An $840,000 1955 Roberto Clemente baseball card was the most valuable item at a Harlem, New York auction billed as the “Holy Grail” for card collectors.
Among the buyers on Tuesday, September 24 in the former church where Sotheby’s staged the sale was Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.
He paid $120,000 for a signed, Tom Brady rookie card with the former quarterback sitting next to him.
Brady cards made good money on the night. A unique Panini card of the seven-times Super Bowl winner from 2015 realised $480,000.
A one-of-a-kind, signed Lebron James card from 2005-06 sold for $576,000.
A dual autographed Michael Jordan and Julius Erving card from the same year and Upper Deck series made $780,000.
Personalities matter in card collecting, and a signed pairing of Michael Jordan and Julius Erving was always going to be attractive.
But the top item of the night was the 1955 Topps #164 rookie card for Roberto Clemente.
It was graded “mint” with a Professional Sports Authenticator condition grade of 9.
It sold for $840,000.
A number of factors play into its value.
A 1955 card in this condition – it’s 69 years old – is extremely rare. Baseball cards were made to be collected, but they were low-value items usually given away and often owned (briefly) by children.
The year of issue has specialist appeal for card collectors. Sotheby’s describe the 1955 Topps set as: “Innovative in its design and highly desirable thanks to its eye appeal and rich coloration, this set remains a favorite of collectors to this day.”
Clemente is himself a highly collectible figure.
Like most non-white American athletes, his career was marked by battles against racism and he is a particular hero to Latino Americans.
Born in Puerto Rico, Clemente joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 for a then enormous signing-on fee of $10,000.
He was then picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He struggled to hit his stride until 1960, when his performances were vital in giving his team their first World Series title since 1924.
Clemente went on to become one of the defining stars of the next decade.
His death in a plane crash in 1972 while flying to deliver earthquake aid to Nicaragua helped cement his legacy as a pioneering and significant baseball figure. An annual award in his name celebrates players who make a social impact.
Baseball cards are collectibles that are made to be collectible. And they were collected in their millions. This makes rarities even more unusual. And potentially extremely valuable.
Prices for the most expensive baseball cards (and other sports collectible cards) have been buoyant.
All of the top 5 sales in the sector have been made since 2021.
The most valuable sports card is a Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card. An example was sold in August 2022 for $12.6 million. (An example with a condition rating of 5 sold in this sale for $120,000.)
A 1909 – 1911 Honus Wagner card realised $6.9 million in 2021.
Then three basketball players (Steph Curry, 2009 for $5.9 million; LeBron James, 2003, $6.1 million; and Luka Donic, 2018, $4.6 million) complete the top 5.
Card collecting is a very well-developed and well documented hobby. This sale was a new partnership between Sotheby’s and specialist card marketplace Fanatics Collect. More sales are in the pipeline.
Undiscovered gems for card collectors are few and far between. These Holy Grails – million-dollar cards for ordinary buyers to find – could be out there though.
