Just released: Our latest Sports Collectibles Market Report!
Another million-dollar card?
The most expensive tennis memorabilia?
Hockey and Mantle cards continuing to climb in prices?
There are plenty of storylines worth watching in tonights October Elite Sports Auction hosted by Goldin and in this edition of Auction Action we preview the top lots to watch heading into the final bids.
We might see the 40th million-dollar sports card sale of 2022.
Emphasis on the might though.
The October Elite Auction hosted by Goldin is led by an Upper Deck Exquisite Collection LeBron James RPA (BGS 9.5/10) which currently carries a high bid of $2.28 million. The problem is that the card has failed to meet its reserve. The last sale for a BGS 9.5 graded example was for $1.1 million in 2020 and the last sale for a BGS 9 was $1.2 million - which shows the appreciation experienced over the last two years by LeBron's premier rookie patch auto. The RPA up for auction has perfect subgrades for centering and surface with mint grades for edges and corners. While the LeBron card still sits below its mystery reserve price there is some hope for an active extended bidding session. There were eight new bids placed yesterday, October 21st, which pushed the total bids up to 23, a fitting number for the King. Whether or not that late action will translate to the card actually reaching a price that would trigger a sale though remains to be seen.
Two of the greatest scorers of the modern NBA are featured on the same card and the 1 of 1 will sell this weekend at Goldin for at least $600,000 based on the current bids. The logoman is graded authentic by PSA and features the autographs of both superstars in blue ink. The Durant logo patch was worn by KD during his rookie photoshoot while the Kobe patch is game-worn. Between the two stars are 30 All-Star Game appearances and more than 59,000 total points. With Kobe already in the Hall of Fame and Durant headed there after his playing days are over, this unique card offers an opportunity to add the likes of two of the leagues greatest scorers of the 21st century within one purchase.
There is no tennis player captivating fans more than Carlos Alcaraz and while NetPro released the first card set dedicated to the young Spanish star earlier this year, the memorabilia market finally has a monumental piece to showcase. This pair of Nike Vapor Pro Sneakers were worn by Alcaraz during his U.S. Open Quarterfinal match against Jannik Sinner. Arguably the best showing from Alcaraz in his young but already impressive career, the No. 1 singles player in the world managed to stave off an upset bid from Sinner and prevailed in five sets to advance to the semifinals. The match lasted more than five hours and and added more story and lore to the legend of the player who has already been crowned as the future of the sport. With players like Serena Williams, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer in the twilight of their careers, the multinational sport of tennis will be desperate for its next superstar - with Alcaraz currently the flag-bearer for the future. These sneakers have garnered 24 bids already and are priced in excess of $30,000 heading into the final hours of the event.
The grail of modern hockey makes yet another auction appearance, this time incased with a BGS 9.5 slab. Earlier this year, Heritage sold a PSA 10 of the 2015 UD Connor McDavid RPA for $228,000 and established a new record for any modern hockey card. This example set to sell at Goldin has reached $122,400 through 21 bids and will easily become the most expensive 9.5 ever sold at auction. This is the highest graded copy within the Beckett census and displays an impressive multicolored patch which showcases the Oilers iconic blue and orange. While a new modern hockey record could be out of reach, any price in excess of $120,000 is already a strong performance for a card that lost sold in 2020 for less than $50,000.
Could we have the first six-figure 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle in a PSA 3.5? In recent reports we have highlighted the increase in Mantle prices after the record-breaking $12.6 million sale which occurred earlier this year. This PSA 3.5 at Goldin has already reached $80,000 with buyer's premium through 27 bids and with a current record of $94,5000, which was set via eBay earlier this month, this card looks poised to breakthrough the $100,000 mark. To highlight just how much these cards have climbed in valuation, in December, one sold for $56,400 while two other examples sold between $60,000 - $65,000. Since June, the last three sales of PSA 3.5's have all closed above $75,000.
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