Memorabilia from the life and career of Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson sold at auction Saturday night with fans and collectors scrambling for a piece of the most popular player in Baltimore Orioles history.
Robinson, now 78, decided to consign his awards, championship jewelry and game-used items he’d saved to benefit a charitable foundation he and his wife Connie operate.
“His decision to donate the entirety of the proceeds to benefit his philanthropic endeavors was met with great support and great prices,” said Heritage Auctions’ Chris Ivy. “Clearly he’s still one of the most beloved baseball players of all time.”
The top lot of the collection was Robinson’s 1964 American League Most Valuable Player Award an astounding $155,350 price realized, dwarfing the $25,000 opening bid. Both of Robinson’s World Series Championship rings drew strong interest with his 1966 ring selling for $131,450 and his 1970 ring realizing $143,400. Robinson’s 1970 Gold Glove Award, the 11th of 16 he would win in his illustrious career, more than tripled its pre-auction estimate to finish at $54,970.
The collection offered in the auction spanned nearly the entirety of the legendary third baseman’s life, including his birth certificate, his 1955 rookie contract and his personal copy of his 1957 Topps baseball card, the first issued for the young superstar.
The famous original painting of Robinson by esteemed American illustration artist Norman Rockwell is being offered by Heritage via Private Treaty sale.
The auction opened with a trading card session that accounted for more than $6.6 million overall. A buyer paid $227,050 for a PSA NM 7 example of Mickey Mantle’s 1952 Topps rookie while Heritage also set a new mark for the highest figure ever paid for Ty Cobb E90-1, a staggering $113,525.
Get the current list of the hottest Brooks Robinson cards on eBay and see five great (and affordable) cards from his career.
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