Uncle Jimmy was an avid collector of baseball cards from the 1950s through the 1980s. When he passed away in 2015, he left behind over 50,000 individual baseball cards that he had amassed over several decades. His collection was known by other collectors in the area as one of the most extensive around. Now his nephew was going through the massive collection to try and get an assessment of what the entire lot might be worth. Here is a closer look at some of the highlights from Uncle Jimmy’s baseball card collection and what certain rare and valuable cards might fetch on the current market.
One of the first cards that jumped out during the review was a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card inNear Mint condition. Mantle is widely considered the most valuable baseball card of all time and high grade rookie examples consistently break records. A PSA 8 copy of the 1952 Topps Mantle sold for $2.88 million in 2021, setting a new benchmark. Given the condition of Uncle Jimmy’s copy, a PSA 7 grade would be a realistic assumption. At the current market rate, a PSA 7 1952 Topps Mantle rookie would likely command $400,000-$500,000.
Another gem found was a 1909-1911 T206 Honus Wagner card. Often called “The Mona Lisa of Sports Cards”, high grade T206 Wagners are the holy grail for vintage collectors. While not in pristine condition, Uncle Jimmy’s card appeared to be approximately a VG-EX grade. Even in lower mid-grade, T206 Wagners fetch six figures with an estimate of $150,000 likely for this one. Getting it professionally graded would help determine its precise value.
Moving into the 1950s, Uncle Jimmy had a tremendous collection of early Topps issues. One of the most valuable from that era was a 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle card in apparent Near Mint condition. The ’56 Mantle is highly sought after and an easy seven figure card in top grades. A realistic presale estimate would be $300,000-$350,000 assuming a PSA 8 or 9 grade.
Uncle Jimmy also had an unbelievable haul of rookie cards from the late 1950s/early 1960s. One that stood out was a 1961 Topps Roger Maris card in what seemed to be Near Mint condition. As one of the more coveted vintage Yankees, high grade Maris rookies can sell for $50,000+ with an estimate of $75,000 likely given the state of Uncle Jimmy’s copy.
The 1960s were well represented in the collection too with many stars of that era present. Included was an apparent mint 1967 Topps Nolan Ryan rookie card, one of the most iconic of all time. Graded examples typically sell north of $15,000 even in lower grades. Assuming a PSA 9 for Uncle Jimmy’s, it could possibly earn $30,000 on the open market.
Uncle Jimmy seemed to have an affinity for Oakland A’s stars from the 1970s as many of those players’ rookie cards were there. Among them was a standout 1971 Topps Reggie Jackson card in pristine mint condition. A PSA 10 example sold for $23,040 in July 2022, so one grading at that lofty level could potentially match or surpass that price. Alternatively, a PSA 9 would still likely sell for $12,000-$15,000.
The search also turned up an excellent 1974 Topps Hank Aaron card in what looked to be a PSA 8 state of preservation. Aaron remains extremely popular nearly 50 years after his retirement. While not his rookie, high grade later Aaron’s still enjoy strong collector demand which may drive a price of $5,000-$7,000 here.
Rickey Henderson appeared to be another player Uncle Jimmy held in high regard, possessing a fine quality 1976 Topps Henderson rookie. Graded PSA 8 examples recently sold for $4,000-$6,000 on the leading auction sites. This particular card seemed on track for that range as well.
The last truly standout find came from the late 1980s in the form of an impeccable 1988 Topps Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card.Fresh on the heels of breaking the record for the most expensive modern card sale, which saw a PSA 10 Griffey rookie sell for over $5 million, Griffey cards are red hot. While not quite ‘black label’ condition, Uncle Jimmy’s copy looked to be a strong PSA 9. That could garner $7,500-$10,000 in the current booming market for Griffey rookie cards.
Once every card in Uncle Jimmy’s expansive collection is reviewed, graded if needed, and priced out, his nephew should be sitting on a potential treasure trove worth six figures minimum. Those were just a handful of the top hits that jumped out initially too. With further digging, more valuable gems are sure to surface. Proper marketing of the entire lot online could bring offers well in excess of $250,000 when all is said and done. Not a bad return on investment for a lifelong passion of Uncle Jimmy’s. His nephew now has the opportunity to parlay that passion into a sizeable payday.
