Hold onto your baseball caps, folks—Willie Mays just knocked it out of the park again! A 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card shattered records by selling for a jaw-dropping $390,935 at Robert Edward Auctions’ Summer Catalog Auction. Talk about a grand slam in the world of sports memorabilia!
This iconic card, the highest-graded example to hit the auction block in over 15 years, had bidders swinging for the fences. Eleven fierce competitors stepped up to the plate, but only one emerged victorious, claiming this cardboard treasure. With no PSA 10 Mays rookie cards in existence and only eight in a PSA 9, it’s no wonder collectors went wild.
Just to put this in perspective, a PSA 8 copy of the same Mays card sold for $207,400 last week at Goldin. Clearly, Mays’ rookie cards are hotter than a summer day at the ballpark!
And in case you were wondering where all that cash is headed, the consignor is using the proceeds to fund a college scholarship endowment. So, not only did this card make history, but it’s also helping to shape the future. Talk about a win-win!
The Summer Catalog Auction was a grand slam in its own right, raking in over $13.3 million from more than 82,000 bids across nearly 3,200 lots. Thirteen items broke the six-figure barrier, including a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 4.5 that set a record by selling for $162,000—the highest ever for that grade.
Other heavy hitters included an autographed 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie (PSA 3) with a PSA 9 signature grade, which went for $132,000, and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 7 with a 7 autograph rating) that netted $120,000.
Not to be outdone, a 1936-1937 Dizzy Dean St. Louis Cardinals game-used road jersey scored a cool $114,000, setting a record for Dizzy Dean memorabilia.
Here’s a quick rundown of some other home-run sales:
1933 R338 Sport Kings #2 Babe Ruth PSA NM-MT 8 – $120,000
1915 Boston Red Sox Real-Photo Team Postcard with Babe Ruth Rookie – $114,000
1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie PSA GEM MINT 10 – $111,000
1909-1911 T206 White Border Cy Young Glove Shows PSA EX+ 5.5 (Broad Leaf 460 Back) – $111,000
1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee Hockey #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie PSA MINT 9 – $105,000
1914 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson SGC GOOD+ 2.5 – $102,000 (record for SGC grade)
1933 V353 World Wide Gum Canadian Goudey #80 Babe Ruth PSA NM 7 – $96,000 (record for the card)
1984-1985 Star Company Basketball #101 Michael Jordan Rookie BGS NM-MT+ 8.5 – $52,800 (record for Beckett grade)
“This auction was a blast from start to finish, with new record prices being set left and right,” said Brian Dwyer, President of REA. “We’re incredibly grateful to the consignors who trusted us with these amazing items and to the bidders who made this another record-breaking auction for us.”
If you missed out on this one, don’t worry—REA’s next big event is the September Encore Auction, running from September 12-22. Mark your calendars, because the action is far from over!