T206 Plank tops $100K at auction as expected
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
A PSA 5 specimen of one of the hobby’s more sought-after pre-war cards sold for more than $100,000 as had been expected in Memory Lane Inc.‘s Winter Classics Auction that closed on Saturday night.
The Eddie Plank T206 card, which featured a Sweet Caporal back, sold for $107,100 after 16 bids and buyer’s premium as part of an event that generated $1.6 million in sales.
“The auction again showed the strength of rare and high grade material,” said Memory Lane’s J.P. Cohen. “Collectors are willing to invest in items that either exist only in small quantities or carry a grade that makes them desirable to those who want the best they can find.”
Meanwhile, a PSA 4 1902 W600 Sporting Life cabinet card of Honus Wagner sold for $33,842 and a rare Ty Cobb Tobacco tin finished with the third-highest bidding of the sale at $30,867.
The notable sales weren’t just all pre-war vintage, either, as high-grade vintage Topps cards grabbed attention from bidders as well. For example, a 1971 Topps baseball set that ranked fourth in the PSA set registry brought in $30,810, while a PSA 9 Al Kaline 1954 Topps Rookie Card fetched $18,040 and a ’54 Willie Mays went for $10,184.
Also in-demand were Red Man cards as a 1953 Stan Musial PSA 9 went for $10,767 and a ’52 Mays PSA 8.5 went for $8,804.
To see more results, visit Memory Lane Inc. by clicking here.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
