Just released: Our latest Sports Collectibles Market Report!
Lelands Auction Preview
This weekend, Lelands closes their 2022 Winter Classic and the event is filled with Tom Brady cards, game worn memorabilia, and an array of debut tickets. So what are the assets that collectors and investors should watch as the final bids come through?
Trends to Watch
The (Retired) Tom Brady Market
The three most expensive assets at this auction will likely be Tom Brady cards and memorabilia. There is a PSA 8 graded 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Brady rookie card that is expected has already reached $989,964 through 15 bids. There are only 9 PSA 8 graded examples in existence and we have not had a public sale of one since 2016. The Championship ticket sold by Leland’s could push above prices of BGS 8.5’s which exceeded $2 million twice in February alone.
In 2021, Lelands sold Tom Brady’s first career touchdown ball for $428,841. This weekend, Lelands will sell Tom Brady’s last touchdown ball and the bidding sits at $197,991 with four days remaining in the event. Rounding-out the top three is. a BGS 9/Auto 10 graded Brady Rookie Ticket card that sits at just under $80,000 heading into the weekend.
The Growth of Game-Worn
With nearly 100 unique lots of game-worn memorabilia, this auction will deliver once of the most extensive collections of jerseys, helmets, sneakers, gloves, and cleats ever assembled at a single event. We have followed an uptick in memorabilia sales over the last 12-months and the auction market has experienced a steady climb in game worn/used offerings.
For example, at the most recent auction hosted by Heritage, the number of sports cards fell -19% while the number of memorabilia lots jumped 22% year over year. Will game-worn and more specifically, photo-matched game-worn continue to see significant appreciation or will money start to rotate back into cardboard?
Tickets Continue their Uptick
In February, the ticket record book was completely rewritten with a swelling of six-figure sales. This Leland’s auction has at least one card that could push into the top 15 sales but will need some help to break into the top 10. While Leland’s Winter Class might lack tickets with six-figure potential, the auction delivers impressive depth with a plethora of player debut tickets and stubs represented. Some tickets worth watching include:
The 1928 Ty Cobb Last Game stub which is graded PSA 3, the highest within the PSA population. This stub combines Cobbs final major league appearance with Babe Ruth's 465th home run.
Rally has a PSA 1.5 graded stub from the debut of Ken Griffey Jr. that is not scheduled to IPO yet but has a listed market cap of $25,000. Lelands will sell the highest graded stub from that game (PSA 6) this weekend and bidding has reached $14,362.
Lots to Watch
Where does the post-retirement Tom Brady market currently stand? We saw a sudden surge in prices in the immediate aftermath of TB12's announcement, but has the market cooled off or are prices still climbing? This PSA 8 graded Championship Ticket is a rarity that seldom appears at auction and should command a strong price based on the early bids that have come through. With buyer's premium, the price for the Brady rookie has already reached seven-figures and will likely challenge, if not surpass, recent prices for BGS 8.5 graded examples.
Lot #2: Tom Brady's Last Touchdown Pass Football (Photo-Matched & MeiGray LOA)
When Tom Brady tossed a 55-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship, it is unlikely many thought that would be the last touchdown thrown by the G.O.A.T. One person who definitely did not think that: Mike Evans. Evans tossed the ball into the stands where a lucky fan, now cosignor, caught the pass and is now about to cash in on a six-figure sale.
Lot #7: 1962 Wilt Chamberlain 100 Point Game Ticket Stub PSA VG 3
During Lelands Mint 25 auction, the auction house sold a signed program and PSA 3 graded stub from this historic basketball game for $137,521. So how much of that price was the ticket stub worth? Those following the ticket market have seen the recent growth and appreciation in prices, but is the market reaching a peak? In August, Goldin sold an Authentic graded stub for $85,200 and this PSA 3 graded example is currently priced at $52,538. There are still three days remaining in the auction and the ticket has garnered a significant amount of attention with 33 bids, so how high will this stub climb and can it reach six-figures?
Lot #11: 1966 Super Bowl I Green Bay Packers Championship Ring
Awarded to Green Bay Packers assistant coach Bob Schnelker, this Super Bowl I ring is one of the most important pieces of NFL history. The ring signifies the first Super Bowl title, won by the Packers in 1966 after a 35-10 drubbing of the Kansas City Chiefs. The ring itself contains just one single diamond and displays a simplistic design, especially when compared to the 422 diamonds carried by the ring awarded to players on the New England Patriots after winning Super Bowl LIII. There has not been a fractional Super Bowl ring offered on Collectable or Rally to date and the jewlery listed on Lelands has reached $29,790 through 16 bids.
Lot #20: 1936 V355 World Wide Gum #51 Joe DiMaggio Signed Card
In a world of iconic sports cards, the 1936 World Wide Gum is one of the finest pieces of pre-war cardboard ever produced. Although Joe DiMaggio prices have historically lagged the values of Mantle and Ruth, this particualr card carries DiMaggio's signature, penned in blue ink, which could help propel it to a six-figure price. This is the only signed example in the PSA database for a card that is already exceptionally rare and nearly impossible to find in any respectable condition.
Lot #689: 1955 Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals Signed Game Worn Jersey
Putting aside the player who once donned this jersey, can we take a moment to appreciate the greatness that is this post-war St. Louis Cardinals logo? In an era filled with logos that were essentially cartoon drawings, the Cardinals always maintained a classic style that still lives on to this day. Now, regarding the player who wore this jersey, the case can be made that Stan Musial was the greatest baseball player to ever step onto the diamond. Known as an upstanding citizen off the field, Musial was a dominating force on it, and finished top 10 all-time in hits, runs, at-bats, doubles, total bases, and runs by the time he retired. Finding Musial jerseys from the 1950s is an arduous task and they rarely appear at auction. This is just the third offered by Lelands over the last 20 years and the first from the '55 season.
Want to get more great insights and access to powerful tools to help guide your investment strategy? Signup for Altan Insights now.
Disclaimer: You understand that by reading Altan Insights, you are not receiving financial advice. No content published here constitutes a recommendation that any particular security, transaction, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. You further understand that the author(s) are not advising you personally concerning the nature, potential, value or suitability of any particular security, transaction, or investment strategy. You alone are solely responsible for determining whether an investment, security or strategy, or any other product or service, is appropriate or suitable for you based on your investment objectives and personal financial situation. Please speak with a financial advisor to understand if the risks inherent in trading are appropriate for you. Trade at your own risk.
