Historic memorabilia from many of the most legendary names in sports history including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan, Jesse Owens Serena Williams and Tiger Woods, plus a large group of trading cards and much more headline the Goldin Auctions 2019 Holiday Auction which is open for bidding through Dec.7, at GoldinAuctions.com.
“It’s not every day one of Jesse Owens gold medals, Babe Ruth’s home run bat or an original pair of Nike running shoes is made available to collectors,” said Ken Goldin Founder of Goldin Auctions. “Additionally, now that Mike Trout has captured his third MVP Award, it will be interesting to see how that impacts the latest 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects we are offering since the past two both sold for more than $180,000.”
The auction also features a 1986 Mets World Series ring, a pair of Mantle rookie cards, a personal check endorsed by Jordan in college, the racquet Serena Williams smashed at the 2018 U.S. Open and even a chair from the Titanic. The complete 1500-lot auction catalog is available on the company’s website.
As we reported last week, the 1936 Olympic gold medal won by Owens is the second of his four to come to auction, with the first netting $1.46 million. The whereabouts of the other two are unknown. The minimum bid for the medal, originally gifted to former Olympic teammate and friend John Terpak, is $250,000.
Other items on the block include:
Lot #2 – 1918-22 Babe Ruth Game Used R2 H&B Louisville Slugger Factory Side Written Bat (PSA/DNA GU 8)
The cracked handle of this early career Ruth bat has been repaired with nails and the front and back barrel also contains repair nails. Ball marks are found on the left and right barrel and cleat imprints are visible on all sides. The right barrel has been planned to receive factory “side writing” instructions which reads “39 Geo. H. Ruth” in grease pencil. The “39” is believed to indicate the period weight of the bat.
Lot #80 – 1984 Michael Jordan Signed Check Dated 2/27/1984 Signed as “Mike Jordan” (Beckett & Letter of Provenance)
A rare Michael Jordan signature from his playing days at the UNC. Making this check so unique is the “Mike Jordan” signature on the back where it was endorsed. The $5 check dated 2/2/84, which was during his junior season.
According to the consignor, he was shooting pool in the basement of Granville Towers on the UNC campus, when Jordan stopped by to get in on the game(s). The consignor lost a couple of games to Jordan and ran the debt to about $25. A friend saw what was going on and knew Jordan had hustled the consignor to which Jordan agreed. The friend offered to play the games and subsequently won a few games in a row, which irritated Jordan. Jordan, according the consignor, decided to cash out and was willing to accept the $5 check to settle up. The “Mike Jordan” signature on the back is in bold blue pen.
The check itself is in good overall condition with remnants of black paper and a white backing that was most likely used for a display. Comes with a LOA from Beckett Authentication for the signature and a letter of provenance detailing the origins of the check.
Lot #7 – 1972 Nike Pair of “Moon Shoes” & Oregon Singlet Jersey
Nike made several different iterations of the “Moon Shoes” in its earliest days as a maker of athletic footwear, but only a limited amount of the original style were ever created. This pair has no tagging as it was custom-made and is an approximate size between 8 and 9. Such a rarity is not lost on collectors. In July, one of the original pair sold for $437,500, a record price for sneakers sold at auction.
Consigned by legendary Nike Collector Lindy Darrell.
Lot #9 – Kevin Elster’s 1986 NY Mets World Series Ring
The 21-year-old shortstop recorded 30 at-bats for the Mets during the 1986 season and would go on to have a 13-year MLB career. The Balfour-manufactured, 10K gold ring features a round diamond set on a large blue colored stone, as additional smaller diamonds surround the bezel setting. “1986 WORLD CHAMPIONS” is proudly displayed in relief lettering. One side of the ring is centered by the Mets 25th anniversary team logo, with the name “ELSTER” above and his number “2” below. The opposite side has an image of the Commissioner’s Trophy between “Mets” and “116 WINS”.
The ring is an approximate size 10 and weighs approximately 34.9 grams. The inside of the band includes manufacture and 10K marks that show minor wear. Comes with a LOA from Kevin Elster.
Lot #16 – 2004 Tiger Woods Ryder Cup 14K Gold Team Ring
Team Europe defeated the U.S. by a final margin of 18.5 – 9.5. Woods was a member of Team USA and he certainly did his part, finishing 1-0 in singles play (defeating Paul Casey) as well as winning a four-ball match with teammate Chris Riley (beating Clarke and Ian Poulter).
The Ryder Cup 14K gold team ring, features a round diamond set on a large blue stone top. “RYDER CUP TEAM” reads in relief lettering around the bezel setting. One side of the ring displays the name “WOODS” above an image of the Ryder Cup trophy. The opposite side reads “2004 Oakland Hills” above an image of the American flag. The inside of this approximate size 10 band is marked “14K”.
Lot #23 – 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects #BDPP89 Mike Trout (Orange Refractor) Signed Rookie Card (#06/25) – BGS GEM MINT 9.5/BGS 10
Among the twenty-five copies recorded in BGS’s population report, just one example has achieved a higher tier. The card’s BGS condition report: Centering 9, Corners 9.5, Edges 10, Surface 9.5.
Earlier in the year, Goldin Auctions sold an Orange Trout (BGS 9.5/10) for nearly $190,000. Then, in Fall, auctioned another example (also BGS 9.5/10) for just over $180,000.
Lot #68 – 2003-04 UD “Exquisite Collection” Rookie Patch Autograph #78 LeBron James Signed Rookie Card (#51/99) – BGS NM-MT 8/BGS 10
Lot #18 – 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – SGC 88 NM/MT 8 – Among nearly 600 copies recorded in SGC’s census reporting, just seven examples have been graded higher.
Lot #19 – 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – SGC 84 NM 7 – Less than five percent of the examples comprising this card’s SGC census have achieved a higher level.
Lot #22 – 2005/06 “Ultimate Collection” Signatures Rookie Shield #SL-AO Alexander Ovechkin Signed “NHL Logo” Patch Card (#1/1)
Lots #169-197 – Upper Deck NBA Exquisite Collection – Nearly 30 lots of 2003-04 UD Exquisite Collection NBA Trading cards including LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming, Kobe Bryant and others.
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Jesse Owens 1936 Olympic Gold Medal Coming to Auction
