Hold onto your baseball caps, folks, as the legend of Willie Mays continues to shine brightly in the world of sports memorabilia. In a recent auction hosted by Robert Edward Auctions, a 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card hit a home run by fetching a staggering $390,935, setting a new record for this iconic piece of baseball history.
This particular card, recognized as the highest-graded example to grace the auction block in over 15 years, attracted intense bidding frenzy from eleven eager participants. Only one fortunate collector emerged victorious, claiming a prized possession that holds immense historical and sentimental value. With no PSA 10 Mays rookie cards in existence and just eight in a PSA 9 grade, it’s no wonder that enthusiasts clamored to add this rare gem to their collections.
To put the magnitude of this sale into perspective, a PSA 8 copy of the same Willie Mays rookie card recently sold for a substantial $207,400 at Goldin Auctions. Clearly, the demand for Mays’ rookie cards is soaring higher and faster than a home run ball at a summer baseball game.
But the excitement doesn’t stop there. The proceeds from the sale of this record-breaking card are earmarked for a noble cause—the establishment of a college scholarship endowment. This delightful twist ensures that the card’s significance extends beyond its financial value, contributing to shaping a brighter future for aspiring students. A win-win situation in every sense!
The Summer Catalog Auction orchestrated by Robert Edward Auctions proved to be a grand slam event, amassing over $13.3 million from a staggering 82,000 bids across close to 3,200 lots. Thirteen items garnered six-figure sums, with notable highlights including a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 4.5 card that fetched a record-breaking $162,000, marking the highest sale price for this grade.
Among other standout sales were an autographed 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie card (PSA 3) with a PSA 9 signature grade, reaching $132,000, and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 7 with a 7 autograph rating) that commanded $120,000.
Adding to the auction’s allure, a 1936-1937 Dizzy Dean St. Louis Cardinals game-used road jersey clinched an impressive $114,000, setting a new benchmark in the realm of Dizzy Dean memorabilia.
The auction also witnessed several other notable transactions, including a 1933 Babe Ruth card, a 1915 Boston Red Sox team postcard featuring a rookie Babe Ruth, a 1980 Rickey Henderson rookie card, a 1909-1911 Cy Young card with a rare back, a Wayne Gretzky rookie hockey card, a Joe Jackson card, a Babe Ruth Canadian Goudey card, and a Michael Jordan rookie basketball card, all setting new records for their respective grades.
REA’s President, Brian Dwyer, expressed exhilaration at the auction’s success, acknowledging the trust of consignors and the spirited bidding that led to another groundbreaking event. For those who missed the thrill of this auction, fear not, as REA’s forthcoming September Encore Auction promises more excitement from September 12-22. Get ready to mark your calendars for more thrilling auctions to come!