In Clean Sweep Auctions’ highly anticipated 2024 premiere, an extraordinary selection of pre-War baseball cards has stolen the spotlight. The event, which marks the auction house’s first significant sale of the year, features two exceptionally rare T206 cards that have garnered considerable attention from collectors of vintage baseball memorabilia.
Leading the pack is the T206 Ray Demmitt card, graded SGC 2, followed closely by the Bill O’Hara card with an SGC 1.5 grade. These cards are just a glimpse of the impressive array of Hall of Famers’ cards showcased in the renowned “monster” set, prominently featured in the online catalog for the auction.
Not to be missed is the Ty Cobb ‘bat on shoulder’ variant card, boasting a PSA 3 grade and a Sovereign 350 back. Equally notable is the SGC Cy Young portrait card, graded SGC 4, adding further excitement to the already exceptional listings.
A true highlight of the auction is a set of four M110 Sporting Life Cabinet cards from 1911, featuring legendary figures such as Honus Wagner, Frank Chance, Nap Lajoie, and Christy Mathewson. These cards hold immense value due to their scarcity, as they represent a limited number of surviving examples from this early foray into card production by the sports newspaper over a century ago.
Among the other significant cards up for grabs is the 1887 Allen & Ginter Mike “King” Kelly card, graded SGC 5, a 1907 Dietsche Ty Cobb postcard (with the name on the front variation) graded SGC 1, and a rare 1908 Rose Postcard featuring Hall of Famer Addie Joss. Additionally, collectors will find a collection of 1911 Turkey Red Cabinets, including cards of Walter Johnson, Eddie Collins, Home Run Baker, Rube Waddell, and Addie Joss.
The auction continues to impress with key lots like the 1921 Exhibit Babe Ruth card graded PSA 2, a 1928 Harrington’s Ice Cream Ruth card with an SGC 1.5 grade, a 1933 George C. Miller Dizzy Dean card graded SGC 3, and a pair of 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig cards (graded PSA 2 and SGC 3.5 respectively). Additional highlights include a 1933 Goudey 149 Ruth card rated SGC 5, a 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams rookie card with an SGC 3 grade, a 1948-49 Leaf Jackie Robinson RC graded Beckett 2, a PSA 9 graded 1950 Callahan set, and rookie cards of Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays from 1951 Bowman. Furthermore, collectors will find a 1952 Berk Ross Mantle card graded PSA 3, a 1952 Bowman Mantle card with a PSA 5 grade, a 1954 Johnson Cookies Aaron RC graded PSA 7, and a 1958 Hires Root Beer with tab Willie Mays card, also graded PSA 7.
Complete sets are a highlight of the auction, including the 1957 and 1967 Topps sets, with the latter boasting 90 graded cards.
For autograph enthusiasts, the auction presents a rare opportunity to acquire an autographed 1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle card, a PSA 8 graded Jackie Robinson signed Hall of Fame postcard, as well as a 1931 Yankees team signed baseball.
Unopened material also holds a prominent place in the auction, with a 1988 Fleer basketball wax box and a 1986 Topps football rack box to cater to enthusiasts and collectors alike.
The auction will kick-off with an exceptional item fresh to the hobby—an MEARS-rated 9 1939 Joe Cronin Boston Red Sox road flannel jersey.
Other intriguing items include a series of Chicago Cubs signed team sets from the 1950s, thirteen different Derek Jeter autographed cards signed before his MLB debut in the mid-1990s, and a coveted Lou Gehrig autograph.
Basketball card collectors will find themselves in awe with two Bird/Magic rookies and two Michael Jordan rookies in the mix. The football section doesn’t disappoint either, offering vintage sets, Tom Brady rookie cards, and a ticket from the famous 1958 “greatest game” between the Colts and the Giants.
To round out the auction, baseball memorabilia enthusiasts will discover treasures such as 19th-century Chicago Cubs home scorecards, a 1906 Red Sox scorecard, a 1920 Who’s Who with Babe Ruth on the cover, World Series items, a 1912 tabletop baseball game, an original telephone from Ebbet’s Field, tickets, pennants, and a high-grade set of Hartland statues.
Bidding for this extensive and impressive collection of baseball and sports memorabilia is scheduled to run through January 31st. Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of history and take home these remarkable items steeped in the rich legacy of America’s favorite pastime.
