A 1916 Sporting News Babe Ruth rookie card sold for $1.5 million Saturday night at Goldin Auctions. The price for the PSA 6 example set a record for the grade.
The Ruth card was one of three items that sold for over $1 million in the opening night of the company’s Jackie Robinson 75th Anniversary Auction.
The catalog included numerous Robinson items, topped by a bat used by the baseball pioneer in the 1949 All-Star Game. It sold for $1,080,000 —a record price for any Robinson game bat sold at auction. The bat was purchased by Hunt Auctions on behalf of one of the company’s clients.
The historic event marked the first time African American players were selected for an All-Star game. Afterward, Robinson kept this bat at his home as a personal keepsake of the event.
“The direct provenance from Rachel Robinson and the added historical significance of the 1949 All-Star Game being played in Brooklyn place this example at the pinnacle of Jackie game bats.” remarked David Hunt, President of Hunt Auctions.
A mid-1950s bat attributed to use by Robinson graded PSA GU 7 netted $432,000 while his personal 1962 Hall of Fame induction plaque sold for $336,000.
A 1951 Robinson game jersey failed to meet a reserve price and wasn’t sold despite a high bid of nearly $7 million.
The other seven-figure item was a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch LeBron James Autograph (#36/99). Graded BGS 9 with a 10 autograph grade, the card sold for $1,062,000.
The 2020 Topps Chrome F1 1/1 Lewis Hamilton SuperFractor sold for $900,000, a record for any racing card.
Other sales included:
*2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket #144 Tom Brady Autograph (#026/100) – BGS NM-MT 8/BGS 10 $912,000
*1993 Upper Deck SP Derek Jeter PSA 10 $600,000 (record for any Jeter card).
*1980-81 Topps #6 Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rookie card BVG Pristine 10 – Pop 2 $552,000
*2019-20 Panini National Treasures Emerald #118 Ja Morant Rookie Patch Autograph (#2/5) – BGS 9.5/BGS 10 $518,400 (record for any Morant card).
*2017 Lionel Messi F.C. Barcelona jersey from game-winning goal vs. Real Madrid in the El Clasico Match $450,000
*2017 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph Silver #161 Patrick Mahomes (#13/25) PSA 10 $246,000
*1997-98 Upper Deck UD3 Season Ticket Autographs #MJ Michael Jordan BGS MINT 9/BGS 10- Pop 8 $229,200
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