Ty Cobb cards lead REA October auction lineup

Ty Cobb cards headline REA’s October auction

Rare vintage tobacco cards continue to draw strong interest from collectors, and REA’s October Auction is putting several Ty Cobb highlights at the center of the sale. The top Cobb item is a 1909-1911 T206 White Border Ty Cobb Portrait Red Background with a Ty Cobb back, graded PSA Poor 1. REA notes that fewer than 30 examples of T206 cards with a Ty Cobb back are known to exist, making it one of the most elusive cards in the hobby.

Ty Cobb appears multiple times throughout the auction, giving vintage collectors several different routes into one of the most iconic names in prewar baseball. Along with the rare T206 Portrait Red Background example, the auction includes a 1910-1911 M116 Sporting Life Ty Cobb Blue Background graded SGC EX+ 5.5, a 1909-1911 T206 White Border Ty Cobb Portrait Green Background graded PSA VG-EX+ 4.5, and a 1914 T213 Coupon Cigarettes Type 2 Ty Cobb Bat Off Shoulder graded PSA Poor 1. The sale also features several other T206 cards of the Tigers legend.

Vintage baseball stars anchor the auction

The auction runs through Oct. 18 and includes a broad mix of vintage baseball cards spanning the early tobacco era through the 1960s. Among the notable high-grade examples are a 1960 Topps #148 Carl Yastrzemski rookie graded PSA Mint 9, a 1963 Topps #300 Willie Mays graded PSA NM-MT+ 8.5, and a 1955 Topps #47 Hank Aaron graded PSA NM-MT 8. REA also lists PSA Mint copies of Aaron’s 1961 Topps and 1964 Topps cards.

Other standout vintage singles include a 1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams graded PSA NM-MT+ 8.5, a 1916 M101-4 Sporting News #164 George Sisler rookie graded PSA VG-EX 4, a 1909-1911 T206 White Border Johnny Evers with Bat, Chicago on Shirt graded PSA Good 2 with a Broad Leaf 460 back, a 1940 R335 Play Ball #27 Ted Williams graded PSA NM-MT 8, and a 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams graded SGC VG 3.

Additional Hall of Fame and star cards in the auction include a 1915 E145 Cracker Jack #136 Rabbit Maranville graded PSA NM+ 7.5, a circa 1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson Bat Follow, White Sleeves graded PSA VG-EX 4 with MK, a 1959 Topps #439 Brooks Robinson graded PSA Mint 9, a 1960 Topps #343 Sandy Koufax graded PSA NM-MT+ 8.5, and a 1968 Topps Plaks Checklist #2 National League that includes Aaron, Clemente, Mays, and Rose, graded PSA VG-EX 4.

Complete sets and near-complete sets for builders

Set collectors have several options in the auction as well. REA is offering complete and near-complete sets that include Bowman issues from 1951, 1953, 1954, and 1955. The sale also includes a 1954 Topps near-complete set with 115 PSA and SGC-graded cards.

Collections like these often attract collectors looking for long-term projects or a strong foundation for a vintage set registry run. With multiple Bowman sets and a large 1954 Topps near-complete run, the auction gives set builders a chance to pursue some of the most recognized postwar baseball issues in the hobby.

Modern rookies and key basketball cards

REA’s October Auction is not limited to vintage baseball. Among the modern cards up for bid is a 2003-2004 Ultimate Collection Ultimate Signatures #LJ-A LeBron James rookie graded PSA Mint 9 with a Gem Mint 10 signature. The auction also includes a 1989 Upper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr. rookie graded PSA Gem Mint 10, one of the most recognizable modern baseball rookie cards.

Basketball collectors will find a 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball #57 Michael Jordan rookie graded PSA NM 7, along with a 1978-1979 Topps Basketball unopened wax box containing 36 packs and authenticated by BBCE. Those items add another layer of interest to a sale already packed with vintage baseball and key modern pieces.

REA highlights rarity and quality across a large sale

Brian Dwyer, president of REA, said the event combines size with quality, pointing to the mix of rare pieces and classic cards throughout the auction. The sale includes a wide range of material, from scarce prewar tobacco cards to high-grade postwar stars and unopened product.

For collectors focused on Ty Cobb, the auction offers one of the hobby’s rarest back variations along with several additional Cobb cards across different issues and grades. For others, the appeal may come from the strong lineup of Hall of Famers, the complete and near-complete sets, or the modern rookie cards that round out the catalog through Oct. 18.