Game-worn jerseys, championship rings set hobby records

The world’s largest collectibles auctioneer welcomed nearly 2,000 unique bidders to Heritage Auctions’ latest Sports Memorabilia Catalog Auction May 17-18, dropping the hammer on more than $3.4 million in bids placed in a highly competitive sale. Game-worn jerseys and championship rings provided many of the top results, including a wide array of record prices.

Roy Campanella’s 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers jersey supplied the event’s top result. The $108,000 sale price was just the second gamer from the Hall of Fame catcher to reach six figures. A $96,000 sale price for a 2016 New England Patriots Super Bowl ring crushed the standing mark for a modern championship ring lacking superstar player provenance.

“All that glittered came up gold in this sale,” said Chris Ivy, director of Heritage Sports Collectibles. “Ten rings commanded prices in excess of $10,000, providing clear evidence that the subgenre is a real seller’s market now.”

Gridiron gamers served as another winning theme in the auction, with battle-scarred jerseys from Canton immortals like Paul Hornung, Dick Butkus and Lance Alworth counted among the sale’s top 20 results.

Other world-record highlights include:

• $33,600: A photo-matched 2001 Michael Jordan game-worn and signed Washington Wizards jersey

• $33,600: A 1966 Mickey Mantle game-used bat, PSA/DNA GU 9

• $31,200: A photo-matched 2011 Colin Kaepernick debut game-worn and signed San Francisco 49ers rookie jersey

• $26,400: A 1985 Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Ring presented to Enos Slaughter from The Enos Slaughter Collection

• $22,800: The only 1919 World Series (Game 8) ticket stub, PSA Good 2, the only Game 8 ticket rated exemplar in PSA population

• $13,200: A 1931 photograph signed by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Joe McCarthy

• $10,800: A circa 1980s Mickey Mantle “The Commerce Comet” single-signed baseball

• $9,600: A photo-matched 2016-17 Giannis Antetokounmpo game-worn Milwaukee Bucks jersey worn in a match against the Wizards

For a complete listing of results, visit, www.ha.com.