REA’s Record-Breaking Fall Auction Led by Historic Sale of 1916 Morehouse Baking Babe Ruth Rookie
PJ Kinsella — December 09 2024
Chester, NJ - December 9, 2024 - REA’s Fall Catalog Auction concluded Sunday night with numerous record-breaking sales, led by the first ever sale of the exceedingly rare and newly discovered 1916 M101-4/5 Morehouse Baking #151 Babe Ruth Rookie PSA VG+ 3.5 for $812,724. This was the first instance that an example of Ruth has been documented with this advertisement and presented for sale.
Some of the notable sales included a newly discovered 1909-1911 T206 White Border Ty Cobb Portrait Red Background SGC GOOD+ 2.5 featuring an extremely rare Ty Cobb back that sold for $337,704; a 1909-1911 T206 White Border Eddie Plank SGC VG 3 that sold for $222,000, a record for the SGC grade; and a 1910 D322 Tip Top Bread Honus Wagner PSA EX 5, one of only three examples graded at this level with just one higher, that sold for $186,000, a record for the card in any grade
This newly discovered T206 Ty Cobb Portrait Red Background SGC GOOD+ 2.5 featured an extremely rare Ty Cobb Tobacco back and sold for $337,704
One of the most fascinating items in the auction was a ticket stub from Jackie Robinson's Major League debut on April 15, 1947, when he broke baseball’s color barrier, that also sold for $186,000. An exciting collection of twelve newly discovered 1910-era Piedmont Cigarettes packs, including six of which were still sealed, along with their original display carton combined to realize $218,400 across eight lots.
There were several basketball items that generated strong results, led by a 1997-1998 Skybox Metal Universe Championship Precious Metal Gems Basketball #23 Michael Jordan #15/50 PSA VG-EX 4 that sold for $156,000.
The 1916 Morehouse Baking Babe Ruth rookie was the top seller in the auction, going for $812,724
The event generated more than $13.5 million in sales across more than 86,000 bids.
Other notable results from the event included:
1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays Rookie PSA NM-MT 8 - $180,000
1933 R319 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth PSA NM 7 - $144,000
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA EX+ 5.5 - $138,000
1909-1911 T206 White Border PSA & SGC-Graded Near-Complete Set - $99,000
1920 Pathe Freres Phonograph Co. Babe Ruth Premium Card PSA GOOD 2 - First Year with the Yankees! - $72,000
Exceptional Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Dual-Signed Baseball PSA/DNA NM-MT 8 - $69,000
Newly Discovered 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #88 Christy Mathewson PSA POOR 1 - $66,000 (record for the card in this grade)
1971 Topps #630 Roberto Clemente PSA MINT 9 - $63,000
The auction featured some fantastic complete sets that finished among the top sales, including:
1959 Topps Complete Set (#24 PSA Set Registry with an 8.01 GPA) - $69,000
1971 Topps PSA-Graded Complete Master Set (7.05 GPA) - $26,400
1948 Leaf Football Complete Set (98) Plus 17 Variations (#11 PSA Set Registry with an 5.69 GPA) - $25,200
High-Grade 1961 Topps Complete Set Including 47 PSA & SGC-Graded Cards - $23,400
1951 Bowman Football Complete Set (144): #9 PSA Set Registry (7.52 GPA) - $18,000
“There was a ton of anticipation heading into this blockbuster event because of some exciting new finds we’d showcased, including the Morehouse Baking Babe Ruth rookie. We’re extremely excited about the results and, more importantly, the incredibly strong interest we received across the board from such an expansive bidder base,” said REA President Brian Dwyer. “This was a very strong and record-setting event not just for REA but for the hobby, and we want to extend a huge thank you to all of our bidders and consignors for their trust and dedication to this auction”
REA’s first event of 2025 will be its January Auction that will run from January 9-19. The Company will also be exhibiting at a number of upcoming trade shows accepting consignments and offering free appraisals, including the Philly Show in Oaks, PA and the South Carolina Card Show in Columbia, SC, from December 13-15, as well as the White Plains Show in White Plains, NY, from January 17-19.
About Robert Edward Auctions
Robert Edward Auctions (REA) is one of the leading auction houses in the US specializing in sports and non-sports cards and memorabilia. For more than 30 years, REA has established a reputation as the industry benchmark through its unparalleled and unwavering commitment to integrity, knowledge and transparency. The Company has brokered some of the most lucrative sales and handled some of the most coveted pieces of sports memorabilia in the hobby’s history, including the historic sales of the 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth rookie card for $7.2 million in December 2023 and the T206 Honus Wagner card for $6.6 million in August 2021, a record-setting price at the time. In July 2023, the company acquired Huggins & Scott Auctions. For more information, visit https://robertedwardauctions.com/ and follow REA on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. You can also contact us and request our auction catalog by emailing [email protected].
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P.J. Kinsella
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