Items from Lou Gehrig’s personal life—from toddler to teenager to New York city motorist—are among the unique highlights in the newly launched Heritage Platinum Night Auction.
Saved and consigned by family members who inherited them, the collection includes everyday items like signed personal checks and a register with personal notes, but also a game-worn Yankees cap that’s expected to fetch $200,000 or more.
The auction is heavy on big ticket items with numerous items projected by Heritage to reach six or perhaps even seven-figure prices when the auction closes over a two-night period February 23-24.
“In both value and lot total, this is our largest Platinum Night event to date,” said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports auctions for Heritage.
Historic game-used bats are likely to rank among the sale’s top results, with Babe Ruth’s first home run bat of the 1924 season (est. $2 million-up), one of the most extensively documented Ruth gamers in the hobby. The bat, like the one with which Ruth hit his first home run the season before, was presented as an award to a top Los Angeles-area high school baseball player. It went missing for years after being taken from the original owner’s nephew and had been offered at MEARS last fall with a minimum bid of $3 million. It returns to the auction block in this sale.
The auction also includes the bat with which Pete Rose surpassed Ty Cobb for sole ownership of the career hits record, number 4,192 (est. $600,000-up).
Two other premium pieces are the robes worn by Muhammad Ali in two of his most historic bouts: the controversial “Phantom Punch” knockout of Sonny Liston (est. $150,000-up) in the 1965 rematch, and his first meeting with Joe Frazier (est. $1 million-up), the celebrated, “Fight of the Century.”
Card collectors will find a 1910 Old Mill Joe Jackson (est. $300,000-up), multiple examples of the 1952 Topps Mantle (est. $400,000 to $60,000, based on grade), a rare 1914 Boston Garter Joe Jackson (SGC 5.5, est. $200,000 and up), a 1903 Breisch-Williams E107 Christy Mathewson rookie graded SGC 4 (est. $150,000 and up and a vast expanse of unopened wax and cello highlighted by 1959 Topps baseball and 1961-62 Fleer basketball boxes.
Other highlights include an 1889 Cap Anson and Buck Ewing “Burke Ale” Beer Advertising Poster (est. $150,000-up); a rare Team Signed 1927 New York Yankees Photograph (est. $250,000-up); a 1947 Ted Williams game model bat and 1958 Williams jersey and a 1990 Super Bowl XXV Player Format Lombardi Trophy presented to New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor (est. $40,000-up).
Bidding is now open at HA.com and will close in extended bidding format, Feb. 23-24.
