Opening Tonight - Love of the Game Summer, 2017 Premier Auction

[Al C.risafulli]

Hi everybody:

Just a note that at midnight tonight (eastern) the LOTG Summer, 2017 auction will be open for bidding.

I'm a little giddy about this one because it's LOTG's Fifth Anniversary auction. I cannot believe that it's been five years since I set up in a corner of Ryan Christoff's booth and started handing out business cards. I'm so fortunate to be a part of such a great community. I cannot thank everyone enough for the bids, the consignments, and most of all, the kind words and support.

This auction is a little different in that I've made it more of a boutique auction by keeping the lot count smaller than usual, but the quality high. The LOTG auctions are known for having a lot of material you don't see very often, and hopefully this one has an even higher percentage of that than usual.

Some of the items included in this auction:

• 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig RC, SGC 60 - one of the highest-graded examples known
• Signed 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle RC, autograph graded GEM MINT 10 by PSA/DNA
• The financial and player records of the Philadelphia Athletics from 1915-1954 (seriously, you've got to get a look at this, it's easily the coolest thing that's ever been in our auction)
• A 1901 pocket watch purportedly given to Tigers manager George Stallings by a local BPOE chapter
• The nicest Bustin' Babes/Larrupin' Lous photo I've ever seen
• A bunch of rare pinbacks
• Ticket stubs to both Babe Ruth Days (1947 and 1948)
• A great assortment of non-sports cards
• Our typical assortment of rare postcards, 19th Century material, cabinets, autographs, and unique memorabilia

We'll be at the National (booth 917/919) displaying material from this auction and accepting consignments for the NEXT one, and also co-sponsoring the Net54 dinner. Can't wait to see everybody!

Catalogs mail to active bidders this week, and I'll have copies at the National starting Wednesday. The auction closes August 12, which should give everyone time to view, get home from the show, and bid.

The auction preview is live now, and bidding opens at midnight. Please do visit the auction here, and thanks once again!

-Al