Well, let’s just say that the hobby of high-end sports cards and sports collectibles is off to a great start in 2022. Heritage Auctions has been conducting its Winter 2022 auction ending on January 27 and 28, 2022 and the top items in the Cracker Jack cards from 1914 up for grabs generally blew past Heritage’s own Guide/Estimates.
Collector’s Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. It is now undeniable that the top cards are facing interest from collectors and from investors frequently both chasing the same exact assets.
We have tallied the top 10 card sales of the 1914 Cracker Jacks to show how well they were doing. Each one of these had a 20% buyer’s premium, but we did not make notes about any sales taxes nor about any shipping and handling fees.
The prize possession for the 1914 Cracker Jack set in the auction was card #30 of the great Ty Cobb. This is a prime card graded PSA 8 (Near-Mint to Mint), listed as one of a mere handful to reach this condition plateau. The Heritage description said:
This card features one of our favorite images of the Georgia Peach, rife with period details like the baggy flannel jersey with long sleeves and high collar, the wide grip on the bat. It is perfectly registered against the blood red background, reminiscent of the T206 card that many consider the definitive cardboard Cobb. Only a single specimen has surpassed this example on the PSA population chart–by just half a point–clear mathematical evidence of this relic’s elite collecting stature.
After a prolonged extended bidding session went into the wee hours of the night, here were the top 10 Cracker Jack sales we tracked. These include their description, the guide value or estimate and the last seen bidding prices as of the morning of January 28, 2022.
CARD/DESCRIPTION | Guide Value/Est. | Final Price |
1914 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb #30 PSA NM-MT 8…. | $300,000 – up. | $516,000 |
1914 Cracker Jack Christy Mathewson #88 PSA EX 5 – Pop Two, Only One Higher…. | $300,000 – up.$ | $312,000 |
1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson #103 PSA EX 5…. | $150,000 – up. | $240,000 |
1914 Cracker Jack Walter Johnson #57 PSA EX 5…. | $30,000 – up. | $84,000 |
1914 Cracker Jack Branch Rickey #133 PSA VG-EX+ 4.5…. | $5,000 – up. | $32,400 |
1914 Cracker Jack Eddie Plank #6 PSA NM 7…. | $15,000 – up. | $34,800 |
1914 Cracker Jack Tris Speaker #65 PSA NM-MT 8 – None Higher…. | $25,000 – up. | $27,600 |
1914 Cracker Jack Honus Wagner #68 PSA VG 3…. | $20,000 – up. | $25,200 |
1914 Cracker Jack Ray Caldwell PSA VG-EX 4. | $20,000 – up. | $18,600 |
1914 Cracker Jack Napoleon Lajoie #66 PSA EX 5 – Only Two Higher…. | $6,000 – up. | $13,200 |
IMAGES BELOW BY HERITAGE