As the first week of May 1939 came to a close, baseball’s biggest mystery was what had happened to Lou Gehrig. The once robust 36-year-old Yankee first baseman had seemingly lost most of his big league ability and shockingly pulled himself from the lineup before a game in Detroit just a few days earlier. The end of Gehrig’s 2,130-game streak made headlines but what … [Read more...]
Dawn of the Dance: Rare 1939 NCAA Championship Program at Auction
For the first time in 81 years, there will be no NCAA basketball championship game in 2020. If you're missing the Madness, the memorabilia can help recall some of those games from the past. There's no more important program than the one from the first Final Four--which in this case was just a Final Two-than the one from the first NCAA Basketball Tournament in … [Read more...]
Newly Uncovered Photos of Gehrig Speech Now at Auction
A group of five photographs, taken by a fan witnessing Lou Gehrig’s famous “luckiest man” speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939 have been uncovered and are being offered at auction for the first time. While captured from a distance, the images were taken from a vantage point above and behind home plate and offer a unique, new perspective of the emotional event at which … [Read more...]
Original 1939 Hall of Fame Class Photo at Auction
Baseball's Hall of Fame added some new members on Sunday and while thousands turned out to welcome the 2019 class, there will never be another like the one inducted 80 years ago when the Cooperstown shrine was new. When that first group of baseball legends posed for a group photo in June of 1939, it was a moment for the ages captured by several photographers who had made … [Read more...]
1939 Packers Team Signed Football at Auction is Rare Pre-War NFL Relic
While it’s not unusual to find team-signed baseballs from the 1930s and even earlier, similar memorabilia from the National Football League is virtually unheard of. The fragile nature of an inflatable football, the passage of time and the comparative lack of interest makes any multi-signed relic from the pre-War era of the NFL pretty rare today. Enter the current Heritage … [Read more...]
Photo of the Day: Ailing Gehrig Captains Yanks in 1939 Series
Likely still in the dark about the awful fate that was to come, the newspapers were not kind to Lou Gehrig as the 1939 World Series approached. "Rusted and retired" wrote one Associated Press scribe in a reference to Gehrig, extolling the defensive prowess of Babe Dahlgren, who had taken Gehrig's place after the Iron Horse's streak came to an end with his ALS … [Read more...]
Autographed Ball from First Hall of Fame Class Brings $623,369
A baseball signed by 11 members of Major League Baseball’s original 1939 Hall of Fame inductees sold for $623,369 early Sunday morning at SCP Auctions. The Reach Official American League ball has the signatures of Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Tris Speaker, George Sisler, Walter Johnson, Connie Mack, Nap Lajoie, Eddie Collins and Pete Alexander, all in strong … [Read more...]
Rare Cards, One-of-a-Kind Memorabilia on Block as SCP Auctions Opens Summer Sale
SCP Auctions opened its 2018 Summer Premium Auction Wednesday with several hundred items ranging from historic game-used memorabilia to rare autographs and important baseball cards inside the company’s latest catalog. Set to run through August 11, the auction includes items from the 19th century to the present day. Among the vintage sports card listings are a rare 1914 … [Read more...]
Signed Ball from 11 Original Hall of Fame Inductees Could Fetch Record Price
Once the property of an autograph seeking player, a baseball signed by 11 members of Major League Baseball’s original 1939 Hall of Fame inductees will be brought to auction starting on July 25. The Reach Official American League ball boasts the signatures of Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Tris Speaker, George Sisler, Walter Johnson, Connie Mack, Nap Lajoie, … [Read more...]
Signed 1939 First Day Covers Uncovered in Chicago
Sports memorabilia appraisal fairs don’t always turn up terrific pieces of history. More often than not, it’s a box of baseball cards from the 1980s or 90s or a box of souvenir type items that would be better suited for a garage sale than a major auction catalog. But sometimes… Heritage Auctions recently opened an office in Chicago and last month, an older man … [Read more...]