1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, Wayne Gretzky-Era Hockey Wax Box Lead CA$680,020 Sports Auction

Miller & Miller’s October 25 sale attracted 580 bidders, with fresh-to-market vintage sports cards and historic hockey collectibles delivering strong results.

NEW HAMBURG, ONTARIO, CANADA, October 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle; a 1979-80 Topps Hockey wax box containing all 36 packs from Wayne Gretzky’s rookie year; and a 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson led Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.’s Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia sale held October 25, 2026. The online-only auction realized CA$680,020 in total gross, including buyer’s premium, with 99 percent of the 288 lots sold.

All prices in this report are in Canadian dollars and include buyer’s premium.

The auction featured 288 lots of sports cards and memorabilia, with fresh-to-market discoveries from single-owner collections providing much of the sale’s momentum. The online-only event attracted 580 registered bidders, who placed 7,848 bids through Miller & Miller Live and LiveAuctioneers, with lots closing sequentially beginning at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Fifty-four percent of the top 50 lots exceeded estimate, reflecting continued collector interest in significant vintage material entering the market for the first time.

The sale was led by Lot 86, a recently graded 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 1 PR, which realized CA$90,750 against an estimate of CA$40,000–CA$60,000. Discovered in a single-owner collection, the card represents one of the most sought-after issues in the landmark 1952 Topps baseball set. The #311 card begins the set’s rare high-number series, which has long been considered among its most desirable components. Despite its low grade, the example offered strong eye appeal, with the combination of its iconic subject, recent grading and fresh-to-market provenance contributing to a result well above estimate.

Lot 89, a 1979-80 Topps Hockey wax box containing 36 of 36 packs, authenticated by ICert, followed at CA$48,400 against an estimate of CA$10,000–CA$25,000. The box had remained in a long-held collection since the early 1980s and contains packs from the rookie year of Wayne Gretzky, one of hockey’s most celebrated players. Although the box is not sealed, ICert examined and verified the box and its contents as authentic and unaltered, making the complete group an important opportunity for collectors of vintage hockey cards and unopened-pack material.

Another major result came from Lot 85, a 1952 Topps #312 Jackie Robinson graded PSA 2 Good, which realized CA$39,325 against an estimate of CA$8,000–CA$12,000. A recent discovery that had also received a new grade from PSA, the card belongs to the scarce high-number series of the 1952 Topps set. Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s colour barrier in 1947, becoming the first African American player in the modern era; his enduring significance in baseball history makes the card an important issue for both sports-card collectors and those interested in the game’s social history.

Lot 75, an exceptional piece of Canadian sports history, featured a 1910 card album with Georges Vézina’s rookie card, realizing CA$25,410 against an estimate of CA$8,000–CA$12,000. Preserved intact by one family after a young collector enlisted in the First World War in 1914 and never returned, the scrapbook contains an extensive array of early tobacco cards, including 1910 C56 hockey cards of Art Ross, Frank Patrick, and Newsy Lalonde, as well as lacrosse cards.

Lot 65, a 1937 O-Pee-Chee #118 Joe DiMaggio graded PSA 1.5 Fair, realized CA$18,150 against an estimate of CA$5,000–CA$10,000. Part of a recent single-owner family discovery, the card is a scarce pre-war issue from the Canadian card company’s limited 1937 release. DiMaggio spent his entire 13-year major-league career with the New York Yankees, winning three American League MVP awards and nine World Series championships. The recently graded example offered strong eye appeal for its designation, adding to the appeal of an increasingly difficult card to find.

Lot 82, a 1909–11 T206 Sweet Caporal Ty Cobb Red Portrait graded PSA 3 VG, brought CA$12,100 against an estimate of CA$5,000–CA$10,000. The card belongs to one of the most recognized early baseball card sets and features the Detroit Tigers legend, who retired with a .366 career batting average and was among the inaugural class inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. The Sweet Caporal 350/30-back variation is particularly sought after, and the example presented bold red colour and strong eye appeal.

Lot 69, a 1933 O-Pee-Chee Series A and B partial set of 64 cards from the company’s first hockey card release, realized CA$9,680 against an estimate of CA$2,000–CA$3,000. The group includes Hall of Fame players such as Eddie Shore, Howie Morenz and Frank “King” Clancy, along with the original O-Pee-Chee “Hockey Star Picture Album.”

Lot 76, a 1951 Parkhurst partial set of 91 cards preserved in a scrapbook, brought CA$9,075 against an estimate of CA$5,000–CA$10,000. Compiled by former Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings prospect Keith Davidson, the scrapbook includes key Hall of Fame rookies Gordie Howe and Maurice Richard, along with photocopied letters documenting Davidson’s invitations to professional and junior hockey training camps.

“Fresh-to-market material once again took centre stage, delivering strong results across an exciting selection of sports cards and memorabilia,” said Ben Pernfuss, Miller & Miller’s Consignment Director for Sports Cards & Memorabilia. “The results demonstrate that demand remains strong for significant material entering the market for the first time.”

The full auction catalogue and results are available at www.millerandmillerauctions.com. Miller & Miller Auctions’ upcoming schedule includes:
October 28: Pottery & Glass
October 29: Decoys & Sporting
November 12: Luxury & Important Watches
November 29: Petroliana & Advertising

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and specializes in watches, art, antiques, sports cards and high-value collectibles. The firm is always accepting quality consignments and provides collectors with a respected marketplace to buy and sell.

To consign a single item, estate or collection, call (519) 573-3710 or email info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more about upcoming auctions, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.

Ben Pernfuss
Miller and Miller Auctions Ltd.
benp@millerandmillerauctions.com

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