Tom Brady
Inaugural ‘Holy Grails’ auction showcases hobby’s biggest cards, nets $7 million in sales
Fanatics and Sotheby’s joined forces Tuesday for the inaugural edition of its “Holy Grails” auction, a groundbreaking event that showcased the hobby’s biggest cards, stars, and some record sales for modern cards.
Celebrating legendary athletes from Jackie Robinson to LeBron James, the auction—with an exhibition showcasing some of the hobby’s most-coveted cards—concluded on Tuesday evening in New York. In all, bidders spent a staggering $7 million on sports cards.
“For us, this was a huge success,” said Nick Bell, CEO of Fanatics Collect. “Cards sold well, the room was great, the feedback was great. I think we achieved everything that we wanted and more.”
Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s senior vice president and head of modern collectables, agreed, saying he was “very positive on the results of the sale.”
The event—complete with a red carpet that attracted former NFL star Tom Brady, YouTuber and WWE star Logan Paul and rapper Meek Mill—featured high-end cards valued at millions of dollars.
The auction included several sought-after vintage cards, including a 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson rookie card in a PSA 8 and a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie PSA 9.
It also featured modern cards, highlighted by a 2003-04 Upper Deck LeBron James Exquisite Collection #/99 and a 2015 Panini Immaculate Collection Tom Brady Premium Patches Game Used NFL Shield Autograph #1/1.
BIDDING WARS
“Holy Grails” ushered in a new age for high-end collectibles. The effort, spearheaded by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, saw Sotheby’s add trading cards to its vast portfolio of collectables.
Founded in 1744 and one of the world's largest brokers of fine art and jewelry, Sotheby’s has auctioned off sports memorabilia in the past. Nonetheless, the partnership—first announced this past June—now allows both sides to benefit, bringing together Sotheby’s wealthy bidders with Rubin’s celebrity friends.
Like most auctions, Sotheby’s holds what’s referred to as an ascending auction, where a starting price is set and bidders continuously increase what they are willing to pay until the highest price wins. In some instances, Sotheby’s also uses a reserve price to ensure that the seller makes some profit relative to how the item is valued.
“Holy Grails” was largely a sports card auction that featured baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but did also include four lots dedicated to Pokémon.
In all, collectors could bid on the 33 lots online, starting on Sept. 10, and both in-person and virtually during the auction’s final hour. The event was held at a former church-turned-art space known as Harlem Parish, a venue that attracted dozens of bidders.
OHTANI, BRADY, LEBRON SET RECORDS
A few trends could be gleaned from the auction. Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, fresh off founding MLB’s 50-50 club, set a new card record with the sale of his 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Shohei Ohtani #1/1 Superfractor graded BGS 9.5/10.
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The card ended up going for $336,000, surpassing the previous record for an Ohtani rookie of $312,000, dating back to 2021 for his 2018 Bowman in a PSA 9.
“The timing of that was great,” Bell said, referring to Ohtani’s wonderful season.
Overall, modern cards did very well. New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, who was in attendance, purchased the 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Rookie Ticket Autograph card (BGS 9.5/10) for $120,000.
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In fact, all four Brady cards up for auction sold, reaching a combined total of $813,600.
“I think watching Brady in the room as people were bidding around him was a fun thing to see,” Bell said. “That was good to watch.”
Brady, currently a football analyst with Fox Sports, did not speak to reporters.
Following a bidding war, Brady’s 2015 Panini Immaculate Collection Premium Patches Game Used NFL Shield Patch #1/1, graded PSA Authentic 10 Autograph, sold for $480,000.
The 2000 Upper Deck SP Authentic Tom Brady Rookie Autograph #/1250 in a PSA 10—a card once owned by Brady—went for $192,000. The same card sold for $96,000 in 2021.
LeBron James, meanwhile, also commanded big bucks. His 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Rookie Patch Auto #69/99 in a BGS 8/Autograph 10 sold for $432,000.
At the same time, a 2005-06 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Autograph Patch #6-AP LeBron James BGS 8.5 sold for $576,000. It broke the record for a 2005 James card, when his Topps Finest Superfractor #1/1 sold for $336,000.
“I think LeBron and Brady were the big winners,” Wachter said.
In one of the night’s biggest surprises, an Elly De La Cruz rookie card—his 2022 Bowman Chrome First Bowman Prospect Autograph Superfractor PSA 10—set a new auction record of $360,000 following 79 bids. The sale shattered the previous record price of $116,534 for the same card.
MIXED RESULTS FOR VINTAGE
The auction, while largely a success, did feature some mixed results. While modern cards far outpaced estimates, vintage baseball and basketball cards did not fare so well.
For example, a 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig SGC 9, sold for $132,000, falling short of the last SGC 9 sale of $156,000 from 2021.
The iconic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle in a PSA 5 went for $120,000. The record for the grade is $174,000. A recent sale saw it go for $138,000.
The 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card in a PSA 9 sold for $840,000, the highest priced card sold at the auction. Nonetheless, the record high for the same card—which dates back to 2021—sold for $1.1 million.
“Modern certainly won,” Wachter said. “Having said that, you do hear about some truly incredible prices for vintage. I think it comes down to the right card.”
Vintage basketball also failed to get collectors excited. A 1948 Bowman George Mikan PSA 8—estimated to go for as much as $150,000—didn’t meet the reserve price. As a result, the card earned the distinction of being the only one at the “Holy Grails” auction not to sell.
“The room swayed towards modern,” Bell said. “Online was more of a mix.”
Clemente Lisi
