181 ($75,000) and a PSA 8 Ruth ($19,500).
There is a rare 1914 Boston Garter Joe Jackson store display ($85,000), the only PSA 6 1914 Cracker Jack Jackson ($36,500), a 1914 Cracker Jack Honus Wagner ($11,000), a 1911 T205 Walter Johnson (none graded higher–$49,500), a rare 1912 Colgan’s Chips Ty Cobb–the only one ever graded by PSA ($14,000), a 1952 Topps Willie Mays (PSA 9), 1952 Topps Eddie Mathews (PSA 8) and numerous PSA 9 and 10 Hall of Famers from all sports. Own it Now prices range start at $1,000. Brands represented include Goudey Heads Up, Diamond Stars, Bond Bread, Redman, Hires and others.
Other vintage sets coming to market include a 1963 Fleer set of 66, rated #2 on the PSA Registry ($35,000) and a 1941 Play Ball set with 70 8s, one 8.5 and one 7 ($55,000).
Collectors of modern era cards will see the current holy grail in the form of a 2001 Bowman Chrome Refractor Albert Pujols auto that is appropriately numbered 5 of 500 ($10,000).
Football card collectors will see a 1948 Leaf card of Sid Luckman, with yellow background, one of just four at the PSA 8 level with none higher as well as numerous other ‘48 Leaf cards.
There are several original photos including Ruth, two cancelled checks from Michael Jordan, including the only known dual-signed Jordan check and a 2005 Derek Jeter game-worn jersey.
Among the Americana lots is a framed document signed by Abraham Lincoln, a huge lot of over 300 Errol Flynn signed checks, a signed gas receipt from Madonna, a John Gotti signed, cancelled check and a canister of Elvis Presley’s hair that once belonged to the barber of the King of Rock ‘n Roll.
“We’re excited about this,” Cohen said. “It’s a great complement to our regular auctions and brings a lot of really great memorabilia into a different type of marketplace.”
TO BID: Log in with your auction username and password BEFORE clicking on Own It Now! You will not be able to select Own It Now! Unless you are logged in. The login will be at the top of the screen on the left hand side.
YOU MUST login to make a purchase.
Please call us at 877.606.5263 with questions before the sale starts. Once the Own It Now button has been pressed, that item is SOLD and is no longer available. Dont miss out on these amazing lots, BID EARLY!
The Own It Now Sale will run for three weeks. For the first two weeks, the first person to hit the Own It Now button wins the item. At the start of the third week of the auction, Memory Lane will allow potential buyers to contact our office, make offers on unsold listings, and accepted offers will be concluded in the same format as listed above. At the conclusion of the sale, items will no longer be available online, however, interested buyers can contact Memory Lane with offers for consignors.
