1952 Topps Mantle card leads Miller & Miller sports auction at C$678,750

Miller & Miller Auctions sold 303 lots of vintage sports cards and memorabilia online May 31 for C$678,750, led by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card and a rare 1924 Champ’s Stanley Cup card. The results show strong demand for high-end post-war baseball, rare hockey issues and fresh-to-market collectibles.

Why it matters: - The sale points to continued demand for iconic vintage sports cards, especially top baseball and hockey pieces with strong collector appeal. - Several cards set Canadian record prices for their grades, underscoring how condition and rarity can still drive premium results. - The auction’s broad participation suggests the vintage sports market remains deep across North America.

What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. held its Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia sale online May 31, 2026. - The auction grossed C$678,750. - The sale included 303 lots of sports cards and memorabilia. - Miller & Miller conducted the auction through Miller & Miller Live and LiveAuctioneers. - 578 registered bidders placed 7,815 bids. - Ninety-eight percent of lots sold. - Fifty-six percent of the top 50 lots beat pre-sale estimates.

The details: - Lot 120, a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle card graded PSA 1 Poor, brought C$84,700. - The Mantle card delivered a record-setting Canadian result for its grade. - The card is widely viewed as the hobby’s most iconic post-war baseball card. - Lot 129, the 1924 Champ’s “Stanley Cup” card graded PSA 1 Poor, sold for C$32,670. - Collectors often treat the Champ’s issue as the Stanley Cup’s rookie card. - PSA has graded only a small number of examples, which keeps the card scarce. - Lot 128, a 1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee #18 Wayne Gretzky rookie card signed by Gretzky in 1981, realized C$15,730. - The Gretzky card carried PSA grades of 4 for the card and PSA 8 for the autograph. - The autograph was obtained at a Pro-Am golf event at Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ontario. - Lot 122, a 1952 Topps #407 Ed Mathews rookie card graded PSA 2.5 Good+, sold for C$13,310. - The Ed Mathews card came from a single-family collection. - The card set a Canadian record for its grade. - Lot 118, a 1952 Bowman #101 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 8 (OC), brought C$12,100. - Lot 126, a complete 1966-1967 Topps hockey set with a recently graded PSA 4 Bobby Orr rookie card, sold for C$11,495. - The set included all 132 cards. - Lot 121, a 1952 Topps #312 Jackie Robinson graded PSA 1 Poor, brought C$10,285. - The Robinson card comes from the scarce sixth series of the 1952 Topps issue.

Between the lines: - Fresh material drew strong interest, especially cards with clear provenance or unusual stories. - The auction’s best results came from a mix of baseball headliners and rare hockey issues, showing collectors continue to chase cross-sport blue-chip names. - The repeated Canadian record prices suggest that the market still rewards iconic cards even when condition is low.

What’s next: - Miller & Miller’s next Pre-1980 Sports Cards auction is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2026. - The next sale will feature The Spezowka Collection. - The company is accepting consignments and lists upcoming catalogues and bidder registration at full auction details. - The firm also invites consignments by phone at (519) 573-3710 or email at info@millerandmillerauctions.com.

The bottom line: - Vintage icons still sell, and the strongest names in post-war baseball and rare hockey can produce standout results even in lower grades.