Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax rookie cards highlight $14.7 million REA auction

Fifty years after he became the first Latin American player elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, Roberto Clemente’s 1955 rookie card nearly topped $1 million in the Spring Catalog Auction at Robert Edward Auctions.

The Clemente card, which sold for $960,000, was one of seven cards that sold for six figures in the $14.7 million auction, which attracted more than 98,000 bids from a record number of first-time and total bidders.

“This was a tremendous auction and will go down as one of the most successful auctions in REA’s 30-plus year history,” said Brian Dwyer, president of REA. “It’s very exciting to see such a strong interest across multiple areas of our growing hobby. This auction was marked by record engagement, and while vintage cards continue to generate strong results, I’m delighted to see such a strong and growing market for areas like original photography and unopened boxes and packs.”

The 1955 Topps Clemente card was graded PSA 9.

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A 1955 Sandy Koufax rookie card from the same set, also graded PSA 9, sold for $384,000, becoming the second highest-selling Koufax rookie of all-time.

Other top-selling cards included Jackie Robinson’s 1949 Bowman (PSA 9) for $348,000 and a 1932 U.S. Caramel Babe Ruth (PSA 8) card for $210,000, which nearly tripled the previous record and marked the first sale in this grade in more than a decade.

Among the top-selling memorabilia items were: an original 1940s Josh Gibson Type 1 photograph used for his 1950-1951 Toleteros rookie card for $150,000; a circa 1913 Type 1 Charles Conlon photograph of Shoeless Joe Jackson for $132,000; and a 1986-1987 Fleer Basketball (PSA 10) complete set (missing only Jordan) for $168,000.

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REA also had three unopened boxes that sold for more than $100,000: a 1959 Topps Fourth Series unopened cello box (36 Packs; BBCE) for $186,000; a rare 1971 Topps Fourth Series Baseball unopened wax box (24 Packs; BBCE) for $144,000; a 1970-1971 Topps Basketball Second Series unopened wax box (24 Packs; BBCE) for $108,000.

Other top-selling cards, packs and sets included:

• 1953 Topps #1 Jackie Robinson (PSA 9) $180,000.

• 1925 Exhibits Lou Gehrig rookie (PSA GOOD+ 2.5) $126,000.

• 1939 R334 Play Ball #26 Joe DiMaggio (PSA 9) $102,000.

• 1956 Topps Baseball (PSA 8) complete set (#24 PSA Set Registry (8.00 GPA) $90,000.

• 1924-1925 Aguilitas Cigars Second Series #869 Oscar Charleston (SGC VG+ 3.5) $81,000.

• 1952 Topps unopened five-cent wax pack (PSA 5) $75,000.

• 1963 Topps PSA-graded complete master set (583); #13 PSA Set Registry, 8.00 GPA) $72,000.

• 1909 T204 Ramly Tobacco Walter (1/1SGC 9; Nagy Collection) $69,000.

• 1954 Topps PSA-graded complete set (250; #29 PSA Set Registry 7.07 GPA) $57,600.

• 1976 Topps Football #148 Walter Payton rookie (PSA 10) $55,200.

• 1969-1970 Topps Basketball (PSA 8) complete set (99; #21 PSA Set Registry 8.00 GPA) $55,200.

• 1957-1958 Topps Basketball #77 Bill Russell rookie (PSA 7.5) $55,200.

• 1909-1911 T206 White Border Walter Johnson Portrait Old Mill back (1/1; PSA VG 3) $50,400.

• 1948-1949 Leaf #8 Satchel Paige rookie short print (PSA 6) $50,400. 

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