There was a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. High-end Curry, LeBron and Mahomes rookies. A Super Bowl ring and jersey. However, the lot that attracted the most bids in Goldin’s latest Elite auction Saturday night was an Ichiro rookie card.
One of three PSA 10 copies of the future Hall of Famer’s autographed 2001 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection issue graded PSA 10 rocketed to a record $207,400 after a battle between collectors that ended with 57 bids placed. It’s the most ever paid for any Ichiro card.
According to Card Ladder, the last PSA 10 sale happened in 2016 when another of the three copies netted $10,412. In January of this year, a BGS 8.5 copy sold for $5,160.
The PSA 8 1952 Topps Mantle sold for over $1.1 million, the 13th million dollar-plus sale of the hobby’s most iconic post-War card. However, rollercoaster ride continues for high-end copies. The same card had sold for $2.1 million through Goldin in October of 2021. It’s the third straight sale of a PSA 8 at less than $1.2 million but the figure is still two to three times the going rate for 8s sold at auction in 2020.
A PSA 4 copy of the Mantle rookie sold Saturday for $87,840.
The auction included a mix of modern and vintage cards and memorabilia. Eleven lots cleared the six-figure mark, including a 1975 Topps George Brett PSA 10 rookie card that sold for $124,440, the fourth straight six-figure sale for one of the top rookie cards of the decade.
Some of the more familiar names and rookie cards of the 21st century were offered in the online catalog. A 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Autograph LeBron James (#20/23) graded BGS NM+ 7.5 with a Beckett 10 autograph grade sold for $396,500 while a 2017 Panini National Treasures Patrick Mahomes RPA (#80/99) and graded PSA 10 realized $204,228, while a PSA 10 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan cleared $187,743. A BGS 9 copy of the 1997 Skybox Premium Kobe Bryant Star Rubies (/50) set an all-time high when it sold for $85,400.
At least one collector still believes strongly enough in 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to spend more than anyone else ever has on one of his cards. The 1/1 2022 National Treasures NFL Shield RPA graded 8.5 had six bids before selling for $122,000.
Among the memorabilia offered was the Super Bowl LII ring presented to Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nigel Bradham that went for $87,840. Bradham recorded seven combined tackles during the Eagles’ 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins’ jersey from the same game–autographed and inscribed– went for $69,540.
A Type 1 photo of Wayne Gretzky from early in his 1979-80 rookie season with the Edmonton Oilers soared to $43,920.
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