THE TROVE OF PERIOD-SIGNED CARDS FEATURES LEGENDS LIKE MICKEY MANTLE AND JOE NAMATH, AS WELL AS SPORTS’ UNSUNG HEROES
By Steve Lansdale | December 16, 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 featured in Heritage’s December 19-21 Winter Sports Catalog Auction.
Meticulously cultivated over several decades by a single passionate visionary, the collection includes an exceptional run of period-signed vintage sports cards from the 1940s and 1950s, widely regarded as the golden age for postwar sports cards. Whereas many autographed card collections include signatures acquired long after athletes retired, the autographs in this collection were inscribed in person during or close to the years in which the cards were issued. It was methodically compiled by a family member of the cards’ consignor. The collector took cards to stadiums, restaurants, hotel lobbies, and anywhere else he believed an encounter was possible.
The Golden Age Collection, available in Heritage’s December 19-21 Winter Sports Catalog Auction, includes standout cards like this period-signed 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311, graded PSA Fair 1.5 Auto 8.
From the Golden Age Collection’s 1952 Berk Ross set comes this mid-grade example of Jackie Robinson’s card, which Robinson signed during that era. Graded PSA VG-EX 4 with a certified PSA/DNA Auto 8, this is the only autographed card graded VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT, with none rated higher.
The Golden Age Collection, which will be offered in several parts during subsequent Heritage auctions throughout early 2026, features 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 master class 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 a singular opportunity.
The first great basketball rookie card in autographed format: a period-signed 1948 Bowman George Mikan #69, graded PSA Good 2 Auto 9.
This period-signed 1951 Topps Ringside Joe Louis #88, graded PSA EX 5 Auto 8, stands alone in the PSA population as the only autographed example.
“This is a remarkable collection due to its depth and breadth,” says Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. “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 predated any organized hobby. 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 echoes Ivy’s assessment: “He wanted complete, signed collections; he never sold a thing,” the consignor says of his card-collecting relative. “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. To him, all players were equally crucial to completing the set.”
The Golden Age Collection’s period-signed 1970 Topps Football Super complete set includes cards featuring O.J. Simpson and Joe Namath.
The breadth of the collection is as impressive as the famous players who appear in it. Among the offerings 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 says 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.”
