It’s the best time of the year for baseball — the post-season, when the contenders pull away from the pretenders and anyone can become immortal with one swing of the bat. And more than a few champs were crowned during Heritage’s Oct. 4-6 Fall Sports Catalog Auction, among them, who else but Mickey Mantle.

The Commerce Comet, just last week deemed the reigning King of the Hobby by Sports Illustrated, added another record to his ledger when his 1959 Topps card graded a Mint 9 by PSA realized $300,000 — almost three times the previous auction record set in 2021. PSA has graded more than 10,700 Mantles from the ’59 series, awarding only 27 examples a Mint 9 grade — this one now the most valuable among that relatively small lot.

The three-day event, which realized $17,831,180 thanks to more than 3,600 bidders worldwide, was filled with such gems that shone in the spotlight.

“This auction showcased the enduring strength of the sports collectibles market, with iconic names continuing to set new records,” says Chris Ivy, Heritage Auctions’ Director of Sports. “The excitement and passion from collectors worldwide reflect not just the value of these rare items, but the stories and legacies they represent. As always, it’s a privilege to see such coveted and historic pieces find new homes with collectors who deeply appreciate their significance.”

Hank Aaron’s 1969 Topps cards is one of the Hobby’s most historic and storied gems; as your catalog notes, “This card is distinguished by its classic design and iconic image of Aaron.” And, only four of these beauties have been graded PSA Gem Mint 10. One stepped up to the plate during this auction and realized a record-setting $111,000. As Sports Collectors Daily noted over the weekend, “The last PSA 10 1969 Topps Hank Aaron came to market in 2018 where it sold for $23,060.”

Babe Ruth, who over the summer claimed from Mantle the title of The World’s Most Valuable Sports Collectible, saw his 1916 M101-5 Blank Back Sporting News rookie card graded Good+ 2.5 sell for $384,000. That’s the third-highest price ever achieved at Heritage for this historic card. But more remarkably, that’s $36,000 more than the price realized for a Very Good/Excellent 4 example that sold in March.

The top lot in this auction was one of its most prized pieces, a complete set of 1968 Topps baseball cards that sits at No. 2 on PSA’s set registry, which realized $765,000. But for the second Sports auction in a row, fans of the modern cards tussled over signed offerings from the Upper Deck Exquisite series, which was first produced in 2003, when packs sold for a then-unheard-of $500. As Ivy recently wrote, the Exquisite series went on to become “one of the most groundbreaking sets that the hobby had ever seen.”

Collectors again proved that time and again in this auction, with Michael Jordan’s high-flying Number Pieces Autographs numbered 12 out of 23 (!) leading the charge at $562,800. Kobe Bryant’s Noble Nameplate Autograph numbered 23/25, featuring a patch from one of his Lakers jerseys, sold for $174,000. Not far behind was LeBron James’ Limited Logos-Autograph Patch rookie card numbered 03/75, which realized $150,000.

Speaking of Jordan, one of his rarest cards — an autographed 1995 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects card, dating to his 127-game tenure as a Birmingham Baron — was a smash hit in this auction. There are only two cards graded higher than this PSA Near Mint 7, PSA/DNA Auto 8 example, which accounts for why this one realized $132,000.

Rod Carew added his name to the record books this weekend when one of just three PSA Gem Mint 10 examples of his 1973 Topps card realized a staggering $46,800. According to PSA, these rarities have seldom traded hands — and when they have, it was for less than $2,000!

There are far more Gem Mint 10 examples of Jerry Rice’s 1986 Topps rookie card (63). But it’s no less a staggering rarity, as PSA has graded nearly some 38,000 examples of Rice’s rookie card. That’s why it was among the most sought-after, fought-over cards in this event, realizing $87,000.

One of the auction’s highlights, for multiple reasons, was the $144,000 realized for Kimo von Oelhoffen’s 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl XL championship ring. That final price makes it, by far, the most valuable Steelers Super Bowl ring Heritage has ever sold. But more important, the former Steelers defensive end is donating the proceeds to his alma mater, Moloka’i High School, which didn’t even have a football team when von Oelhoffen attended and is trying to transition now from eight-man ball to 11-man football without the necessary facilities. This ring’s sale will help allow that dream to become a reality.