Hake's Offers CGC-certified Vintage Sports and Non-sports Cards Worth Five Figures

A wide-ranging selection of vintage baseball cards and pop culture trading cards that are authenticated and graded by CGC Cards™ are being offered in an upcoming Hake's Auctions sale. Online bidding is already underway for Hake's Auction 240 - Session #1 and Auction 240 - Session #2, which will be held March 19-20, 2024.

The top lot for sports cards in the auction comes from the seldom-seen first of three sets produced by the Baltimore News: a 1910 Baltimore News Orioles Jack Dunn graded CGC 1 (Session 1, lot 578). This card has an estimate of $10,000 to $20,000. Only 12 individuals are known to have been included in the set, which features the manager and select players of the minor league Orioles team of the early 1910s.

This particular card depicts the most important figure of the series in manager Jack Dunn, who famously discovered arguably the most iconic baseball player ever — George Herman "Babe" Ruth. Featuring either blue or red monochrome backgrounds, the Dunn card is only eclipsed by the Babe's earliest issued card, which was released in the 1914 set by the Baltimore News. Confirming its extreme rarity, there has never been a public sale of the 1910 Dunn card and it sits alone as the only example in the CGC Cards Population Report.

1910 Baltimore News Orioles Jack Dunn graded CGC 1 Click images to enlarge.

Another highlight of the auction is a 1916 M101-5 Sporting News Forrest Cady - Blank Back, No Number graded CGC 3.5 (Session 1, lot 583), which has an estimate of $10,000 to $20,000. Distributed by Felix Mendelsohn in Chicago, the 200-card black-and-white M101-5 set promoted various local businesses, with 20 different advertising backs known today. Although the set includes MLB legends Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner and more, Cady's card also commands top dollar since it was pulled from production early on, making it more scarce than other cards in the set.

In addition, the "No Number" version is even rarer than its #23 counterpart, making this a highly sought-after card for serious collectors. Like the previous Baltimore News card, there are no known public sales of the unnumbered Cady card, and it is the only example in the CGC Cards Population Report.

1916 M101-5 Sporting News Forrest Cady - Blank Back, No Number graded CGC 3.5 Click images to enlarge.

Meanwhile, the top CGC-certified non-sports card lot in the auction is a Complete Set of 1959 Fleer The 3 Stooges graded CGC 1 to CGC 8 (Session 2, lot 1898), which has an estimate of $10,000 to $20,000. Based on the famous trio of slapstick comedy, The 3 Stooges starred in hundreds of films and TV show episodes and were active from 1922 to 1970. The 99-card complete set includes all three coveted portrait cards of Curly, Moe and Larry (#1-3) and all three checklist variant cards. One of the most sought-after pop culture sets by non-sports card collectors, it is uncommon that a full set is made available at auction.

1959 Fleer The 3 Stooges #1 Curly graded CGC 5 Click images to enlarge.

Another CGC-certified trading card highlight of the auction is a Complete Set of 1985 Garbage Pail Kids Series 1 graded CGC 4 to CGC Pristine 10 (Session 2, lot 1919), which has an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000. Created in response to the overwhelming popularity of Cabbage Patch Kids, Garbage Pail Kids cards featured inappropriate spoofs of the lovable dolls from the 1980s. Considered somewhat controversial upon their release, the cards were banned by schools across the country. Consisting of 88 sticker cards (44 A cards and 44 B cards), a high-grade complete set like this one is a rare find.

1985 Topps Garbage Pail Kids Series 1 #39a Buggy Betty - Glossy graded CGC Pristine 10 Click images to enlarge.

Another top lot among the CGC-certified non-sports cards in the Hake's sale is a Complete Set of 1937 Ripley's Believe It or Not! graded CGC 1.5 to CGC 7 (Session 2, lot 1878), which has an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000. Launched in 1918 by Robert Ripley originally as a newspaper cartoon panel, Ripley's Believe It or Not! would go on to be adapted to many formats, including radio, television, comic books, a book series and a chain of museums showcasing strange and unusual events, items and people. Rarely offered as a complete set, this 48-card series features cartoon depictions that are from the extensive Ripley collection of 20,000 photographs, 30,000 artifacts and more than 100,000 cartoon panels.

1937 Ripley's Believe It or Not! #19 A Record in Cannibalism graded CGC 7 Click images to enlarge.

Other CGC-certified sports cards in this auction include:

• a 1910 Baltimore News Orioles "Doc" Adkins graded CGC 2.5 (Session 1, lot 579), with an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000
• a 1956 Topps #33 Roberto Clemente - White Back graded CGC 8 (Session 1, lot 593), with an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000
• a 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle graded CGC 1.5 (Session 1, lot 587), with an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000
• a 1909 E92 Dockman & Sons Honus Wagner - Throwing graded CGC 2 (Session 1, lot 576), with an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000
• a 1910 E93 Standard Caramel Honus Wagner graded CGC 2.5 (Session 1, lot 577), with an estimate of $5,000 to $10,000
• a 1954 Red Heart Mickey Mantle graded CGC 4.5 (Session 1, lot 591), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a 1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle graded CGC 3 (Session 1, lot 588), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a 1954 Topps #201 Al Kaline graded CGC 5 (Session 1, lot 592), with an estimate of $700 to $1,000
• a 1948 Bowman #6 Yogi Berra graded CGC 2 (Session 1, lot 586), with an estimate of $400 to $700
• a 1927 W560 Lou Gehrig - Hand Cut 3 of Clubs graded CGC Authentic (Session 1, lot 585), with an estimate of $400 to $700

Other CGC-certified non-sports cards in this auction include:

• a Complete Set of 1962 Topps Mars Attacks! graded CGC 1.5 to CGC 5 (Session 2, lot 1902), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a Complete Set of 1977 Topps Star Wars - Series 1 graded CGC 2.5 to CGC Gem Mint 10 (Session 2, lot 1917), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a Complete Set of 1933 R39 National Chicle Dare Devils graded CGC 3.5 to CGC 8 (Session 2, lot 1871), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a Complete Set of 1933 Flatbush Gum Noah's Ark graded CGC 2 to CGC 5.5 (Session 2, lot 1872), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a Nearly Complete set of 1935 R48-2 Gum Inc. Film Funnies graded CGC 1.5 to CGC 6 (Session 2, lot 1874), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a Complete Set of 1935 R108 Pulvers Pictures graded CGC 3 to CGC 8 (Session 2, lot 1876), with an estimate of $2,000 to $5,000
• a Complete Set of 1932 U.S. Caramel Presidents - Red Background graded CGC 1 to CGC 8 (Session 2, lot 1868), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a Complete Set of 1932 U.S. Caramel Presidents - Orange Background graded CGC 1.5 to CGC 5.5 (Session 2, lot 1869), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a Complete Set of 1932 U.S. Caramel Presidents - Blue Background graded CGC 2 to CGC 5.5 (Session 2, lot 1870), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000
• a Complete Set of 1939 Gumakers of America True Spy Stories graded CGC 3 to CGC 6 (Session 2, lot 1880), with an estimate of $1,000 to $2,000

All estimates are provided by the auction house.