Mantle, Robinson and Mays lead Miller & Miller sports card sale October 25

Miller & Miller Auctions will sell 290 lots of pre-1980 sports cards and memorabilia on October 25 in an online-only auction led by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, the set’s Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays cards, and a rare 1937 O-Pee-Chee Joe DiMaggio. The sale also features a Gretzky-era hockey wax box, early Canadian issues and a 1972 Summit Series ticket trio.

Why it matters: - The auction puts several of the hobby’s most recognizable vintage baseball cards in one sale, including the 1952 Topps “Big Three.” - The catalog also mixes high-end hockey material, early Canadian tobacco issues and sports memorabilia, broadening the appeal beyond baseball collectors. - Strong single-owner and fresh-to-market provenance adds interest for bidders looking for newly surfaced material.

What happened: - Miller & Miller Auctions scheduled a 290-lot Pre-1980 Sports Cards & Memorabilia auction for Sunday, October 25, 2026. - The sale is online-only, with lots closing sequentially beginning at 6:00pm EDT. - Bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers and Miller & Miller Auctions, with phone and absentee bids also accepted. - All lots are offered in Canadian dollars.

The details: - Lot 86 is a 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 1 PR and estimated at CA$40,000-60,000. - The Mantle card came from a single-owner collection and was recently graded by PSA. - Lot 85 is a 1952 Topps #312 Jackie Robinson graded PSA 2 Good and estimated at CA$8,000-12,000. - Lot 84 is a 1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays graded PSA 2 Good and estimated at CA$4,000-6,000. - The Mantle, Robinson and Mays cards are all from the scarce sixth series of the 1952 Topps 407-card set. - Lot 89 is a 1979-80 Topps Hockey wax box with all 36 original wax packs, authenticated by ICert as Authentic and estimated at CA$10,000-25,000. - The wax box came from a long-time collection and was untouched since the early 1980s. - The packs include cards from Wayne Gretzky’s rookie season. - Lot 65 is a 1937 O-Pee-Chee #118 Joe DiMaggio graded PSA 1.5 FR and estimated at CA$5,000-10,000. - PSA had graded the DiMaggio card only 37 times at the time of cataloguing. - Lot 61 is a 1955 Bowman #202 Mickey Mantle graded PSA 6 EX-MT and estimated at CA$4,000-6,000. - Lot 75 is a 1910 historical card album estimated at CA$8,000-12,000. - The album includes 27 of 36 cards from the 1910 C56 Hockey set and nine cards from the 1911 C55 Hockey set, including #38 Georges Vezina. - The album also contains 41 cards from the 1910 C60 Lacrosse set plus additional tobacco issues covering flags, military subjects, aviation, prominent Canadians, Boy Scouts and other themes. - Lot 184 offers three consecutive full tickets from Game 3 of the 1972 Summit Series, covering Section 13A, Row 28, Seats 6-8. - The tickets are estimated at CA$2,000-3,000 and have been evaluated by PSA, which has only 13 full tickets from Game 3 in its population report. - Game 3 was played at Winnipeg Arena on September 6, 1972, and ended in a 4-4 tie. - The full catalogue is available through Miller & Miller Auctions. - The auction house is accepting consignments for upcoming sales. - More information is available at Miller & Miller Auctions and via the auction listing.

Between the lines: - The sale leans heavily on condition-sensitive, registry-relevant cards and sealed product, which can drive competition among advanced collectors. - The mix of baseball icons, hockey rookies and Canadian rarities suggests the auction house is targeting both mainstream vintage-card buyers and specialists in early Canadian issues. - The presence of multiple recent family and single-owner finds points to a market that still rewards provenance and fresh discovery.

What's next: - Online bidding remains open ahead of the sequential lot closing on October 25. - The auction house expects collectors to compete most intensely for the headline Mantle, Robinson and Mays cards, along with the Gretzky-era wax box and scarce early Canadian material. - Miller & Miller Auctions said it is continuing to take consignments for future sales.

The bottom line: - This is a headline-heavy vintage sports card sale built around hobby blue chips, scarce Canadian issues and a strong mix of fresh-to-market material.