Hold onto your baseball caps, folks, because Willie Mays has done it again! The 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card recently shattered records by selling for an astounding $390,935 at the Robert Edward Auctions’ Summer Catalog Auction. This grand slam in the world of sports memorabilia has collectors and enthusiasts buzzing with excitement.
This particular card, the finest-graded example to appear at an auction in over 15 years, attracted a flurry of eager bidders. Eleven fierce contenders vied for this prized possession, but only one emerged victorious, nabbing this cardboard treasure. The absence of PSA 10 Mays rookie cards and the scarcity of only eight cards in a PSA 9 grade undoubtedly fueled the intense bidding war that ensued.
To put the monumental sale into perspective, just the previous week, a PSA 8 copy of the same Mays card fetched $207,400 at Goldin Auctions. Clearly, the popularity and value of Mays’ rookie cards are soaring higher than a fly ball at the ballpark!
Curious about where all that money is going? The seller of the card plans to utilize the proceeds to establish a college scholarship endowment. It’s not just about making history with this sale; it’s also about investing in the future—a true win-win situation for all involved.
The Summer Catalog Auction was a standout success in its own right, amassing an impressive total of over $13.3 million from more than 82,000 bids across close to 3,200 lots. Thirteen items crossed the six-figure mark, with highlights including a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 4.5 that set a new record by selling for $162,000, the highest price ever achieved for that grade.
Among the top sellers were an autographed 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie (PSA 3) with a PSA 9 signature grade, commanding $132,000, and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 7 with a 7 autograph rating), which fetched $120,000.
Not to be outshined, a game-used road jersey from 1936-1937 worn by Dizzy Dean of the St. Louis Cardinals netted a solid $114,000, setting a new high for Dizzy Dean memorabilia.
Some other noteworthy sales included a 1933 R338 Sport Kings #2 Babe Ruth PSA NM-MT 8 at $120,000, a 1915 Boston Red Sox Real-Photo Team Postcard featuring a Babe Ruth rookie at $114,000, and a 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie in PSA GEM MINT 10 condition at $111,000.
The auction also saw a 1909-1911 T206 White Border Cy Young (Broad Leaf 460 Back) in PSA EX+ 5.5 grade sell for $111,000, a 1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee Hockey #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie in PSA MINT 9 condition fetch $105,000, and a 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson SGC GOOD+ 2.5 card reach $102,000, setting a new record for the SGC grade.
Rounding out the notable sales were a 1933 V353 World Wide Gum Canadian Goudey #80 Babe Ruth PSA NM 7 that sold for $96,000, establishing a new record for the card. An 1984-1985 Star Company Basketball #101 Michael Jordan Rookie in BGS NM-MT+ 8.5 grade fetched $52,800, a new high for that Beckett grade.
Brian Dwyer, President of REA, expressed his delight at the outcome, stating, “This auction was a wild ride from the beginning to the end, with record prices being set at every turn. We are immensely thankful to the consignors who entrusted us with these remarkable items, and to the bidders who propelled us to yet another groundbreaking auction.”
For those who missed out on this exhilarating event, fear not! The next major auction on the horizon is the September Encore Auction, scheduled to take place from September 12-22. Keep your calendars marked, because the excitement in the world of sports memorabilia is far from over!
