From watches to Wagner, Mantle to master sets, 2014 had its share of pricey memorabilia.
The sports auction industry shows no sign of slowing down after the first 14 years of the 21st century.
With fresh historical pieces still being consigned and investors still seeing growth for quality items and high-grade cards, auction catalogs still packed plenty of material. The audience seems to be growing with new buyers entering the market.
While there was a no 1920 Babe Ruth jersey on the block, other Babe-a-bilia traded hands. In July, Goldin Auctions held its Ruth Centennial Auction, which featured hundreds of items up for bid at the Ruth Museum and Birthplace. When the dust settled, Ruth’s copy of the 1918 contract with the Boston Red Sox sold for $1.02 million, the most paid for a sports collectible in 2014. Ruth’s $5,000 deal with the Red Sox, was his last in Boston before owner Harry Frazee sold him to the Yankees. The contract also earned the number 3 position among the most valuable piece of Ruth memorabilia ever sold. The buyer’s name hasn’t been revealed.
Ruth’s 1923 Yankees World Championship watch was also among the year’s top-selling items. It brought $717,000 for Heritage Auctions last February.
PriceRealized.com has produced a complete list of the ten most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia in 2014.
