The Helms Athletic Foundation/LA84 Collection of 267 sports artifacts from America’s first true sports museum brought in over $1.1 million in SCP Auctions’ 2014 Mid-Summer Classic which concluded early Sunday. The proceeds from the sale of sold items from the Helms/LA84 Collection will go toward advancing the work of the LA84 Foundation (www.LA84.org), a non-profit that funds youth sports in southern California. The top lot from the Helms/LA84 Collection was the prestigious John Moores Trophy, a large sterling silver award that was established in 1938 to recognize the World’s Amateur Baseball Championship, which went for $195,072. There was no word on who purchased the trophy.
In total, the auction of 850 sports memorabilia lots brought in a combined $2.9 million.
The next three highest-selling lots included a circa 1955 Heisman Trophy replica honoring winners from 1935 to 1954 ($75,205); Bill Tilden’s 1921 U.S. National Championship Men’s Singles 15K Gold First Place Medal ($69,184); and a circa 1893 Cy Young autographed Cleveland Spiders Pifer & Becker Cabinet Photo ($66,734).
“The overall results of this auction were extremely impressive and proved that the market for the finest quality sports memorabilia continues to thrive,” said Dan Imler, Vice President of SCP Auctions.
Part 2 of The Newport Sports Museum Collection auction of John Hamilton’s privately owned assortment brought in $349,591, led by the sale of the circa 1976 Tony Dorsett signed University of Pittsburgh game-worn jersey that went for $15,180.
Other highlights from the auction included:
• Hand-written, two-page letter from George Washington dated Dec, 5, 1778 (signed “G. Washington”) – $64,507
• Complete set of 1952 Topps baseball cards went for $60,667 and included a high-graded Mickey Mantle rookie card – $60,667
• Jim “Catfish” Hunter’s 1974 American League Cy Young Award – $56,501
• Gene Tenace’s 1982 10K Gold St. Louis Cardinals World Champions Ring – $41,434
• Game ball from 1916 when Georgia Tech obliterated Cumberland University 222-0 in football’s most lopsided game ever – $40,388
A 1928 Lou Gehrig New York Yankees World Champions wristwatch and the 2012 game-worn and signed Texas A&M jersey from Heisman-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel both failed to meet their respective reserve prices.
Full auction results are available at www.scpauctions.com.