1958 Topps Mickey Mantle, $20,344.
Signed photograph of Lou Gehrig, $9,935.
Babe Ruth-signed baseball, $10,189.
OAKBROOK, ILL. -MastroNet, Inc.’s recent Ron Oser Enterprises auction topped $2 million, representing the largest auction ever conducted by this MastroNet, Inc. division.
A 1952-1961 Topps collection of 10 near or complete baseball card sets, which included some of the most popular baseball cards ever produced, reached $22,188.
A 1958 Topps #150 Mickey Mantle, PSA Mint 9, one of only eight cards known to exist in this condition, sold for $20,344; a 1909-1911 T206 White Border near set of 522 baseball cards, missing the Wagner, but with the Plank and Magee included, went for $18,337; and a 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig autographed baseball cards, the Ruth #149 card (VG) featuring a “9-10” signature, the Gehrig #92 (GD) a “6-7,” sold for $18,055.
A 1959-1964 Topps collection of three baseball card sets, high grade, with many PSA examples, garnered $17,603, and a 1939 Playball #26 Joe DiMaggio-PSA Mint 9 fetched $15,284. A 1938 Goudey #274 Joe DiMaggio rookie card, PSA Near Mint/Mint 8, sold for $15,284; a 1958 Topps #52 Bob Clemente, PSA Mint 9, one of only five in this grade, sold for $14,067; a 1953-1985 Bowman, Topps, Fleer and Leaf collection of over 4,000 cards went for $13,940; an 1887 N172 Old Judge collection of 95 different baseball cards, Nineteenth Century sepia, brought $13,906; and a 1958 Topps collection of 377 baseball cards, grade Near Mint to Mint, sold for $13,563.
The Alice Barrett/Lou Gehrig collection was also offered. Barrett dated Gehrig for a few years in the early 1930s and remained a friend for life. The collection included autographs, a baseball, ticket stubs and other mementos of their friendship, and sold for $11,491. A Lou Gehrig signed original photograph, a vintage black and white showing Gehrig in action right after swinging and leaving the plate to run to first base, the “8” signature rendered in black fountain pen, sold for $9,935. Another autographed image of Gehrig, a personalized photo featuring a “10” autograph and Gehrig in the dugout, sold for $3,827.
A Babe Ruth single signed signature baseball autographed in the narrow isthmus sold for $11,208; a Ruth “9” autograph baseball sold for $10,189; a Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig signed baseball, Ruth’s signature is an “8-9” and Gehrig a “7-8,” went for $5,558; a Bonus Babe-single signed baseball, the “6” signature scripted dead center on the sweet spot, reached $5,244; and a large collection of 157 single signed Hall of Fame and Superstar baseballs, including Griffey, Jr., Reggie Jackson, Gwynn and Killebrew, went for $4,817.
Autographs included an Urban J. Shocker-signed 1925 exhibit card. Shocker died in 1928 but as part of the legendary 1927 New York Yankees team, his importance is recognized; the near mint exhibit card and signature sold for $6,412. A rare Cum Posey holographic letter was also sold. From Negro league legend, Cumberland (Cum) Willis Posey played in the leagues from 1911-1928 and continued as a manger/owner until 1946. Posey’s Homestead Grays won a record nine straight pennants. This letter, on Homestead Grays letterhead, features his “10” signature and sold for $5,983.
A Babe Ruth signed photograph, exhibiting a “10” signature from the last year of Ruth’s life on a 7 by 9 inch sepia example, sold for $5,768, and a Mickey Mantel signed “Stat” baseball bat originally from the Greer Johnson Collection, mint condition, sold for $4,478.
Game gear was highlighted by a Tommy Thomas 1926 White Sox Road jersey and pants which sold for $3,499. An early 1990s Sammy Sosa signed game used fielders glove, a black Rawlings “Pro-HFB Heart of the Hide” example, sold for $2,984; and an Ozzie Smith signed game used baseball glove, originally from the Eric Gregg collection, went for $2,619.
Among bats, a Bill Terry 1934-36 era game used baseball bat, an H&B signature model bat dating to the time of the 1936 New York Giants Championship team, sold for $5,701, and a 1998 San Diego Padres World Series black bat, which included Brown, Myers, Joyner, Hoffman, Gwynn, and Vaughn, mint condition, was won for $4,575.