Memory Lane will launch the first major auction of 2026 with a post-holiday feast of high-grade and rare cards from all sports, autographs, game-used items and other memorabilia. Set to open Jan. 5, 2026 the catalog will hold over 1,450 lots. Bidding will run through Saturday, January 31, 2026, 7pm EST. The preview is available now at MemoryLaneInc.com.
Picking a headline item depends on your particular collecting taste, but it’s hard to argue with the array of pre-war cards, two of which lead off the catalog as lots 1 and 2: PSA 8 examples of the T206 Ty Cobb “bat off shoulder” and “bat on shoulder” cards that rank among the very best known. Bidding on each will open at $50,000. There’s a rare Drum Tobacco back T206 Sam Crawford in the catalog as well as other cards from the set collectors refer to as “The Monster.”
1915 Cracker Jack cards of Ty Cobb, Joe Jackson and Walter Johnson and several Babe Ruth cards can be found inside the 290+ page catalog.
Post-War card offerings start with a pair of 1950s set breaks, one of which represents the second half of a complete, high-grade set of 1953 Topps baseball cards that began in Memory Lane’s Summer Rarities Auction. Among the gems offered this time: PSA 8 examples of both the #1 Jackie Robinson and the #244 Willie Mays and PSA 9s of Whitey Ford and Roy Campanella.
Another high-grade break arrives just as Topps is back as the NBA’s trading card licensee and is centered around the company’s first basketball set: 1957-58 Topps. Nearly all of the cards in the historic 80-card set rank PSA 8 or better.
The auction features hundreds of rare and high-grade single cards from every major sport. There are multiple Jackie Robinson rookie cards, a PSA 7 Mantle rookie, three of the iconic 1952 Topps Mantle, and high-quality copies of many of the most important 1950s and ‘60s cards.
Vintage baseball set collectors will also have a chance to bid on the number one ranked 1951 Topps Red Back master set, with each in two-player panel form.
A huge group of autographed cards, including the 1980-81 Larry Bird-Magic Johnson-Julius Erving trio, vintage baseball Hall of Famers and 1986-87 Fleer basketball cards are part of the sale. There are also multiple 1984-85 Star Company Michael Jordan cards, a big selection of 1950s and other vintage football cards and a PSA 10 Joe Montana rookie. As usual, Memory Lane will also include multiple pages of unopened packs and boxes from across the years.
What’s a Memory Lane auction without The Bambino? Collectors will see plenty of Babe Ruth items, including a rare 1920 National Caramel (E220) card, a 1921 Exhibit card and a 1923 World Series Game 6 full ticket that marks the first ever New York Yankees World Series title. There are autographed baseballs pairing Ruth with fellow greats like Lou Gehrig and Dizzy Dean and Ruth photos as well.
There’s a selection of autographed Pete Rose memorabilia along with game-used autographed items collected by former big league pitcher Tom Candiotti of those he played with or against.
One unique item that will catch the eyes of ticket collectors is an exceptionally rare example of the January 30, 1965 high school clash between Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and New York’s Power Memorial and DeMatha High School of Washington, DC. Power’s 46-game winning streak came to an end on a day sometimes referred to as the greatest high school basketball showdown ever.
A one-of-a-kind 1939 program from a game between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers is offered, too, with 17 legendary autographs including Jim Thorpe, Curly Lambeau, Don Hutson and George Halas.
Bidding will run January 5-31, 2026. A preview is available now at MemoryLaneInc.com.
