Above: 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Championship Ring. Sold by RR Auction for $45,049.
First auction all about sports reaped great results
RR’s inaugural dedicated Sports auction saw enthusiastic bidding into the night, and record amounts of new-to-RR bidders. Here are the results.
Buoyed by much anticipatory press from around the country, more than a dozen sports items reaped five-figure payouts for consignors. Many were attached to important stories from sports history – The only baseball championship ever won by the borough was represented in the sale of a 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Championship Ring (main image), which was the top seller, garnering $45,049. Another item with a significant story was a 1966-68 Brian Piccolo game-worn Chicago Bears road jersey (graded MEARS A8). The tear-away shirt (at right) belonged to the football player who was the tragic inspiration for the film “Brian’s Song”; it achieved $25,200. A Babe Ruth signed baseball sold for $21,013; and the long-“cursed” Boston Red Sox continued their upward climb with another 21st century World Series 4-0 sweep win, as represented in a 2007 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship ring, which soared to $17,400.
PSA-graded baseball cards finished strongly, with individual cards and sets selling high, representing pre-1900s, pre- and post-war, Topps, Cracker Jack, tobacco and cabinet cards. The top-selling individual card in the auction was an 1895 N300 Mayo’s Cut Plug Ed Delahanty (graded PSA EX-MT 6), shown at right, which achieved $16,414. The most successful set was a 1909-1948 large pre-war collection (with two Babe Ruths), which went for $12,613.
Olympics memorabilia did well, with torches, winners’ medals and badges leading the category. The top item for Olympics was a Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics Torch, which garnered $19,327, followed by a Stockholm 1956 Summer Olympics Bronze Winner’s Medal that sold for $18,710, and several silver and gold winners’ medals. RR’s reputation for autograph items was represented in a candid vintage autograph photo of Muhammad Ali (which he signed as Cassius Clay), when the athlete was at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games. The encapsulated image went for $10,161.
The top 20 auction results
1955 Brooklyn Dodgers World Championship Ring – $45,049
1966-1968 Brian Piccolo Game-Worn Chicago Bears Road Jersey MEARS A8 – $25,200
Babe Ruth Signed Baseball – $21,013
Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics Torch – $19,327
Stockholm 1956 Summer Olympics Bronze Winner’s Medal – $18,710
2007 Boston Red Sox World Series Championship Ring – $17,400
1895 N300 Mayo’s Cut Plug Ed Delahanty PSA EX-MT 6 – $16,414
Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig Signed Baseball – $16,371
Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics Silver Winner’s Medal –$14,400
1909-1948 Large Pre-War Collection with two Babe Ruths – $12,613
1982 FIFA World Cup Gold Winner’s Medal – $12,294
Athens 2004 Summer Olympics Gold Winner’s Medal – $12,292
1888 N173 Old Judge Cabinets Jim O’Rourke PSA VG-EX 4 – $11,644
Muhammad Ali Signed Photograph – $10,161
Los Angeles 1932 Summer Olympics Team Athletics Jury Badge – $9,787
Tokyo 1964 Summer Olympics Torch – $9,248
Jackie Robinson Autograph Letter Signed – $7,986
NY Yankees 1961 Signed Baseball – $7,918
1968 Topps #177 Nolan Ryan and Jerry Koosman PSA NM-MT+ 8.5 – $7,906
Jimmie Foxx Signed Baseball – $7,028
