It was truly a mixture of something old and something new at the Goldin Auctions 2018 Spring Premium Live Auction on Saturday night at the NYY Steakhouse in New York City when final prices realized for historic items from Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, LeBron James, Wayne Gretzky and Mike Trout turned heads and signaled that collectors are still enamored with rare memorabilia from both legendary figures and current stars.
Although a Babe Ruth bat and his final NY Yankees contract combined to sell for over $478,000, memorabilia from both James and Trout also drew major interest.
Ruth’s 1934 Yankees contract led the way at $282,325 including the buyer’s premium while a Ruth game model bat dating from 1929-1930 and rated PSA/DNA GU 10, soared to $196,400.
A 1968 Willie Mays game jersey, autographed by the Hall of Famer and rated MEARS A9.5, realized $92,062.
However, items from the reigning American League Rookie of the Year and the man considered by many to be the game’s greatest current player, drew strong prices. A James jersey worn in the 2015 NBA Finals sold for $85,925, while the bat used by Trout for the first hit and first RBI of his career, sold for a whopping $60,147– the most ever paid at auction for any game-used Trout item.
“The impressive prices realized for the LeBron James jersey and Mike Trout rookie season bat is consistent with the trend we have seen over the past year that rare and historic memorabilia from these two players is becoming as popular as the players themselves,” said Ken Goldin, Founder of Goldin Auctions.
Other highlights from the 52-lot live auction and the final sale price (including buyer’s premium) include:
Lot #40 – 1990-91 Wayne Gretzky Game Used & Signed LA Kings Home Jersey (Final Price: $67,512)
Lot #17 – 1952 Ralph Branca Game Worn & Photo Matched Brooklyn Dodgers Road World Series Jersey also used for 1953 Spring Training (Final Price: $47,872). **A record price for any Branca game-used item.**
Lot #11 – Lou Gehrig’s Retired “Number 4” That Hung in Yankee Stadium (Final Price: $44,190)
Lot #6 – 1962 Mickey Mantle All-Star Game used Hillerich & Bradsby B220 Model Bat PSA/DNA GU 9 (Final Price: $44,190)
Lot #25 – Founding One-Page Document of the Kansas City Monarchs to Join the Negro League (Fina
l Price: $34,370)
An additional 570+ lots are up for bids at GoldinAuctions.com, through May 5. Some of the highlights include:
Lot #19 – 1963 Sandy Koufax Game Used & Signed LA Dodgers Road Jersey Cy Young Season MEARS 9.5 & Beckett (Current Bid: $350,000) – From the season in which he won both the N.L. Cy Young and MVP Awards. For a recent comparison, a 1955 Koufax game-worn jersey recently sold for $667,000.
Lot #41 – 1965 Muhammad Ali Fight Worn Robe from Ali- Liston 2 (Current Bid: $150,000)
Lot #4– 1951 Joe DiMaggio Game Used Hillerich & Bradsby D29L Model World Series Bat PSA/DNA GU 10 (Current Bid: $70,000)
Lot #103 – 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle Rookie Card – PSA NM 7 (Current Bid: $66,000)
Lot #33 – 1984-85 Michael Jordan Game Used Rookie Season Bulls Road Jersey MEARS A8 (Current Bid: $55,000)
Lot #148 – 1986/87 Fleer Baseball Unopened Wax (36 packs; BBCE Certified) (Current Bid: $48,000)
Lot #54 – Dave Bing’s Personal NBA 50 Greatest Player Autographed Lithograph (Current Bid: $33,000)
Lot #59 – 1963 John F. Kennedy Assassination Limousine American Flag (Current Bid: $30,000)
Lot #73 – Tupac Shakur Hand Written Composition Notebook – Featuring 46-pages of song lyrics, drawings and more (Current Bid: $27,000)
Lots #240-242 – 2013 & 2015 Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Champion Rings and Ring Top Pendant & Necklace – Three separate lots, which include a pair of Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Championship rings from 2013 and 2015 and a 2015 Top Pendant & Necklace. Each include a letter of authenticity from strength and conditioning coach Shane Lawson. (Current Bids: 2103 ring $17,000; 2015 ring $24,000; 2015 pendant $6,000)
“We are impressed with the results of the live event and very excited to see the response from collectors for the Koufax jersey, Ali robe, Tupac notebook and the 500 other lots up for bids online through May 5,” Goldin stated.
The deadline for consigning an item to the company’s next internet-only auction is May 15. The consignment deadline for the Goldin Auctions Summer Premium & Live Auction is May 31. To consign an item, visit GoldinAuctions.com or email [email protected].
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