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Over the recent weekend, a distinguished sale took place at Heritage Auctions' Winter Sports Card Auction, where the premiere SGC graded 1916 M101-5 blank back Babe Ruth rookie card reached a stunning sale price of $630,000. This card, rated 5.5 by SGC, is rare, with only seven other examples known within SGC's records. The auction itself was a monumental event, amassing over $11.1 million in total sales. Among the treasures sold, seven items each fetched upwards of $100,000, including the buyer's premium. Notably, a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card, immaculately graded PSA 10, achieved the highest sale price for a Gem Mint PSA graded copy since September 2021.

The auction showcased an impressive array of vintage, still-sealed boxes, highlighted by a 1965 Topps Baseball wax box containing cards from the second, third, and fourth series. This particular box, originating from the collection of Adolph “Herky” Rupp Jr., was auctioned for $336,000 following authentication by BBCE. Rupp Jr. was the descendant of the famed Kentucky basketball coach, Adolph Rupp. His collection also featured a 1953 Topps Willie Mays card, graded PSA 8, which commanded a price of $186,000.

Additionally, the auction saw the sale of several unopened boxes from a collection that had only recently come to light, acquired towards the end of the previous year. Among these, a 1970 Topps Baseball 6th series cello box broke records with a sale of $105,000, a 1968 Topps Football 1st series 36-pack cello box set a new benchmark at $99,000, and a 1973 Topps Baseball 3rd series 500-count vending box was sold for $18,600. The initial offerings from this collection, tied to a former Topps employee, fetched $284,455, with expectations of reaching into the seven figures as more items are sold in the coming months.

The auction also featured nearly two dozen vintage autographed cards, amassed by Mike Greenbaum in their time of origin, which garnered significant interest. A standout was a 1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson card, graded 1.5 with an autograph grade of 8, which led the pack at $117,000. A similarly graded signed Roy Campanella card from the same set fetched $69,000.

Among individual card sales, a T206 Ty Cobb Green portrait, graded PSA 6 and featuring a Piedmont advertising back, sold for $105,000. A 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle card, graded PSA 9, reached $80,533, while a 1962 Topps Manager’s Dream card, showcasing both Mantle and Mays, sold for $75,000.

Complete sets were also on offer, with the highest-rated set of 1909-1912 Colgan’s chips discs selling for $54,000. The 16th ranked 1969-70 Topps Basketball set garnered $93,000, and an all-PSA 8 1952 Bowman baseball set was acquired for $84,000, highlighting the auction's diverse and valuable selections.