Classics joined contemporary favorites in the top 10 at Morphy’s $1.1M+ Toys & Collectibles Auction
Nov. 6-7 sale highlights: Ty Cobb 1914 Cracker Jack baseball card, $34,440; Rooster sulfide marble, $22,140; Buddy ‘L’ Outdoor Railroad, $13,530; Set of 4 Popeye ‘hoppers,’ $11,685
DENVER, Pa. – Good things came in small packages at Morphy’s Nov. 6-7 Toys & General Collectibles Auction, which closed the books at more than $1.1 million. The Pennsylvania company’s last major toy auction of the year featured a diverse mix of popular collecting categories within its 1,600+ lots, and when all was said and done, it was an antique baseball card and the smallest of handmade artworks – marbles – that made the biggest impression.
A mesmerizing 2-1/8-inch teal-blue sulfide marble with a nicely-detailed, well-centered rooster had a lot to crow about. It boasted 9.8 condition and earned high praise from Morphy Auctions’ president and longtime marble fancier Dan Morphy, who described it as “one of the best sulfides we have ever seen.” Against an estimate of $8,000-$12,000, it rolled confidently to a winning bid of $22,140. Another diminutive beauty, a painted china marble with pink pinwheels at each end, was adorned with images of a lady holding a rake, a house and trees against a desert scene. The artful 1-15/16-inch orb in 9.7 condition ultimately sold for $7,995.
Another prized item requiring only minimal shelf space was a very rare No. 30 Ty Cobb 1914 Cracker Jack baseball card graded SGC2. Its striking image showed the legendary “Georgia Peach” against a scarlet background, suited up in his Detroit Americans uniform and holding a bat. The card attracted 24 bids before rounding the bases and landing at the top of prices realized for $34,440. A sought-after sports treasure, it far exceeded its $10,000-$20,000 estimate.
Sports cards of a later era also found favor with bidders. A 1962 Topps Baseball 3rd-Series cello pack with a San Francisco Giants team card visible on top was graded PSA 7, Near Mint. It rose to the midpoint of its estimate, settling at $5,658.
From a galaxy far, far away came an unopened 1977 Topps Star Wars Series 1 wax box of Movie Photo Bubble Gum Cards in crisp NM condition. The box was wrapped and certified by BBCE (Baseball Card Exchange, Inc.) and entered in the sale with a $4,000-$8,000 estimate. It ended up selling for a strong $12,300.
Star Wars fans seemed bullish on rarities from the beloved franchise, with 27 bids placed on a 1977 Kenner Star Wars Boba Fett 21 Back action figure. The back of the card retained a large premium-offer sticker advertising a free secret Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back figure with the purchase of any four Star Wars figures. The toy was bid to $4,920, nearly five times the high estimate.
The auction was anchored by several major collections, including a fantastic array of Popeye toys amassed over 35+ years by retired professor and Popeye reference-book author Mark Kuster. One of the most sought-after lots was a complete circa-1950s set of four Linemar Popeye tin-litho windup “hopper” character toys depicting Popeye, Mean Man, Olive Oyl and Wimpy. Each of the cartoon favorites came with its own original pictorial box. The first complete set of its type to be offered by Morphy Auctions in 20 years of operation, it was “strong to the finich” and sold just below its high estimate for $11,685.
High-quality trains barreled through the saleroom, led by a Buddy ‘L’ pressed-steel Outdoor Railroad engine, tender and cars with three additional straight track sections. This very presentable outfit included an Improved Steam Shovel with original paint and decals. In overall VG+ condition, the railworthy set sold for $13,530 against an estimate of $2,000-$3,500.
A very early 1 Gauge Carlisle & Finch freight train set was pulled by a three-banded engine with original bell and P.R.R. emblazoned on both sides of its cab. The well-detailed locomotive was followed by a matching eight-wheel tender and three eight-wheel freight cars. In VG-Excellent condition, it reached its final destination with a winning bid of $7,380 against an estimate of $2,000-$4,000.
Morphy’s is known for its historically significant sales of mechanical and still bank collections, including the $7.7 million auction of the Steve and Marilyn Steckbeck collection. The October 27, 2007 event featuring 492 lots still holds the world record for highest-grossing one-day sale of a single-owner bank collection. The November 6-7 auction continued the Morphy tradition of always offering rare banks in its toy sales and included a scarce black-coat version of a Shepard Hardware Santa at the Chimney. In all-original, Excellent+ condition, it delivered a pleasing $6,765 selling price against an estimate of $2,000-$4,000.
Another category that has developed organically for Morphy’s is antique occupational shaving mugs. Of the 42 entered in the auction, perhaps the most unusual was a mug bearing a sepia photographic depiction of several men and a dog aboard a craft identified as the Germania. The name F.M. Paloer and the title Captain were applied in gilt, suggesting that the mug possibly belonged to the skipper of the double-decker vessel. Under its base it is stamped Eugene Berninghause / Cincinnati, Ohio. The auction selling price was $3,936 against an estimate of $500-$1,500.
To discuss consigning a collection or individual item to a future Toys & General Collectibles auction at Morphy’s, please call Dan Morphy at 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never an obligation to consign. Visit Morphy’s online at www.morphyauctions.com.
