Today the Hump Day Hits Are Willie Mays Autographed Cards

Today is Wednesday so it's time for another installment of Hump Day Hits.  This week we focus on Willie Mays Autographed cards.

With a signature that is stylized and instantly recognizable, Willie Mays has been a collector "must have" for years. He has also had a special relationship with the Topps Company dating back to his rookie days, thanks to Sy Berger.  Mays will be 84 in May but still signs for Topps and should be included in upcoming releases.

In tracking street values for Mays autographs, there seems to be an upswing in prices. Some cards that were going in the $120 to $150 range have recently sold closer to $200 and above.  No one can say if this trend will continue, or even drop back down, but it could be cause enough to consider these cards if you have thought about or are in the market to purchase a Mays auto.

Mays has signed plenty of dual autograph cards with players such as Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial and Duke Snider, but today we will concentrate on his single signed certified cards. Let's take a look at some of them.

 Please note - if you would like to check out availability of these cards on eBay, please use this link. Or you can clink on any link associated with the cards.

1995 Upper Deck Autographs

There are some autograph cards that came before this, but this is the first Mays auto from a major company. This Upper Deck autograph card came with a separated certificate of authentication card.

That card had a number that matched a sticker that was affixed to the back of the actual autograph card. Of all the on-card certified autograph options, this tend to be the least expensive. 

2001 Donruss Signature Series Team Trademarks

This basic, good looking design is another on-card autograph. These cards are serial numbered to 197. These were signed in black ink. 

2003 Topps Finest Moments

The card we featured at the top of the post is also a personal favorite. You may to have Mays' face, but you've got one of the most iconic moments in Baseball, "The Catch." This too is an on -card autograph

2012 Topps Gold Coin Giveaway

From 2005 to 2011, Mays's autograph cards were mostly confined to low numbered sticker autos. in 2012 Mays made his return to Topps appearing in everything from Allen and Ginter to Triple Threads. This card was one that could only be obtained through Topps' online promotion as a giveaway.

2013 Topps Five Star Rainbow Parallel

This was a defining year for Five Star, a perfect mix of design and players. This particular Mays is one of the better ones we've seen when it comes to placement of signature.

And that does it for this week's Hump Day Hits. Once again, if you would like to check out availability of these cards and more on eBay, please use this link. Make sure to check back with us for the next Hump Day Hits post.