These Are The Sports Card Auctions You Should Keep An Eye Out For In January 2024

Welcome to the Cardlines January 2024 Sports Card Auction Preview! January typically means the holiday season is behind us for another year and the long, cold, gray winter is ahead.

Despite the chill, the NFL, NHL, and NBA are all in full swing, and the baseball off-season brings trades and free agent signings, plus the Hall of Fame election announcement.

It also brings another month of hot sports card and memorabilia auctions to help cut through the chill outside. But what houses have auctions this month? What are some of the items worth checking out? And what’s this about Tom Brady, Montreal Expo?

2023 Tom Brady Bowman Chrome SuperFractor Auction

This one is a little different than your average auction, as it contains exactly one card. On the bright side, despite the small number of lots, multiple sports are represented…both football and baseball fans will enjoy this one!

Auction Basics

Items of Note

This auction has a single lot, but it’s a doozy and it will be fascinating to see where it ends. The item in question? The 1/1 Superfractor 2023 Bowman Draft 1995 Bowman Dream Draft Picks Autograph.

The card getting pulled on release day killed a bit of the excitement around the chase, but it means the card is available for auction very quickly. How high will it go? It’s tough to say, but will be fascinating to watch.

What Do We Know About The Bowman 1st Tom Brady Baseball Card? [Updated – 1/1 SuperFractor Pulled]

Memory Lane, Inc. Winter Rarities Auction

There’s a lot to like in the Memory Lane auction this month. While there’s a bit of everything, very old vintage is among the highlights, and the title “rarities” is quite accurate.

Auction Basics

Items of Note

When you think “vintage” and “rarities”, few players come to mind like Babe Ruth. This includes a rare rookie-era postcard, lots of photos, and of course, cards, like this 1921 Exhibit. There are a number of Ty Cobb lots, as well, including a pair of T206 Green Portraits (1, 2), and a pair of Red Portraits (1, 2).

Christy Mathewson, Cy Young, Walter Johnson, and many other big names are well-represented. Interested in classic sets? There is a nice selection of 1915 Cracker Jack, 1932 U.S. Caramel, 1935 National Chicle, and many more.

Beyond the pre-war goodness, there are all the post-war iconic cards you’d expect in a major auction. These include Mickey Mantle cards including 1952 Topps, 1952 Bowman, 1953 Bowman, and more.  There are lots more here to enjoy and lots of good stuff…well worth a scroll through.

Robert Edward Auctions January Encore Auction

Robert Edward Auctions (REA) has its January Encore Auction beginning on January 11, 2024, and running through January 24. No details on the lots included are available yet, but check back for more info once it is available.

Auction basics

Items of note

Check back soon! Info to come as soon as it is available.

Heritage Auctions Winter Sports Card Catalog Auction

Heritage Auctions has its Winter Sports Card Catalog Auction starting on January 5 and ending on January 26 and 27. The auction features a large number of lots, including some impressive offerings in graded cards, sets, and singles.

Auction Basics

Items of Note

There are some really impressive high-end graded vintage cards in this auction. There’s a 1916 M101-5 Babe Ruth rookie card in SGC 5.5 that should go for over $750k. The 1909-11 T206 Drum Miller Huggins in PSA 1.5 is the only copy graded by PSA. The 1953 Topps Willie Mays in PSA 8 is a real pretty example of that classic card.

Complete PSA-graded sets are among the featured items, and some of them are really amazing. There’s a 1952 Bowman complete set, all graded PSA 8. A 1953 Topps set. The 1981 Topps Basketball and 1969 Topps Basketball are the highest-rated sets in the registry.

There are some really impressive unopened lots included in the auction. These include 1965 Topps baseball, 1986 Fleer basketball, 1970 Topps Baseball Cello, 1959 Topps Baseball Cello, 1968 Topps Football Cello, and 1979 Topps Hockey among others.

The above is just scratching the surface of the good stuff here, with 2,800 items, this auction has something for everyone.

Goldin Auctions January Elite Auction

Goldin Auctions has its January Elite Auction running through January 27^th. The auction contains many high-end lots, and is well worth a look. The auction spans sports and eras.

Auction Basics

Items of Note

While you’ll find plenty of vintage gems in this auction, such as a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle in PSA 8, you’ll find a lot of impressive modern and ultra-modern items here as well.

These include a 1/1 2023 Topps Definitive Collection Dual Autograph Cut Signature Shohei Ohtani/Babe Ruth card that should sell with an opening bid of $50,000.  There’s a 1/1 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs Kevin Durant/Kobe Bryant. The PSA 10 2004-05 Panini Sports Megacracks #71BIS Lionel Messi rookie is an impressive specimen. So is the 2017 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph (RPA) Red Patrick Mahomes II Signed Patch Rookie in BKT 9.

There’s a collection of over 200 Pele items, over 50 Karl Malone lots, some high grade signed Hall of Fame postcards, and much more.

Clean Sweep Major Auction January 2024

Clean Sweep brings its January 2024 Major Auction, which ends on January 31^st. The auction tilts towards baseball and vintage (pre-and-post-war), but there’s a little something for everyone.

Auction Basics

Items of Note

There are some interesting vintage items to be had in this auction for sure, including some you don’t see every day. For example, there’s a 1939 jersey of Hall of Famer Joe Cronin. We all love Allen & Ginter cards, and they have an 1887 A&G card of Hall of Famer Mike “King” Kelly in SGC 5.

There are a lot of really nice post-war vintage cards. A few fun highlights include a 1954 Johnston Cookies Hank Aaron in PSA 7, a 1958 Hires Root Beer Willie Mays also in PSA 7, or a 1947 Exhibit Jackie Robinson in a PSA 5.  There are lots more great cards from this era that are well worth a look.

Also included are several non-sports cards, as well as autographs from both entertainment and historical figures.  

Additional Auctions of Note

Goldin has a weekly auction ending on January 4^th.

Heritage Auctions have Sunday weekly auctions ending on January 7, January 14, and January 21.

Final thoughts: Cardlines January 2024 Auction Preview

There’s a lot to like in the January auctions, especially if you’re a fan of vintage. What auction or lot are you excited about? Looking to start 2024 with a big splash? Tell us about it at card_lines on Twitter.

Love auction action? Check out our reviews of notable auction house providers in the industry:

• Memory Lane Auctions
• REA Auctions
• Fanatics Auctions
• Heritage Auctions
• Goldin Auctions
• Wheatland Auctions