1968 Topps Baseball set sells for $1.1m ⚾️

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Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• 1968 Topps Baseball set sells for $1.1m ⚾️

• Topps releases exclusive LeBron short print card 🐐

• Auctions ending soon 🔎

• People to follow in the hobby 👥

• Meme of the day 🃏

1968 TOPPS BASEBALL SET SELLS FOR $1.1M ⚾️

First reported by Sports Collectors Daily, the world’s most pristine 1968 Topps Baseball set (according to the PSA Set Registry) just sold for a whopping $1.1 million. The set was broken up and sold by Mile High Card Company in their Spring 2024 Auction, with nearly every card being a PSA 10.

The 1968 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 10 from the set went for $235,234, a substantial amount but far less than the card’s peak sale of $510k in February 2023 at Heritage. Other notable sales from the set include:

• Hank Aaron PSA 10: $157,381

• Reds Rookie Stars Johnny Bench PSA 10: $64,028

• Roberto Clemente PSA 10: $50,043

• Willie Mays PSA 10: $44,281

• Nolan Ryan PSA 9: $64,028

It’s sad to see an iconic set be broken up, but that tends to be the best way to maximize total sale price. When you sell a full set, your buyer pool is only people in the market for a full set, whereas selling individual cards means you expand your pool to include people completing their own sets and collectors looking for individual cards.

TOPPS RELEASES EXCLUSIVE LEBRON SHORT PRINT CARD 🐐

To commemorate LeBron achieving 40,000 career points — a first in NBA history — Topps released a Topps Now card (pictured below) shortly after LeBron crossed the 40k threshold during a game versus the Denver Nuggets early last month.

The card, which features artwork by Chuck Styles, depicts LeBron with a “40k crown“ and includes details like the date of the game. It retailed for $20 and has several parallels: black (/99), green (/75), blue (/49), purple (/25), red (/10), orange (/5), and gold (/1).

Here’s the cool part that a lot of people glossed over — Topps quietly added a “2003-04 LeBron James Time Machine Art“ short print (pictured below on the right) in random orders, which mirrors the design of LeBron’s 2003 rookie card, with the iconic white baggy suit and a “40,000” sign. Copies of the short print card are currently selling for $900-$1,000 on eBay.

AUCTIONS ENDING SOON 🔎

• Steve Novella: ends April 16 (tonight)

• PWCC: ends April 18

• Sirius Sports Cards: ends April 18

PEOPLE TO FOLLOW IN THE HOBBY 👥

• GP Sports Cards: Hockey breaking content

• Sports Cards Once Again: Thoughtful, well-researched card content

• Graded Card Investor: Videos highlighting recent card sales

MEME OF THE DAY 🃏