Eli Manning’s 2008 Super Bowl helmet; a Wayne Gretzky rookie season jersey; Jim Palmer’s 1976 Cy Young Award, bats from Cap Anson and Babe Ruth; the Mike Singletary Collection and more than two dozen high-grade rookie cards will be on the auction block next month through Goldin Auctions.
The company will hold an 89-lot live event at the Cleveland Airport Marriott Hotel during the National Sports Collectors Convention on August 2. A corresponding catalog auction (Lots #90-964) was scheduled to open Monday and conclude on August 11.
“For the past three years we have set the bar quite high in offering some truly special collectibles in our annual summer auction,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions. “Since our event at The National draws many of the most passionate collectors in the industry it encourages our consignors to offer their best items.”
The Manning helmet has already generated significant media attention for its connection to a recently settled lawsuit between collector/dealer Eric Inselberg and the Giants. It’s been photomatched to use in the Giants’ upset victory over the New England Patriots on February 3, 2008. Manning was wearing it when he threw the “David Tyree helmet catch” pass that is considered one of the greatest plays in the history of the Super Bowl. Goldin believes it could sell for $130,000 or more, which would make it the most valuable helmet ever sold at auction.
The Gretzky jersey has been photomatched by MeiGray to pre-season and regular season games from the 1979-80 season, Gretzky’s first in the NHL after he began his pro career with the WHA’s short-lived Indianapolis Racers franchise. Gretzky has autographed the back of the jersey.
The Cap Anson bat dates to his final game was owned by Darryl Sherwood, Anson’s great-grandson. Rated PSA/DNA GU 10, the J.F. Hillerich & Son model bat was originally given by Anson to his daughter (Sherwood’s grandmother) who passed it down to her daughter (Sherwood’s mother). Auction officials say the bat can be definitively dated to 1897 due to the center brand that would come to be the trademark of the Louisville Slugger Company. This first application of the center brand is different in that it faces the opposite way than is found on later bats. The only other game used bat of this age is a Hugh Duffy model now in the collection of the Louisville Slugger Museum.
The Ruth bat is fresh to the hobby, having been used during his last great season the majors when he hit .341 with 41 homers as well as the “called shot” in the 1932 World Series. It carries a PSA/DNA GU 9 rating. The C5-E style center brand was only used on bats made during 1930 to 1932. The date of manufacture can be further narrowed down by the style of the “Powerized” stamping which was used on 1932 and 1933 dated bats. Ruth’s signature on the back barrel has been authenticated by PSA/DNA.
Other auction highlights include:
Lot #1 – Circa 1890-93 Original J.F. Hillerich & Son “Copy Righted” Center Brand Bat — Because most everyone from small children to Major Leaguers used their bats until they broke, surviving examples of pre-1900 bats are scarce. Even the Louisville Slugger Museum does not have a large selection of their 19th century models. Then, a fortuitous find in the attic of an old home in Virginia in 1989 uncovered the earliest J.F. Hillerich and Sons Louisville Slugger bat in existence. The Slugger Museum in Louisville holds just two examples that have the same typeface used in the “J.F. Hillerich and Son” stamping, and none that have the words “COPY RIGHTED” below the center brand. By clues present in and around the center brand, experts say the bat can be dated to the 1890-1893 period – just six years after the company turned its first bat.
Lot #13 – 1961 Mickey Mantle Game Used New York Yankees World Series Cap (MEARS) –Randy Nicklas, the personal charter pilot for the Yankees and Football Giants during the 1950’s and 60’s was gifted this hat by Mantle after the final game of the 1961 World Series. Nicklas displayed it on the family mantle for two decades.
The seven-stitch brim McAuliffe Pro KM model is size 7 ¼, which corresponds to other verified Mantle gamers from this period. The McAuliffe tagging inside the cap is of the style found on 1955-1965 era Yankees caps. Comes with a LOA from MEARS for the game use.
The Mike Singletary Collection – Featuring 32-lots of memorabilia from the Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker, the collection includes four items that will be offered the live auction: Lot #32 – 1986-87 Singletary Game Used & Signed Pro Bowl Jersey; Lot #33 – 1992 Singletary’s Final Career Game Bears Jersey; Lot #39 – 1985 Singletary Signed & Inscribed Personally Owned Bears Vince Lombardi Trophy; Lot #40 – 1998 Singletary Personally Owned Pro Football Hall of Fame Ring. All lots come with Singletary LOA.
Lot #21 – 1933 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth PSA MINT 9 – One of just six examples at its tier (with only one graded higher) among more than 1,000 copies recorded in PSA’s census reporting. It’s the first time in more than 15 years that a PSA MINT 9 Goudey Ruth card has been offered for public sale.
Lot #75 – 1993 Upper Deck SP Foil #279 Derek Jeter Rookie Card PSA GEM MT 10 – Among more than 14,400 copies recorded in PSA’s census reporting, just 22 have been awarded a 10 grade. One example sold earlier this year on eBay for over $99,000.
Lot #51 – 1997-98 Michael Jordan Game Used, Signed & Photomatched Bulls Home Jersey for 5,000th Career Assist – Dated to an April 1998 game against Orlando, this photomatched jersey was worn when Jordan recorded his 5,000th career assist during his final MVP season and final championship season.
Additionally, the auction features five other Jordan jerseys: (Lot #50) 1991-92 Bulls Home Jersey; (Lot #52) 2001 Washington Wizards Home Jersey; (Lot #90 – online)1992 Dream Team Olympic Blue Jersey; (Lot #851- online) 1992 Dream Team White Jersey; and (Lot #853 – online) 1996-97 Bulls Home Jersey.
Lot #34 – 2004 Tom Brady Game Used & Photo Matched Patriots Road Uniform from Super Bowl Season – A complete uniform that includes dated information sewn inside, it has been photomatched to two games during the ’04 season and includes an LOA from MeiGray.
Lot #85 – Lou Gehrig Signed Official A.L. Baseball (PSA/DNA & JSA) – The boldly signed ball comes with a LOAs from JSA and PSA/DNA, which has graded it a 6.
Lot #42 – Jim Palmer 1976 Cy Young Award — Palmer won 22 games, pitched 23 complete games, six shutouts and recorded a 2.51 ERA and was awarded this trophy after the season. It comes with an LOA from the Hall of Fame hurler, who spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles.
Lot #12 — 1951 Polo Grounds Game Used Home Plate For New York Giants & Brooklyn Dodgers “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” Game 10/3/1951 – This home plate, which would have been touched by Bobby Thomson after his memorable home run, was removed by former groundskeeper Matty Schwab after the game and carries a letter of provenance from his son.
Lot #15 –Complete Collection of all 103 Yankees (1923-2009) World Series Tickets at Yankee Stadium – A complete, uniform collection that includes high-grade examples of tickets from every World Series game at Yankee Stadium during this 86-year period. It’s considered one of the best Yankees ticket collections known to exist.
Lot #37 – 1958 Baltimore Colts NFL Championship Player Ring – Originally presented to Bert Rechichar after the Colts captured the NFL title in the “Greatest Game Ever Played.” The Balfour 14K gold ring reads, “BALTIMORE COLTS WORLD CHAMPIONS” while boasting a sapphire on each side of the ring’s top, which is centered by a diamond.
Beyond the Ruth and Jeter cards, the auction offers more than 250-lots of trading cards. More than two dozen will be sold in the live portion of the event including: 1966 Philadelphia #31 Dick Butkus Rookie Card (PSA MINT 9); 1967 Topps #400 Roberto Clemente (PSA GEM MT 10; 1 of 2); 1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron Rookie Card (PSA NM-MT 8); 1921 E121 American Caramel “Series of 80” Babe Ruth (PSA VG+ 3.5); 2000 SP Authentic #118 Tom Brady Rookie Card#1194/1250 (PSA GEM MT 10); 2006 Bowman Sterling Prospects #CK Clayton Kershaw Signed Rookie Card (BGS Pristine 10/Black Label 10; 1/1); 1986/87 Fleer #57 Michael Jordan Rookie Card (SGC 98 GEM 10); and others.
A complete auction catalog is available at GoldinAuctions.com.
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