Hold onto your baseball caps, sports fans, because the news of the day is all about the legendary Willie Mays and his rookie card making waves in the auction scene. At the recent Robert Edward Auctions’ Summer Catalog Auction, the 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card soared to new heights, fetching an astonishing $390,935. With collectors and enthusiasts abuzz, this sale definitely hit a home run in the world of sports memorabilia.
This particular card, touted as the highest-graded example to emerge in over 15 years, had eager bidders rallying to secure the coveted piece. Amidst the fierce competition, a total of eleven determined individuals stepped up to the plate, vying for the precious cardboard gem. And in the end, only one emerged victorious, clinching this rare and monumental collectible. With no PSA 10 Mays rookie cards known to exist and a scarce eight in a PSA 9 grade, it’s no surprise that the bidding war was intense.
To put the magnitude of this sale in perspective, a PSA 8 copy of the same Willie Mays card had recently changed hands for $207,400 at a prior auction. Clearly, the allure of Mays’ rookie cards is undeniable, with prices soaring higher than a pop fly on a scorching summer day at the baseball stadium.
Wondering where all that hefty sum is headed? The generous consignor behind the sale has pledged to allocate the proceeds towards funding a college scholarship endowment. Thus, not only does this record-breaking sale etch its place in history, but it also contributes towards shaping the futures of aspiring scholars. Talk about hitting a philanthropic grand slam!
The excitement didn’t stop there at the Summer Catalog Auction, which saw a staggering total of over $13.3 million in sales generated from an impressive 82,000 bids across nearly 3,200 lots. Thirteen items managed to surpass the six-figure mark, with highlights including a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 4.5 card setting a record at $162,000.
Among the other standout sales were an autographed 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie (PSA 3) with a PSA 9 signature grade, fetching $132,000, and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 7 with a 7 autograph rating) selling for a noteworthy $120,000.
Not to be overshadowed, a 1936-1937 Dizzy Dean St. Louis Cardinals game-used road jersey scored big at $114,000, setting a noteworthy record in Dizzy Dean memorabilia sales.
The auction saw a plethora of notable sales across various sports memorabilia categories, such as Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Joe Jackson, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordan items, setting new benchmarks and thrilling collectors worldwide.
With the tremendous success of the Summer Catalog Auction, President of REA, Brian Dwyer, expressed gratitude to consignors and bidders. The anticipation now shifts to the upcoming September Encore Auction scheduled from September 12-22, promising more excitement and incredible finds for sports enthusiasts and collectors alike. So, mark your calendars and stay tuned for the next round of exhilarating auction action!
