While I can't comment on the overall auction results, or the overall market for certain sets, I did follow a few auctions closely and noted some interesting results in a few areas...
The
Boston Garter uncut panel of 4 received no bids during extended bidding, if I recall correctly. Just thought it was interesting that such a high profile item within the auction did not have a heated bidding war in the wee hours of the morning.
The market for T206 freaks proved strong once again as the
miscut T206 Mickey Doolin sold for a strong price ($9,480). Although I'm no freak expert, I thought the group of
four "printing anomalies" with very cool ghost backs was a comparative bargain, considering you got four cards, one of which is a HOFer, and the ghost backs look cooler than a miscut, in my freakish opinion.
One card that seems to be on many wantlists, the
1914 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb, earned a strong price, although it was a sharp SGC 10 if you could look past the pinholes. The card sold for just over $5300.
This REA auction featured a total of four T3 Turkey Red Ty Cobb cards, and once again we saw collectors paying higher prices for the better card, not necessarily the higher grade, as this
PSA 4.5 sold for a bit more than this
PSA 5. Both sharp cards, with the 4.5 looking a touch better overall. The two lower grade T3 Cobbs, both SGC 20s (1.5s), earned differing closing bids, again with the better looking card getting $500 more with BP, despite both cards having the same technical grade from SGC (
link and
link).
And finally, I'm not sure what this says about the market for N43 Buck Ewings, but the REA
SGC 50 example had a strong closing bid at just over $5K. The card was typical for the grade, but the price was surprising considering the same card in the same grade just sold at Heritage for around
$2900, and a PSA 5 was shipped to the winning bidder in the most recent Goodwin & Co. auction for
$4,193.56. If nothing else, these varying prices over just a couple months just reiterate what we all knew -- REA gets some of the best prices in the AH venue.