Golden Age Collection of Period-Signed Cards Offered in Heritage’s Winter Sports Catalog Auction

Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, George Mikan, Joe Namath, Sugar Ray Robinson among stars featured in Dec. 19-21 event DOWNLOAD DIGITAL PRESS KIT DALLAS, Texas (Dec. 10, 2025) — Collections often are described as the culmination of a lifetime relationship with a specific passion, be it coins, currency, comic books or anything else. But few collections reflect the years of dogged persistence that can be found in the Golden Age Collection, which will be among the featured attractions in Heritage’s Dec. 19-21 Winter Sports Catalog Auction. Part I of the Golden Age Collection is featured in this auction, with additional offerings forthcoming in subsequent auctions in January, February and March 2026. Meticulously cultivated over several decades by a single passionate visionary, the collection includes a breathtaking run of period-signed vintage sports cards from the 1940s and 1950s — widely regarded as the golden age for post-war sports cards — for collectors at all levels. Whereas many autographed card collections include signatures acquired long after athletes retired, the autographs in this collection were inscribed in person during or closer to the years in which the cards were issued. It was methodically compiled by a family member of the consignor, who remains anonymous. The collector took cards to stadiums, restaurants, hotel lobbies and anywhere else he believed an encounter was possible. The Golden Age Collection includes complete or near-complete signed sets from many of the most coveted baseball issues of the period, including 1948-55 Bowman, and the 1952–1955 Topps runs. Also included are 1948 Bowman Basketball, which is completely signed, and seldom-seen autographed football sets, such as the 1948-55 Bowman, 1948 Leaf and 1950s Topps sets. Each set is a masterclass in curation. In addition to iconic stars and Hall of Famers, there are countless cards bearing period signatures that are incredibly tough to find, either due to the short lives of the players or the relative obscurity of their careers. For set collectors and autograph purists alike, this grouping represents an unfathomable opportunity. “This is a remarkable collection due to its depth and breadth,” says Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage Auctions. “The manner in which this collector went about building the collection is incredible and we’ve never come across anything quite like it. “Keep in mind, this was done during a time that pre-dated any organized hobby and these items had no intrinsic value. It was simply someone who combined his love of sports with a level of diligence and persistence that few can claim. He didn’t just want the biggest stars of each year — he went after everyone.” The consignor echoed Ivy’s assessment behind the assembling of this remarkable collection. “He wanted complete, signed collections — he never sold a thing,” the consignor said of the collector. “He did it all because he idolized the pros who got to play a boy’s game for a living. It’s essential to remember that cards weren’t worth much. Packs were sold in candy shops for pennies, and no one knew that these would one day have real monetary value. His motives were humble, and it is amazing that one person met all of these icons. “The goal was to get the sets fully signed. That means Andy Pafko was just as important as Jackie Robinson — there were no ‘commons’ back then. To him, all players were equally crucial to completing the set.” The breadth of the collection — the strength of which lies in its harmony of condition, completeness and character, which is an homage to the pure intentions of its creator — is as impressive as some of the most famous players who appear in it. Included within this magnificent collection is a Who’s Who of some of the biggest names in sports from the era, including signed cards representing the likes of baseball legends Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Eddie Mathews and Satchel Paige; football stars O.J. Simpson and Joe Namath, Sammy Baugh and Sid Luckman; hardwood heroes like George Mikan and Red Holzman and boxing giants like Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta. Most of the lots contain individual cards; some include complete sets. “It would be impossible to do something like this today,” the consignor said of the collection. “As a kid in the ’50s, you could merely approach players outside the stadium and get them to sign. His secret was that while everybody else was clamoring to get autographs from the home team, he had the foresight to walk over to the visitors’ side and get each player with ease. You just can’t do those things today. For that, he simply has to be the greatest autograph collector who has ever lived.” Images and information about all lots in the Golden Age Collection — and in the auction — can be found at HA.com/50081. Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. Heritage maintains offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Heritage also enjoys the highest Online traffic and dollar volume of any auction house on earth (source: SimilarWeb and Hiscox Report). The Internet's most popular auction-house website, HA.com, has more than 2 million registered bidder-members and searchable free archives of 7,000,000 past auction records with prices realized, descriptions and enlargeable photos. Reproduction rights routinely granted to media for photo credit. For breaking stories, follow us: HA.com/Facebook and HA.com/Twitter . Link to this release or view prior press releases . Hi-Res images available: Steve Lansdale, Public Relations Specialist 214-409-1699 or SteveL@HA.com