Latest news with #sportscollectibles
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Autographed Michael Jordan rookie card to be sold by Pharrell Williams' auction house
One of the most unique, mysterious, and potentially most valuable Michael Jordan cards in existence will be available in mid-June through an auction house founded by musician Pharrell Williams. A 1986-87 Fleer Jordan autographed rookie card will be auctioned off by Williams' Joopiter, an online auction house and marketplace selling a sports collectible for the first time with this item. Advertisement As for the card, no autographed Jordan Fleer rookie card with this high of a combined grade for both the card itself and autograph quality has ever been sold publicly. It has a mint 9 card grade and gem mint 10 autograph grade from Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), on a scale of 1-10. This is one of nine Fleer rookie cards Jordan inked with a blue Sharpie in an exclusive signing for a private collector last year. According to Joopiter, it took the collector nearly five years of coordination with Jordan to set up the private signing. A PSA representative witnessed the signings and then graded the cards. In April 2024, Cllct reported the collector had at least six already graded PSA 10s, then worth about $180,000 each, broken out of their protective cases for the signing. Jordan, who reportedly autographed the cards for no compensation, signed and wrote inscriptions of his career achievements on several of the cards. The six regraded PSA 10 (card grade)/10 (autograph grade) cards were later displayed by the grading company during The National Sports Collectors Convention in Cleveland last summer, but none have been put up for sale. Out of 90 total examples of autographed Jordan 1986 Fleer cards in PSA's database, those are the only six to have a 10 card grade. There are four others with a 9 card grade. This is the first sports card ever consigned to Joopiter. The auction commences June 17 and ends June 26, with Joopiter placing an estimated value on the card between $2 million and $3 million, potentially making it the most valuable Jordan card ever sold. So how does an auction house with no experience selling sports cards or memorabilia convince someone to consign such a rare, valuable item? Caitlin Donovan, global head of sale at Joopiter, said the company pitched its broader audience as the primary driver since Jordan's name transcends a sports audience. Advertisement Joopiter's last auction lot centered around contemporary art curated by Martha Stewart. The one before that was titled 'The Collection of Kid Cudi,' which included clothing, shoes, jewelry and art from the musician's personal collection. So devoting an auction to a single sports card drifts far from the norm for Joopiter, which views this as a launching point in the category rather than a one-off event. 'Because this is an untapped auction house for cards and sports memorabilia, I think that is the opportunity to offer this card a unique kind of platform that doesn't just target the kind of traditional (sports) collectors, like Heritage or Goldin,' Donovan said. 'You want to target the traditional collectors. But we want to bring something like this, which we feel really transcends just traditional collectors as being interesting and worthy and bring it to this audience, which we really know we have the ability to do in a serious way.' This particular card of the nine autographed by Jordan in 2024 was originally supposed to be auctioned off by Sotheby's in March. Publicly, it's unclear as to why the card wasn't sold then. The consignor, whose identity has not been revealed, declined an interview through a Joopiter spokesperson. 'He just made a decision that he felt better suited the card,' Donovan said. ' Having the opportunity for us is incredible. And I really want to do this card the justice that it deserves. But yes, we're thrilled to have the opportunity.' Even though this unique set of autographed cards only came into existence last year, the auction's ending price could challenge some of the most expensive Jordan cards ever sold publicly. The PSA 9/10 graded card could also set a baseline if the numerous PSA 10/10 cards are ever sold. The largest sale of a Jordan card to date came when the one-of-a-kind 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Logos Signature game-used Logoman patch autograph card sold for $2.928 million in June 2024, according to CardLadder's database. The most expensive 1986-87 Fleer Jordan autographed card (PSA graded 8 card/9 auto) sold for $205,000 in March 2024. The highest price for a non-autographed Fleer Jordan rookie was $840,000 on a PSA 10 example in July 2021. The most recent sale of a non-autographed PSA 10 example was $204,000 in May. However, this decline comes as many of Jordan's rare 1990s cards are surging to all-time highs. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission. (Top image: Joopiter)
Forbes
01-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Rare 1909 Honus Wagner Card Could Break Records At Auction
The T206 Honus Wagner card issued but recalled by the American Tobacco Company in 1909 is worth ... More millions because of its scarcity. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File) A rare Honus Wagner card has a chance to break its former record as the most expensive ever printed. So says Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of the Goldin auction house that is now conducting an online auction featuring one of few surviving T206 Wagner cards from a 1909 American Tobacco Company set. 'This card, along with our expert curation of storied vintage collectibles, is one of the most significant sports collectibles to ever hit the auction block,' Goldin said. It is also one of the most valuable – especially because this is the first time in more than three years that a numerically-graded T206 Wagner is appearing in public auction. Starting point for the bidding began at $3 million. The price of the Wagner T206, which originally cost a few pennies, was listed at $50 in a 1933 edition of The American Card Catalog by pioneering hobbyist Jefferson Burdick. An off-center version was once owned by hockey great Wayne Gretzky, who teamed with Bruce McNall to buy it for $451,000 in 1991, while Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick bought one in 2011 for $2.8 million. When a T206 Wagner went for $7.25 million on Aug. 4, 2022, it became the most expensive piece of cardboard gold ever sold – until a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card in mint condition brought $12.6 million just weeks later, on Aug. 28, 2022, to recapture the top of the memorabilia list. A mint Mickey Mantle issued by Topps in 1952 brought a card-record $12.6 million at auction in 2022. ... More (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Then a Babe Ruth jersey believed to be worn when he 'called his shot' before a home run for the Yankees in the 1932 World Series brought $24.1 million at an auction held in August 2024. None of those pieces is as old – or as scarce – as the T206 Wagner. Originally produced as part of a trading card set by American Tobacco, the card became valuable after it became scarce – the result of Wagner's wrath at the tobacco company because he abhorred using his image to promote smoking among minors who might see it. With more than a century since publication and multiple owners involved, there are no T206 Wagners in mint condition, Goldin said. But he noted that this one is close. The version at auction today is graded PSA PR-FR 1 because of its rich color and clear, well-centered portrait. Only 60 such Wagner cards are believed to exist, he said. Dubbed 'the Connecticut Wagner' because it first surfaced at a Connecticut show in 1985, the card did not reappear until it went on display at a Detroit Institute of the Arts show in 2010. Widely considered 'the Holy Grail' of sports cards, the T206 has never experienced a market value correction. Sold for $282,000 in 2010, the last public sale of a PSA 1 Wagner 12 years later earned $3,137,000, an increase of an astronomical 1,012%. During that same time span, the Dow Jones increased by 246%, the S & P by 307% , and the NASDAQ by 586%. Hall of Fame shortstop Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates was one of five players in the charter ... More election class of the Baseball Hall of Fame. (Photo by) Goldin, who launched his firm in 2012, has sold more than $2 billion in pop culture products ranging from bats, balls, and baseball cards to game-used jackets, jerseys, and caps. His company has surpassed $1 billion in sales of products placed into auction. The firm, which has an international reputation for selling high-end sports and entertainment memorabilia, is the official auction partner of the Major League Baseball Players Association, Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. It has more than 100 employees and is based in Runnemede, NJ. When time permits, the 59-year-old Goldin roots for the closest major-league team, the Philadelphia Phillies. Goldin's Spring Vintage Elite Auction, one of the major events on its annual auction calendar, opened May 28 and runs through June 9. .
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Caitlin Clark leads WNBA trading card and collectibles boom that's continuing to grow
The WNBA collectibles market is booming and showing no signs of slowing down as a new season begins. Panini, which has the exclusive license to produce WNBA trading cards, will bank on the popularity of Caitlin Clark to continue to drive interest as the company says sales of its WNBA products have grown 'exponentially' since taking on the license in 2019. Advertisement According to eBay, Clark was the third most searched athlete on its platform in April, behind only Michael Jordan and Jayden Daniels and ahead of J.J. McCarthy and Shohei Ohtani. During that month, her two Prizm WNBA base cards were among the four most transacted sports cards across online marketplaces, Market Movers data showed. That's part of the reason why Panini will bump up their WNBA card portfolio to four traditional sets, after offering three for the first time last season, now adding Donruss (set to release in July) and a high-end product that will be revealed later this year (set to be released in September). The two new sets will join Prizm, Select, and the print-to-order Panini Instant line to provide collectors with more WNBA card variety than ever before. Donruss' WNBA addition means Clark and other big names will appear within the wildly popular Downtown insert series. The new Downtowns should draw in buyers well outside diehard WNBA collectors given the hobby craze for the cards across all sports. Panini won't kid themselves either, though. They're more than aware how much Clark's presence creates business for WNBA cards. The company also holds a long-term exclusive autograph and memorabilia rights contract with Clark. Earlier this month a release of 24 different variations of Clark autographed jerseys, basketballs, and photos ranging in price from $500-$1,250 quickly sold out on Panini's website. Panini isn't the only major collectibles company that sees value in the WNBA, though. Funko made its first ever set of WNBA figures available for pre-order this week, with Clark, Angel Reese, A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and Lauren Jackson among the initial offerings. Clark's two most expensive card sales occurred within the last two months, according to CardLadder, which tracks trading card sales across online marketplaces. Her 2024 Prizm WNBA Signatures Gold Vinyl autographed one-of-one rookie card sold for $366,000, a new record for any women's sports card, on March 29. A month later, her 2024 Prizm WNBA Throwback Signatures Gold Vinyl autographed one-of-one rookie card went for $244,000. Advertisement 'We started working through our exclusive with her in October 2023,' said Jason Howarth, Panini senior vice president of marketing and athlete relations. 'She was going into her final season in Iowa. We made a significant investment in Caitlin at that point. I think there were some people that were in our building that were not sure about it. And then there were certainly other people in our building who were like, 'If we're going to plant our flag, who are we planting our flag with?' And Caitlin was the answer for that. 'Everyone was going to start paying more attention and watching what was going to happen with Caitlin,' Howarth said. 'We knew that if we signed Caitlin, if there's one female basketball player that's going to show up on ESPN, with this being the measuring stick, right? If there's one female basketball player that's going to show up on ESPN SportsCenter every night, who is it? It's going to be Caitlin.' Clark led all WNBA players with over 105,000 graded cards through industry-leading grader PSA during the offseason (May 2024-March 2025). For WNBA cards overall, PSA witnessed a 62 percent increase in graded cards as of March 2025 compared to May 2024. WNBA players with the most cards graded by PSA in the offseason: That's not to say there isn't still a market for players like the Chicago Sky's Reese, the Dallas Wings' Paige Bueckers — the No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft — and the Los Angeles Sparks' Cameron Brink. As of Monday, via Market Movers, prices on Reese's graded rookie cards have increased by 9.4 percent in the past 30 days, ranking third among all basketball players (minimum 100 sales). Only the Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton and the Memphis Grizzlies' Jaren Jackson Jr. rank above Reese. Bueckers will likely see continued growth if she fulfills expectations in her rookie year and the same goes for Brink as she comes back from a season lost to injury. Expanding Panini's WNBA presence also comes at a critical time for the card company. Topps will take over licenses for the NBA in October and the NFL in April 2026. Without licensing for those two sports, as well as MLB and NHL, Panini's WNBA sets will be the most notable cards to possess team names and logos within the company's portfolio. Advertisement Howarth sidestepped a question concerning the topic, instead pointing to other licensed products that will remain with Panini once the NBA and NFL leave, like LIV Golf, FIFA World Cup and NIL college deals, specifically with Texas quarterback Arch Manning. But Howarth firmly believes in the WNBA product. The current numbers validate his belief, even compared to the NBA. According to Waxstat, which tracks pricing for sealed boxes and packs of cards, the average price for a 2024 WNBA Prizm hobby box in the last 30 days is $984.95. A 2024-25 Prizm NBA hobby box currently averages only $419.95, as the set's rookie class lacks star power. The WNBA hobby boxes even stand tall with 2023-24 Prizm NBA hobby boxes with Victor Wembanyama as the main chase card as those boxes average $1,149.95. 'We started with WNBA in 2019 and grew the sales exponentially in that first year. I think when we took over the license, it was at $50,000 in sales. It was very small,' said Horwath, who wouldn't reveal any sales figures other than saying the growth has been significant. Panini made $97,212.54 on the sale of a single Clark card through a Dutch auction in October. 'We felt like we would be a good ambassador for the WNBA as we continue to grow the brands on the NBA side of things.' The Athletic maintains full editorial independence in all our coverage. When you click or make purchases through our links, we may earn a commission.
