Mile High Card Company opened the bidding to its much anticipated Winter 2008 auction on January 20th and has experienced unprecedented early bidding on some of the strongest offerings brought to the marketplace in the recent past. As is the norm, MHCC continues to scour the hobby landscape and bring quality material to the gavel. The current auction offers an astounding 1394 lots of carefully chosen high grade cards, complete sets, and several commanding pieces of fine memorabilia.
This featured Mile High Card Company sale will continue to rely on the principle that has pushed the firm to the forefront of the competitive high-grade sports collectibles marketplace by offering premier sports treasures specifically chosen for either their sheer scarcity or superlative level of condition. In an attempt to further its position in the market and cater to all collectors, MHCC is also offering various Non-Sport sets and singles, a premium selection of exceptionally scarce and high grade modern material, and a vast array of “collector grade†material, including, for example, dozens of low-grade N172 and N173 Old Judges and various mid-grade T206s, Caramels, and Cracker Jacks.
The auction is buoyed by several astounding items of note. Leading the way is an impressive and exceptionally rare 1914 Boston Garter card of Joe Jackson that has been reviewed and authenticated as “authentic†by SGC. Several other “Shoeless Joe†items of note include a 1914 Cracker Jack #103 PSA 5 EX, a 1916 Herpolsheimer’s #87 PSA 6 EX/MT, and two legendary 1909-11 American Caramel E90-1 RCs. In addition to these scarce Joe Jackson items, Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays also make recurring appearances throughout MHCC’s impressive and image-heavy 222-page catalog. Ruth rings in with a fine 1933 Goudey #144 PSA 8 and a recently graded 1933 Sport Kings #2 PSA 7 as well as several autographed items including a spectacular single signed baseball, a 1934 Tour of Japan team-signed baseball, a Walter Johnson co-signed baseball, a George Burke photograph, and an immense cut autograph produced by Upper Deck. Noteworthy Ty Cobb items include a T206 Red Back PSA 8, a T206 Bat Off Shoulder PSA 7, a pair of T206 Green Backs in PSA 5, a T202 Good Play at Third PSA 8, and several scarce postcards at the top of their grading tiers including his 1907-09 H.M. Taylor RC, a 1907-09 Dietsche, a 1913 M101-3 Sporting News, and a 1913-15 Pinkerton. Mays and Mantle vie for the post-war spotlight with a truly stupendous selection of early high-grade Topps examples. From the Mick we have a fine 1952 Topps #311 PSA 5 EX, a 1958 Topps #150 PSA 9 MINT, and a 1968 Topps #280 PSA 10 GEM MINT. But Willie steals the show with an immaculate 1952 Topps #261 PSA 8 NM/MT, a pair of 1953 Topps #244 PSA 8s, a 1954 Topps #90 PSA 9 MINT, and a 1957 Topps #10 PSA 9 MINT.
True to the form of its past five premier auction events, each of which grossed at least $2 million, Mile High’s current auction consists of several items of near legendary status. Dozens of pop-1 and low-pop PSA GEM MINT 10s include the following: 1956 Topps #110 Yogi Berra, 1959 Topps #350 Ernie Banks, 1962 Topps #213 Richie Ashburn, 1963 Fleer #42 Sandy Koufax, 1967 Topps #581 Tom Seaver RC, 1968 Topps #110 Hank Aaron, 1975 Topps Mini #228 George Brett, 1993 SP #279 Derek Jeter, and page after page of other mind-boggling low-pop GEMS, many of which hail from a break-up of the highest PSA-registered Mets Team collections spanning the years 1962-1976. Indeed, the hobby enthusiast would be hard-pressed to find a competitive selection offering even half as many PSA GEM MINT 10s as MHCC’s current auction. These post-war masterpieces, however, are balanced by an equally impressive selection of high-grade pre-war items. Of note is a selection of incredibly scarce 1908 Charles Rose Postcards in like-new condition and an appealing variety of NM/MT to MINT Cracker Jacks.
Sets, Sets, Sets! Building on a well-established trend, MHCC continues to serve as one of the hobby’s premiere sources for sets of all varieties, sport and non-sport alike. Highlights include the following: 1948 Leaf with Variations Completely PSA-Graded, 1955 Bowman Football Completely PSA-Graded 3rd Current Finest, 1955 Topps Baseball Completely PSA-Graded, 1959 Topps Football Completely PSA-Graded 6th Current Finest, 1963 Topps Football Completely PSA-Graded 5th Current Finest, 1965 Topps Near Complete Set All PSA 9s and 10s, 1966 Topps Football Completely PSA-Graded 8th Current Finest, 1967 Topps Football Completely PSA-Graded 7th Current Finest, 1970 Topps Baseball Completely PSA-Graded 5th All Time Finest, 1972 Topps Football Completely PSA-Graded 7th Current Finest, 1973 Topps Baseball Completely PSA-Graded 4th All Time Finest, and the #1 Larry Bird PSA Master Set Registry. Add to this list dozens upon dozens of raw and partially graded sets, and it’s no wonder why MHCC has become the industry’s leading outlet for sets. And that’s not all! True to form, MHCC’s current auction also contains a head-spinning selection of unopened material, signed memorabilia, cut autograph cards, and wire photos.  Â
All of the items listed as well as many, many more great items are available for bidding either by going to the company’s website at www.milehighcardco.com or by phone at (303) 840-2784. A full color catalog has been mailed to all registered bidders, and if you would like to receive the catalog you may either call or email and a copy will be sent to you free of charge. The auction will culminate February 13th. Mile High Card Company will accept bids either through its real time auction software or via phone or fax. To register and participate in this special collector event call (303) 840-2784. MHCC is already planning its next auction and is actively pursuing consignments at this time.
