Flash Market Report — What Old Baseball Cards Sold Big This Week? (8/26/2018)

Can you believe it?

This is the last Flash Market Report of August, which means that this is the last Sunday in August. This time next week, the waiver trade deadline will be gone and the baseball season will be in its final month.

But while our grip on summer may be slipping, the good news is that the hobby marches on.

As evidence, check out these five incredible lots of vintage baseball (or football) cards that changed hands in the last week.

Enjoy the vicarious pleasures of the big-ticket items and, for goodness’ sake, enjoy the fleeting moments of our 2018 baseball season.

(Note that these listings contain affiliate links, which means if you click over to eBay and buy something, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.)

T206 Sweet Caporal Cigarettes Baseball Series Cards (9)

In this crazy, fast-paced and glitzy modern world of ours, it’s easy to forget that the simple pleasures of baseball cards have thrilled boys — and all other types 0f collectors — for well over 100 years.

That’s why lots like this one are so great, since they give us a chance to see bits of that history through the cardboard of the times.

No one could ever accuse the T206 set of being underrated, but I’m always struck by just how colorful and bold these cards are.

This particular lot offered up nine of the cards, with Sweet Caporal backs, in what the seller described as “good” condition.

The whole kit and kaboodle — which included Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, John McGraw, Clark Griffith, and Tris Speaker — brought $1175 thanks to a vigorous 48 bids.

See the original eBay listing here (affiliate link).

1967 Topps Baseball Complete Set (VG/EX+)

If you had to choose the most beautiful set from the first 40 years or so of the modern hobby, which would you pick?

Certainly, 1953 Topps, 1953 Bowman (color), and 1957 Topps would be among the strong contenders for many collectors. If you roll into the 1960s, you’d have to throw 1967 Topps in the mix, don’t you think?

The most prominent design elements for 1967 Topps were the awesome and huge player photos on card fronts — they’re right there with the 1957s in terms of being Topps’ most “pure” cards.

Doesn’t hurt that the Rod Carew and Tom Seaver rookie cards pop here, either, right?

This eBay lot featured a complete 1967 Topps set, with an average condition of VG/EX+ and with Seaver actually graded at PSA 9.

The asking price was $5480, but it’s unclear if it actually changed hands since the listing shows it simply as “no longer available.”

Still, a great perusal through a scenic piece of hobby history.

See the original eBay listing here (affiliate link).

1973 Topps Mike Schmidt Rookie Card (PSA 9)

Do collectors even care about guys whose legends are immutable, long since written in the stars? Heroes who last took the playing field 30 years ago or so?

Depends on the circumstances, I suppose, but when the player is the greatest third baseman ever and the card is a high-grade version of his rookie … heck yeah, we care!

In this case, a 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt rookie card graded at PSA 9 (MINT) pulled in 33 bids and sold for a final price of a nice, round $1852.27.

See the original eBay listing here (affiliate link).

1970 Topps Baseball Unopened 6th Series Wax Packs (3)

Man, remember how great it was to collect baseball cards in 1970? You know, back when you could get 10 cards in a 10-cent wax pack?

And those great red, yellow, and white wax packs were really something!

You say you don’t remember all of that?

Well, this lot of three unopened 1970 Topps baseball wax packs from the sixth series, could have helped you relive those moments, even if you never lived them in the first place.

Of course, the allure of pulling a Pete Rose or Willie Mays card might have made it hard to resist opening those puppies. Good thing you still have the listing to get your juices flowing, without the temptation, huh?

This three-pack brought in $1499.95.

See the original eBay listing here (affiliate link).

1986 Topps Steve Young Rookie Card (PSA 10)

Who was the greatest quarterback of all time?

Plenty of the current crown of NFL fans will tell you it’s Tom Brady, with Peyton Manning support still strong in the heartland.

If you’d asked fans in the 1980s or 1990s, though, a majority probably would have said Joe Montana took top billing.

That just goes to show you how good Steve Young was — it should have been easy to forget about the man who replaced Montana with the San Francisco 49ers.

Instead, Young won his own Super Bowl and became one of the greatest scrambling quarterbacks ever, which only complemented his strong traditional skills.

Even years after his retirement, no one has forgotten about Young, as evidenced by this eBay lot.

A PSA 10 copy of Young’s 1986 Topps rookie card — with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — hammered down at $10,999 on the strength of 28 bids.

See the original eBay listing here (affiliate link).

(Check out our other Flash Market Reports here and our other posts about card values here.)