Sy Berger
Buzz Break: 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hobby box)
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The box: 2021 Topps Series 1 baseball cards (hobby box)
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com
First Buzz preview with checklist/SPs/more: Click hereKeep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.
Satchel Paige 1953 Topps painting on auction block
An iconic painting used to make a Hall of Famer's only Topps baseball card during his playing career is on the auction block.
It's the 3- by 5-inch painting by Gerry Dvorak used for the 1953 Topps card of Satchel Paige and it was saved by former Topps executive Sy Berger after the set was made. This one was one of a small selection of paintings that previously hit the auction block in 2010 via Robert Edward Auctions.
That's also the auction company handling this sale, which wraps up in the next couple of days.
Mickey Mantle auction may make hobby history this week
Update (April 19): After 21 bids, the card stood at $2.88 million as it entered the extended bidding window (30 minute sessions).
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The Mick is about to take on the record books once again.
A PSA 9 copy of Mickey Mantle's iconic 1952 Topps baseball card is on the auction block via Heritage Auctions and its bidding is already in seven figures as we count down the minutes until its close later this week.
Just five other copies of the card have graded this high among more than 1,500 slabbed by PSA and just three have scored higher. It's estimated to sell for more than $3.5 million by the auction house, given recent demand for lower grades, and that would put it atop the list of best-selling baseball cards -- atop even top sales of Honus Wagner's T206 tobacco card.
"This card is a towering symbol of American exceptionalism, from its celebration of our national pastime to the fearless ambition of creator Sy Berger's vision to the exaltation of a culture that could elevate a poor kid from the Oklahoma coal mines to the pinnacle of fame and acclaim," said the auction house's listing. "It is 10 square inches of the American dream, preserved virtually flawlessly for eternity. It is a commodity recognized and coveted by millions, yet available to only a tiny handful of the most-sophisticated collectors."
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