Lot 1. Original 1933-34 Sky Birds Artwork of the WWI Sopwith T.1 Cuckoo Aircraft. National Chicle used this 4.75” x 5.5” gouache painting to produce card #105 in this set. Titled “Sopwith Torpedo Carrier,” the colorful painting features two British biplane torpedo bombers built for the Royal Naval Air Service and subsequently used by its successor, the Royal Air Force. The Cuckoo was the first plane, or among the first, designed specifically for carrier operations. Experience with the plane contributed to the evolution of carrier-based aircraft. This outstanding artwork has a few tiny, light stains.
Winning Bid $6,134
Lot 2. 1933-34 Sky Birds Wrapper and Card #105 – “Sopwith Torpedo Carrier." The scarce wrapper for this impressive set featuring WWI aircraft is vg with the usual folds and creases; it is free of tears. The card is vg-ex. Details of this torpedo bomber are in Lot 1. The wrapper and card would display nicely – framed together or with the original artwork in Lot 1.
Winning Bid $125
Lot 3. Kirby Puckett Impressive Gem Mint 10 Autograph on a 2001 Perez-Steele HoF Postcard. The blue sharpie signature is on an image-free area of the nm-m card. In 2001, the Minnesota Twins center fielder was a first-ballot inductee into the Hall of Fame. His career cut short by glaucoma, Puckett was a 10-time All-Star in 12 seasons with a .318 career batting average, a six-time Gold Glove and Silver Slugger Award recipient, and the 1989 AL batting champion. At No. 86, he was among a small group of active players to make “The Sporting News” 1998 list of “Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players.” Puckett was only 45 when he died in 2006. PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $446
Lot 4. 1979 Hostess Baseball Card Panel with Willie Montanez, Nolan Ryan and Ozzie Smith. This panel has been well trimmed from the box it was part of in 1979. The trim line is present around the cards except about 3/8” in the upper right of the Ryan card. Otherwise, the panel and the individual cards are nm-m.
Winning Bid $50
Lot 5. Joe Montana Gem Mint 10 Silver Sharpie Autograph on a Mint Football. The signature of “The Sporting News” top quarterback of the 20th century is on a panel of a Wilson Official NFL Paul Tagliabue On Field Authentic NFL Game Ball. Accomplishments: Pro Hall of Fame in 2000. Led San Francisco to four Super Bowl championships; three-time Super Bowl MVP. NFL MVP in 1989 and 1990, NFL 1989 Offensive Player of the Year and Bert Bell Award (as NFL Player of the Year), three-time first-team All-Pro, eight-time Pro Bowl selection, two-time NFL leader in touchdown passes and passer rating and five-time leader in completion percentage. Retired with a 92.3 passer rating, then second only to Steve Young. 1990 “Sports Illustrated” Sportsman of the Year and two-time AP Athlete of the Year. In 1999, No. 3 on the 1999 “Sporting News” list of “Football’s 100 Greatest Players” and No. 25 on ESPN’s list of Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century. In 2006, “Sports Illustrated” designated him the best clutch quarterback of all time. In 1977 at Notre Dame, after starting the season as the third-string quarterback, Montana emerged as the starter and played a key role in helping the Fighting Irish to win the AP/Coaches national championship. PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $110
Lot 6. George Mikan Nm-M Autograph on a Spalding NBA Indoor-Outdoor Basketball. A basketball pioneer, Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959. His autograph extends for six inches across a blank panel of the basketball above the panel with the Spalding logo. A 6’ 10” tall center, Mikan established the dominant role of the “big man” in college and pro basketball. A three-time All-American at DePaul, he was chosen twice as the Helms Player of the Year and, in 1945, as “The Sporting News” Player of the Year. He excelled at blocking shots and scoring with his hook shot – from either hand. Mikan’s pro career spanned 1946-54 with the Chicago American Gears (1946-47) of the National Basketball League, a predecessor of the modern National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Minneapolis Lakers (1947-54) of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the NBA. He retired in 1955, returned briefly in 1956, and then retired for good. His pro honors include seven league championships, 1948 NBL MVP, four-time NBA All-Star, 1948 NBL scoring leader, three-time NBA scoring leader and 1953 NBA rebounding leader. In 1950, the Associated Press named him the greatest basketball player of the first half-century. He was named to the NBA’s 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th anniversary teams. Mikan died in 2005 at the age of 80. The basketball has some scuffs on the panel with the Spalding logo – away from Mikan’s autograph. PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $180
Lot 7. 1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente Rookie Card. This card retains its original sheen, which provides excellent eye appeal. Multiple creases on the front and back don’t break the surface. It’s a truly nice-looking affordable card. F-g.
Winning Bid $722
Lot 8. Willie Mays Autographed Official National League William White Baseball. May’s sweet spot signature is gem mint 10. The ball has two small, very light discoloration spots, one on the west panel near “Rawlings,” and the other, on the north; both are away from the autograph. A somewhat larger, slightly darker discoloration is farther away on the north panel next to the ONL designation. On its 1998 list of Baseball’s 100 Greatest Players, “The Sporting News” ranked only Babe Ruth ahead of Mays. In 23 MLB seasons, Mays was an All-Star 24 times. He was the 1951 NL Rookie of the Year and the league’s MVP twice. PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $148
Lot 9. Mickey Mantle Large Gem Mint 10 Autograph on a Perez-Steele 1981 HoF Postcard. Mantle’s autograph extends for 3.5” from one inside border of the card to the other. The card itself is nm-m. Mantle entered the Hall of Fame in 1974, his first year of eligibility, with 536 home runs, 1,509 RBI, a .298 career batting average, 20 All-Star appearances, seven World Series championships, three AL MVP awards and numerous other honors. He died in 1995 at the age of 63. PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $433
Lot 10. 1973 Putney Road Market Carlton Fisk Card. This 3 ½” x 6 ½” card appears to be beyond rare. It’s the first example we’ve seen, and we haven’t found it on any list. It has a moderate quantity of stains on the front and back. Free of creases, it is nicely centered. Without the stains considered, the card is ex to ex-m.
Winning Bid $248
Lot 11. Iron Man #1 “Big Premier Issue” from May 1968. This book provides the solo debut of the American superhero that made his first appearance in Marvel’s “Tales of Suspense” in March 1963. The comic displays nicely, with very strong colors on its cover. Inside pages show aging only in limited, small border areas. They are free of tears, stains and chips. The front cover has some minor creasing. Vg.
Winning Bid $354
Lot 12. “TSN” PINE TAR HOME RUN Issue Signed by Billy Martin, George Brett and Gaylord Perry. Complete Aug. 8, 1983 issue of “The Sporting News” with a Bill Wilson cover illustration offering representations of Brett, Martin, American League President Lee MacPhail and an AL umpire. Brett and Perry, both future Hall of Fame members, and Martin boldly autographed the cover; their signatures are mint 9 to gem mint 10. The Pine Tar dispute occurred July 24, 1983 at Yankee Stadium after Brett hit a two-run home run that the gave the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth inning. Subsequently, Yankees manager Billy Martin, who had seen a large amount of pine tar on Brett’s bat, asked the umpires to inspect the bat. They decreed that the bat was covered with more pine tar than allowed by an MLB rule, and called Brett out. That ended the game, giving the Yankees a 4-3 victory. The Royals then protested the decision, and MacPhail upheld the protest. He explained that the rule was based on economics, not on any unfair advantage created by the pine tar. A ball in contact with pine tar, he said, could be discolored, making it unusable. It would have to be replaced, increasing the home team’s costs for the game. He said Brett had not “altered (the bat) to improve the distance factor.” MacPhail restored Brett’s home run – and the Royals’ lead. One Aug. 18, the two teams finished the ninth inning. The Royals won, 5-4. Perry signed the “TSN” cover because he had surreptitiously removed the bat from the field and given it to the Royals’ bat boy. Fittingly, he autographed the bat. The “TSN” issue, almost 12” x 14”, is in fine condition with usual wear. The signatures display beautifully! Every serious collection should have one of these on a wall to commemorate one of the most controversial and memorable moments of 20th century baseball! PSA/DNA Pre-Certified.
Winning Bid $100
Lot 13. 1934 World Series Photo with “Tiger Tamers” Dizzy and Daffy Dean Predicting Success. Taken just before the start of the World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers, this 7”x9” black & white ACME NEWSPICTURES wire photo has Dizzy (on the left) saying: “That ought to hit the old Tiger right between the eyes.” Brother Daffy evidently agrees and adds ‘I’ll follow up where you leave off.” They were right. The Cardinals won the series in seven games, and the Dean brothers were the winning pitchers in all four victories. Dizzy was 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA, and Paul was even better, 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA. The photo is sharp and brilliant, retaining the original qualities it displayed on the day it was produced. It does have a barely noticeable small amount of clear residue toward the bottom. And it is a great collectible recognizing the Dean brothers.
Winning Bid $83
Lot 14. 1998 NFL Hall of Fame Signature Series Platinum Edition Set of 116 Signed Cards. This set, produced by NFL Hall of Famer Ron Mix, REMAINS FACTORY-SEALED. It consists of full-color 4” x 6” cards, each hand-signed by the player or coach. Each card presents an attractive artist’s rendering of the HoF member. Only 2,500 of these sets were produced; all were issued in set form. This set is #336. Of the 116 HoFers, two signed only a first name – Doak Walker, who apparently signed after his tragic skiing accident, and Sid Gillman. The autographs are typically mint 9 and gem mint 10. Here is a complete list of the autographs in the set: Herb Adderley, Lance Alworth, Doug Atkins, Lem Barney, Sammy Baugh, Chuck Bednarik, Bobby Bell, Raymond Berry, Fred Biletnikoff, George Blanda, Mel Blount, Roosevelt Brown, Willie Brown, Dick Butkus, Tony Canadeo, George Connor, Lou Creekmur, Larry Csonka, Willie Davis, Len Dawson, Dan Dierdorf, Mike Ditka, Art Donovan, Tony Dorsett, William Dudley, Weeb Ewbank, Tom Fears, Dan Fouts, Frank Gatski, Joe Gibbs, Sid Gillman, Otto Graham, Bud Grant, Bob Griese, Lou Groza, Jack Ham, John Hannah, Franco Harris, Mike Haynes, Ted Hendricks, Crazy Legs Hirsch, Paul Hornung, Ken Houston, Sam Huff, John Henry Johnson, Jimmy Johnson, Charlie Joiner, Deacon Jones, Stan Jones, Sonny Jurgensen, Leroy Kelly, Paul Krause, Tom Landry, Dick Lane, Jim Langer, Willie Lanier, Steve Largent, Yale Lary, Dante Lavelli, Bob Lilly, Larry Little, John Mackey, Gino Marchetti, Don Maynard, Mike McCormack, Hugh McElhenny, Tommy McDonald, Bobby Mitchell, Ron Mix, Lenny Moore, Marion Motley, Anthony Munoz, George Musso, Joe Namath, Chuck Noll, Leo Nomellini, Merlin Olsen, Jim Otto, Alan Page, Ace Parker, Jim Parker, Joe Perry, Pete Pihos, Mel Renfro, Jim Ringo, Andy Robustelli, Bob St. Clair, Gale Sayers, Joe Schmidt, Tex Schramm, Lee Roy Selmon, Art Shell, Don Shula, Mike Singletary, O. J. Simpson, Jackie Smith, Roger Staubach, Ernie Stautner, Jan Stenerud, Dwight Stephenson, Charley Taylor, Jim Taylor, Y. A. Tittle, Charley Trippi, Gene Upshaw, Steve Van Buren, Bill Walsh, Doak Walker, Paul Warfield, Mike Webster, Arnie Weinmeister, Randy White, Bill Willis, Larry Wilson, Kellen Winslow and Willie Wood.
Winning Bid $1,433
Lot 15. Jack Davis Original Artwork for 1966 Topps Slob Stickers “Jerky Jim” and “Jerky Ed." From Topps’ files, this 3 3/8”x 4 3/4” artwork was used in producing cards 1A, 1B and 1C in the 132-card set. Like Garbage Pail Kids, this set contains multiple identities for cards with the same images. Jack Davis was the penciller for this card and others in the set. One of the cartoonists who created “Mad” magazine in 1952, Davis was widely recognized for his comic book stories, magazine and record album covers, film posters, and advertising artwork. His cartoon characters, including Jerky Jim and Ed, typically have large heads, skinny legs and big feet. This color artwork is ex-m, free of creases; the back has pencil markings and art paper residue.
Winning Bid $200
