Jackie Robinson Rookie Jersey Sells for $2.05 Million

The only known jersey dating from Jackie Robinson’s historic 1947 rookie season has been sold for $2.05 million.  The Brooklyn Dodgers home white flannel was the centerpiece in Heritage Auctions’ November Platinum catalog.

It’s the most ever paid for a post-War jersey.

“This is just the fourth piece of sports memorabilia ever to sell at auction for over $2 million,” said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Collectibles at Heritage Auctions. “It’s an extraordinary testament to the enduring reverence for Robinson, and to the strength of the sports collectibles marketplace.”

The jersey came with a letter of 2001 letter of authenticity from Robinson’s widow, Rachel.  The baseball pioneer can be seen wearing the jersey during a Jackie Robinson Day celebration at Ebbets Field late in the 1947 season.

Several iconic vintage baseball cards sold for six-figure price tags during the auction including a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8 ($408,000), a 1916 Babe Ruth Standard Biscuit rookie card ($264,000), a 1969-70 Lew Alcindor rookie card PSA 10 ($240,000), a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 9 ($144,000), a 1951 Bowman Mantle rookie card PSA 8 ($132,000) and a 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax rookie card PSA 9 ($108,000).

During Sunday night’s “Heroes of Sport” auction, a 1970-71 NBA All-Star Game jersey donned by Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) changed hands for $106,250.  The young center wore the jersey in the game that took place in the Milwaukee Bucks championship season.  He scored 19 points and added 14 rebounds for the East squad during the game in San Diego.

Other lots included:

*1965-66 Wilt Chamberlain signed, game-worn 76ers jersey ($97,500)

*1960 Bill Russell game-worn All-Star Game jersey  ($82,250)

*Steve Carlton’s 1982 Cy Young Award ($55,000)

*1985-86 Michael Jordan game-worn “Air Jordan” shoes  $55,000

In all the four-day, two-auction series netted $13.6 million in sales.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]