Sports Collectibles » Auctions

Michael Phelps Trading Cards are Hot

admin — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:00:35 +0000

After Michael Phelps record breaking Olympic run, his trading cards have taken on a new cachet.

News sources have reported that as little as two weeks ago, his 2004 autographed Donruss cards were trading for $25 – not any more.

Arlington, Texas-based Donruss produced about 300 of the autographed Phelps cards in 2004 and about 5,000 “common” cards not bearing the American swimmer’s autograph, Donruss spokesman Scott Prusha said.

A search on eBay shows the current bidding:

NHL Memorabilia Auction to Benefit Katie Thomas

admin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:58:40 +0000

Rare Autographed Sports Memorabilia Now Available in Online Charity Auction

Monday July 28, 9:00 am ET

All Proceeds Benefit Denver Mother’s Clinical Trial Treatment for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

DENVER, CO–(MARKET WIRE)–Jul 28, 2008 — Exclusive National Hockey League (NHL) memorabilia is now available for online auction benefiting Katie Thomas, a Denver woman fighting Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The auction begins today and includes signed sticks, jerseys, pucks and pictures by current and former all-stars and Hall of Famers including Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Brendan Shanahan, Steve Yzerman, Patrick Roy and Evgeni Malkin. In addition, other sports memorabilia including signed jerseys and helmets from John Elway and Brett Favre are up for auction. All information can be found at http://www.helpkatiefight.org

Kristin (Katie) Thomas is a 33-year-old single mother and geneticist from Denver, Colorado. Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007, she was unresponsive to traditional treatment and is now showing great progress in a unique clinical trial that is not covered by her health insurance. All proceeds from auction sales will go towards her continued treatment. Individuals can also donate directly to her treatment fund.

The online auction will end at 6:00 AM PDT on Thursday, August 7th and includes the following items:
– Wayne Gretzky autographed jersey (Edmonton Oilers)
– Mario Lemiuex autographed jersey (Pittsburgh Penguins)
– Gordie Howe autographed jersey (Detroit Red Wings)
– Brendan Shanahan autographed jersey (New York Rangers)
– Steve Yzerman autographed jersey (Detroit Red Wings)
– Patrick Roy autographed stick (Colorado Avalanche)
– Evgeni Malkin autographed cap (Pittsburgh Penguins)
– 2007-2008 Detroit Red Wings stick (Signed by entire team)
– 2007-2008 Dallas Stars jersey (Signed by entire team)
– 1980 “Miracle on Ice” US Olympic Hockey Team picture (signed by entire
team)
– John Elway autographed helmet and jersey (Denver Broncos)
– Brett Favre autographed picture (Green Bay Packers)

Further information on auction items and Katie’s story can be found at http://www.helpkatiefight.org

Contact:
Press Contact:
Lara Sasken or Leonora Stevens
LaunchSquad
415.625.8555
gokatie@launchsquad.com

Source: Kristin Thomas Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Treatment Fund

Babe Ruth Homerun Ball Up for Auction

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:55:22 +0000

Rare Baseball Paraphernalia Set To Hit Auction Block

July 13, 2008
NY1

“Just in time for next week’s All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, some rare pieces of baseball history are on the auction block.

Hunt Auctions is offering 900 items, most of them Yankee-related, including the ball Babe Ruth hit for his 712th homerun. It’s expected to fetch between $100,000 and $200,000.

The warm-up jacket Lou Gehrig wore on the day his consecutive game streak ended is also available, with a presale estimate of $250,000.

Read the Full Story >>

Rare Sports Memorabilia

admin — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:26:30 +0000

Trove of rare baseball treasures can be won at ALS

By Carol Karm
Sunday, July 13, 2008

“A newly discovered stash of rare sports memorabilia fell into Patrick McMinn’s lap this year.

The Thousand Oaks resident and marketing company owner is the primary organizer for the coming 4th Annual CytRx Strike Out Lou Gehrig’s Disease All Star Invitational Tournament, which will be held Thursday through Sunday.

…The items include a baseball signed by the original 11 members of the 500 Home Run Club: Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey, Reggie Jackson and Ernie Banks.

There are many mint-condition baseball cards, such as a Babe Ruth Commemorative with a 1932 Yankee World Series team photo, and a Lou Gehrig Commemorative with a 1937 Yankee World Series team photo.

The signed items include a Sandy Koufax autographed baseball with a 1984 limited edition Koufax Commemorative Plate, and a Pete Rose autographed ball with card.”

Read the Full Story >>

Visit the website at http://www.alsbaseball.org

Sotheby and SCP Sports Memorabilia Auction

admin — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:47:54 +0000

Candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and $157,000 prize

BY JOHN JEANSONNE
Newsday.com
April 24, 2008

“For $157,000, a complete set of 1915 Cracker Jack baseball cards went to the man in the navy blue T-shirt and baseball cap near the back of the room.

…The card set was one of 203 lots of sports memorabilia put up for bid Thursday by Sotheby’s, partnering with the sports memorabilia firm SCP Auctions, in a demonstration that “we love sports,” said auctioneer Leila Dunbar. The three-hour session brought in $2,518,130.

…Of all the business Sotheby’s does, sports has “the greatest number of collectors and the steadiest appreciation.”"

Read the Full Story >>

Some of the other prices mentioned:
- Shoeless Joe Jackson’s “Black Betsy” bat, circa 1920: $301,000
- Darryl Strawberry’s 1998 Yankee World Series ring: $55,000
- Mel Ott 30th home baseball: $53,000
- Joe Frazier’s robe from the weigh-in of “The Fight of the Century,” Frazier vs. Ali, March 8, 1971: $20,000

Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee

admin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:25:37 +0000

This story goes against the grain of previously reported trends as far as baseball memorabilia with players involved in the steroid scandal. It looks like it’s the scandal itself that is generating the interest, as Brian McNamee, the star witness in the real life drama, put baseballs, photos and other collectibles from his ex-pal Roger Clemens on to eBay to raise money for juvenile diabetes.

In Cyberspace, anyone can buy into the hottest scandal

BostonHerald.com
By Tony Massarotti
Sunday, April 6, 2008

“Americans love a scandal, particularly if they can own a piece of it. As such, maybe it is no surprise that some such items – memorabilia featuring the signatures of both Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee – are among the hottest properties on the Internet.”

Read the Full Story >>

Upcoming Automotive and Aviation Artwork and Memorabilia Auction

admin — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 23:46:16 +0000

Antiques and Estate Auctioneers of Wellington, Ohio is having an Automotive and Aviation Memorabilia Auction on Saturday, April 5, 2008. The catalog is available online, as well as online bidding at www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=11305.

Some of the highlights include:

Select pieces from a private collection. Containing Large presentation framed autographed photo of Juan Manuel Fangio in his Mercedes 300 SLR at LeMans, 1955; Tazio Nuvolari signed and framed newspaper sheet artist sketch which once was in the collection of Graham Hill; Dion Pears oil on canvas; David Lord watercolor.

Limited Edition Indy 500 Bally Pinball Machine
Club Car Electric Golf Cart

Many Automotive and Aviation Limited Edition signed prints by Walter Gotschke, Robert Taylor, Nicholas Watts, Alan Fearnley, William Phillips, Gordon Cox, Simon Atack and others; (7) Race Helmets, some autographed by Paul Newman, Bobby Unser, Johnny Rutherford, Al Unser, Mario Andretti, Geoff Brabham and many others; Autographed Photos of drivers; Dick Simon’s Fire Suit; many Race Books, some autographed; Event Posters; Vintage and newer Race Programs; Set of Floyd Clymer’s Indy 500 Yearbooks, 1949-1967; many Car Models by Carousel 1, 1:18 scale; Quality Auto Art Calendars by Porsche and others; Indy 500 and other races unused and used tickets; badges; pins; race related ladies wear including shirts and jackets; and lots of other racing memorabilia.

Cleveland Browns Autographed Football, many Cleveland Greats including Jim Brown; Collection from Elmore Smith, Cleveland Cavaliers (1976-1979) includes his Training Camp Guide, Playbook, Photos, College Game Movies, and Trophies; Golf Related Animation Art including Tom and Jerry, Donald Duck, Pink Panther, Tazmanian Devil and Woody Woodpecker; Bronze sculpture “Birdie Putt”.

And added today:
International Watch Company Spitfire Mark XV Special Limited Edition Watch; Girard-Perregaux 250 TR Testarossa Ferrari Limited Edition Watch; Girard-Perregaux Automatic Chronograph 156 F.1 Phil Hill Limited Edition Watch; Chopard Mille Miglia Watch; Sinn Corvette C5-R 2000 24 Heures du Mans Watch

Vintage baseball contracts

admin — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 04:37:38 +0000

Rare Piece of Baseball History Heading to the Auction Block

Yahoo! Finance
Wednesday November 28, 2007

“TUSTIN, Calif., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ — A one-of-a-kind piece of baseball history could set a new standard for values of the sport’s most historic documents on Dec. 8, when the rookie-year baseball contract of Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson is sold by Memory Lane Inc., of Tustin, Calif. The company is considered one of the premier sports collectible auctions houses in the country.

Mathewson is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time and was one of the five original inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936.

Vintage baseball contracts have become more sought after in recent years by collectors, and that demand has resulted in escalating values for the items. The record for player-signed contracts is the $996,000 price realized for Babe Ruth’s 1919 rookie-year contract, which sold in June of 2005. Collectors will be watching the sale of this Mathewson contract closely to see where it ranks among the highest-priced contracts sold to date.”

Read the Full Story >>

Collectible Nascar Helmet Auction on eBay

admin — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 02:09:38 +0000

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Daytona International Speedway (DIS), along with The Kroger Co., today announced it will put up for online auction a once-in-a-lifetime collectible helmet featuring signatures of the 24 living past champions of the DAYTONA 500 – racing’s Living Legends.

In addition to receiving the helmet, the highest bidder in the auction and a guest will be flown to New York City, where they will meet Jeff Gordon — three-time DAYTONA 500 champion, courtesy of Georgia-Pacific and The Kroger Co. All proceeds from the online auction will benefit United Way of Greater Cincinnati.

“This helmet is an amazing piece of racing history,” said Gordon. “Being part of this great program is an honor and I look forward to meeting the winning bidder. United Way is a great organization and I am excited about helping the families in the Greater Cincinnati area.”

Boasting signatures from some of the sport’s greatest drivers, the unique helmet showcases 24 Living Legends’ autographs including:

– Richard Petty (seven-time champion: ‘64, ‘66, ‘71, ‘73, ‘74, ‘79, ‘81)
– Mario Andretti (‘67)
– Cale Yarborough (four-time champion: ‘68, ‘77, ‘83, ‘84)
– A.J. Foyt (‘72)
– Jeff Gordon (three-time champion: ‘97, ‘99, ‘05)
– Dale Earnhardt Jr. (‘04)

The auction for the Living Legends helmet will be facilitated by Chicago- based Channel Velocity on eBay.com — enter keywords DAYTONA 500, Champions and Helmet — and will last for seven days (Oct. 17 – 24, 2007). The highest bidder will be awarded the helmet and its certificate of authenticity, signed by DIS President Robin Braig, upon meeting Jeff Gordon in New York City.

“The 50th running of the DAYTONA 500 will certainly bring back many stories of the legendary drivers who helped to build this great sport. DIS is proud to play such a tremendous role in the reunion of the Living Legends,” said Robin Braig, president, DIS. “This incredible collectible is the only one available to the public, and whomever wins the auction will not only take home a piece of history, they’ll take home a piece of racing’s heart.”

The Kroger Co. is a proud sponsor of the historic 50th running of the DAYTONA 500 (Feb. 17, 2008). For more information, including the opportunity to win NASCAR-themed prizes by playing games and trivia, check out kroger.daytona500.com.

“This helmet is one of the most unique and valuable items that we have ever been able to use in our fundraising efforts for United Way,” said Linda Severin, Vice President of Corporate Brands for The Kroger Co. and co-chair of the company’s United Way campaign this year. “We thank the team at DIS for their support along the way and for making this great opportunity a reality.”

Heritage Auction Galleries’ Sports Collectibles Auction

admin — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 00:49:33 +0000

Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries’ Sports Collectibles division will present a fabulous array of vintage sports memorabilia and trading cards in their upcoming October 26 2007 Signature Auction to be held in Dallas, Texas.

“While this auction is packed with far too many spectacular pieces to list, there are three in particular that should draw the attention of the entire baseball collecting world,” explained Chris Ivy, Director of Heritage Auction Galleries’ Sports Collectibles division (HSC). “A road grey New York Yankees jersey worn in the early 1930’s by Lou Gehrig is one of the few known to exist today, and game used bats from Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb are considered by top experts to be among the very finest in existence.”

“Hall of Fame jerseys and equipment have flooded our offices for this auction,” Ivy noted. “We have baseball jerseys from Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson, basketball jerseys from Pete Maravich and Nate Archibald, football jerseys from Roger Staubach and Gale Sayers and hockey jerseys from Ray Bourque and Wayne Gretzky. Even golf fans are recognized with the bag that carried Tiger Woods’ clubs during his historic 1997 Masters win. This barely scratches the surface.”

“Autograph collectors should find plenty to love as well,” said Ivy. “An oversized photo signed for the Yankees bat boy in 1927 by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig is just extraordinary. And a 1941 Puerto Rican League baseball contract provides one of the few authentic Josh Gibson autographs known to the hobby. Other exceedingly scarce signatures provided within this auction include Amos Rusie and Howie Morenz.”

This prize-winning auction wouldn’t be complete without some prizes of its own, and some of the most notable awards in the hobby are slated for the auction block. “We’re fortunate to have two Rookie of the Year awards,” said Ivy, pointing to gleaming treasures presented to Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown and baseball’s Hit King Pete Rose. “We also have the plaque awarded to Wilt Chamberlain in recognition of being named the 1965-66 NBA Player of the Year.”

“There are so many incredible card lots within this auction that it’s tough to know where to start,” explained Ivy. “One obvious theme is high-grade complete sets, with fantastic examples of 1933 Goudey, 1952 Small Bowman Football, 1957 Topps Baseball and 1959 Fleer Ted Williams.

“Singles collectors will have no shortage of options either,” stated Ivy. “The offerings run from the spectacularly rare to the finest known. There’s tobacco, candy, gum, and everything in between.”

“Two sheets should really stun the collecting world too,” Ivy noted. “A compilation of ten strips form an incredible 1953 Topps Baseball sheet, and a 1968 Topps 3-D Baseball example includes cards that never made it into packs.”

“Sports fans around the world are going to want to participate in this auction,” Ivy said, “and I’d encourage everyone to visit our homepage at www.HA.com, where they’ll see enlargeable, full-color images of each and every lot, complete with our thorough and informative catalog descriptions. They’ll even have an opportunity to place bids online.”
Some of the items include:

Circa 1933 Lou Gehrig Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $300,000 & up

1921-22 Babe Ruth Side Written Game Used Bat, Universally Graded 10/10:
ESTIMATE: $150,000 & up

1923-24 Ty Cobb Side Written Game Used Bat:
ESTIMATE: $80,000 & up

1965 Hank Aaron Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $50,000 & up

1967 Bob Gibson Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $50,000 & up

Late 1970’s Pete Maravich Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 – $20,000

Early 1970’s Nate Archibald Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $4,000 – $6,000

Early 1970’s Roger Staubach Game Worn Uniform:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 – $12,000

Mid to Late 1960’s Gale Sayers Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 – $20,000
1997-98 Ray Bourque Game Worn Jersey Signed by Boston Bruins Team:
ESTIMATE: $6,000 – $8,000

1994-95 Wayne Gretzky Game Worn Jersey:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 – $20,000

1997 Tiger Woods Masters Tournament Used Golf Bag:
ESTIMATE: $50,000 & up

The Finest Babe Ruth & Lou Gehrig Signed Photograph on Earth:
ESTIMATE: $30,000 – $50,000

1941 Josh Gibson Signed Puerto Rican League Contract:
ESTIMATE: $50,000 & up

Circa 1922 Autograph Book Signed by Rusie, Youngs, Ruth:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 – $20,000

1929 Howie Morenz Signed NHL Document:
ESTIMATE: $1,000 – $2,000

1957 Jim Brown Rookie of the Year Trophy:
ESTIMATE: $20,000 – $40,000

1963 Pete Rose National League Rookie of the Year Trophy:
ESTIMATE: $8,000 – $12,000

1965-66 Wilt Chamberlain NBA Player of the Year Award:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 – $20,000

1933 Goudey Baseball PSA-Graded Complete Set (239):
ESTIMATE: $40,000 & up

1952 Bowman Small Football High Grade Complete Set (144):
ESTIMATE: $3,000 & up

1957 Topps Baseball PSA-Graded NM-MT 8 Complete Set (411):
ESTIMATE: $15,000 & up

1959 Fleer Ted Williams High Grade Complete Set (80):
ESTIMATE: $600 & up

1910 E93 Standard Caramel Co. Ty Cobb SGC 80 EX/NM 6.:
ESTIMATE: $7,000 & up

1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie #106 PSA NM 7:
ESTIMATE: $15,000 & up

1933 Delong Gum Co. Lou Gehrig #7 SGC 86 NM+ 7.5:
ESTIMATE: $5,000 – $25,000

1934 Goudey Lou Gehrig #37 SGC 88 NM/MT 8:
ESTIMATE: $5,000 – $12,500

1921 American Caramel Co. Babe Ruth E121 SGC 84 NM 7:
ESTIMATE: $10,000 & up

1950-51 Toleteros Joshua Gibson SGC 80 EX/NM 6:
ESTIMATE: $7,000 – $20,000

1953 Topps Baseball Strips Forming a Complete Sheet (10 Strips of 10):
ESTIMATE: $40,000 – $75,000

1968 Topps 3-D Baseball Uncut Sheet of 9:
ESTIMATE: $50,000 & up

HSC specializes in rare and collectible sports cards, as well as uniforms, equipment, and related vintage sports memorabilia.

For more information about Heritage’s auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit www.HA.com.