A low-grade T206 Honus Wagner card sold for nearly $1.4 million while some important game-used items consigned by Cal Ripken Jr. also drew a crowd of bidders as Goldin Auctions closed out its latest catalog auction late Saturday night.
Heavy wear and creases have never stopped potential buyers from lining up to own the hobby’s most recognizable card and the PSA 1 example offered by the New Jersey-based company was no exception. The price broke the record for a PSA 1 Wagner, set by Mile High Card Company just eight weeks earlier when it sold a different copy for $1,169,875.
Issued inside packages of the American Tobacco Company’s packs over a three-year period from 1909-1911, T206 includes over 500 cards but Wagner was removed from production early in the promotion’s run and is consequently a great rarity now with only about 50 copies confirmed to exist.
The auction also saw the sale of a high-grade example of one of the hobby’s other vintage superstars, a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. The PSA 8 copy rocketed to $584,250.
The sizzling market for modern cards saw the sale of a BGS 10 Pristine copy of the 2003-04 Ultimate Collection #127 LeBron James autographed rookie card. One of three at that grade level, it sold for over $340,000. Another James rookie–a Topps Chrome Gold Refractor numbered to 50 and graded BGS 9.5 went for over $319,000.
>An all-PSA 10 1986-87 Fleer basketball set netted a record-breaking $221,400 while a 1961-62 Fleer basketball wax box that included a pack with a Wilt Chamberlain rookie on top also established a new mark at $221,400.
A 2017 Panini National Treasures Black #161 Patrick Mahomes Rookie Patch Autograph (#4/5) graded BGS MINT 9 (10 autograph grade) sold for $236,160, the highest price paid for any post-1965 football card and the most ever paid for a Mahomes card. The 1/1 2005 SP Authentic #252 Aaron Rodgers Game-Used Rookie Patch NFL Shield Autograph card, also graded 9.5/BGS 10, went to a new home for a price of $234,930, the most ever paid for any Rodgers item.
A Swedish issued card of the legendary Pele sold for $295,200, making it the highest priced soccer card ever sold. One of just five examples at its tier (with none graded higher) among a total of more than 50 copies on PSA’s Set Registry, the Alifabolaget card shows the Brazilian legend in uniform at the 1958 World Cup in Stockholm and is considered his rookie card.
The auction also included memorabilia from the career of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr., ranging from his first little league uniform to items from his historic consecutive game streak.
The jersey Ripken wore in his final game of his 2632 consecutive game streak was the top seller at $184,500, while the jersey he wore in his 1981 major league debut sold for $123,000 and a bat used in his record breaking 2,131st consecutive game brought in $124,230.
The collection brought in over $1.1 million in total revenue with a portion of the proceeds going to the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
All auction prices include a 23% buyer’s premium but that number drops to 20% if bidders pay by cashier’s check, money order, wire transfer or check.
The auction was scheduled to conclude Sunday night, with more than 1,500 additional lots set to close.
Based on current bids, the entire auction will generate over $15 million in sales, a first in the sports memorabilia market. The company’s last five auctions have all generated over $10 million.
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