Hold onto your baseball caps, folks, because Willie Mays has struck again with a record-breaking sale of his 1951 Bowman rookie card. This iconic piece of sports memorabilia recently fetched an astonishing $390,935 at Robert Edward Auctions’ Summer Catalog Auction, leaving collectors and enthusiasts in awe of the baseball legend.
Considered the highest-graded example to appear on the auction block in over 15 years, the 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card saw fierce competition among eleven bidders. With no PSA 10 Mays rookie cards in existence and only eight in a PSA 9 grade, it’s no surprise that this rare gem sparked a bidding frenzy.
To put this achievement into perspective, a PSA 8 version of the same Willie Mays card sold for $207,400 just the week before at Goldin Auctions. Clearly, the demand for Mays’ rookie cards is hotter than a midsummer day at the ballpark, with prices continuing to climb to new heights.
The seller of this historic card has decided to use the proceeds to establish a college scholarship endowment, adding a heartwarming element to this already remarkable sale. This means that besides making history in the world of sports memorabilia, the Willie Mays rookie card is also contributing to shaping future generations. Talk about a win-win situation!
The success of the Willie Mays rookie card was just one highlight of Robert Edward Auctions’ Summer Catalog Auction, which amassed over $13.3 million from more than 82,000 bids on nearly 3,200 lots. Thirteen items crossed the six-figure mark, including a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 4.5 card that made history with a staggering $162,000 sale—a record for its grade.
Among the other notable sales were a signed 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie card (PSA 3) with a PSA 9 signature grade, fetching $132,000, and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 7 with a 7 autograph rating) for $120,000.
Additionally, a 1936-1937 Dizzy Dean St. Louis Cardinals game-used road jersey hit a home run at $114,000, setting a new record for Dizzy Dean memorabilia.
The auction also saw outstanding sales for items such as a 1933 Babe Ruth card, a Babe Ruth rookie postcard, a Rickey Henderson rookie card, a Cy Young Glove Shows card with a Broad Leaf 460 Back, a Wayne Gretzky rookie card, a Joe Jackson Cracker Jack card, a Babe Ruth Goudey card, and a Michael Jordan Star Company rookie card.
REA President Brian Dwyer expressed his gratitude towards the consignors and bidders for making this auction a resounding success, with numerous record-breaking prices set throughout the event.
For those who missed out on this exhilarating auction, fear not! The next big event on the horizon is the September Encore Auction at Robert Edward Auctions, scheduled to run from September 12-22. Make sure to mark your calendars, as the excitement and thrill of acquiring extraordinary sports memorabilia are far from over.
