Great material and considerable media exposure paved the way for extraordinary results for the latest catalog sale event held by Legendary Auctions, a premier Sports and Americana auction house. The Legendary Auctions event, which closed on March 3 and included more than 1,400 lots of high-end items, proved to be one of the company’s most successful sales to date. “It is further proof that great material drives a great sale,” said Doug Allen, CEO and president of Legendary Auctions. “The diversity and quality of the consignments in our spring Premier sale was impressive and the results speak for themselves.” The item that attracted the highest price-realized in the latest Legendary Auctions sale was a 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner restored baseball card assessed Authentic/Altered by PSA. The iconic cardboard collectible sold for $219,225.
The item that brought in the second highest number of the auction was actually a unique collection of Americana pieces. Just weeks before a young John F. Kennedy was about to marry a beautiful debutante named Jacqueline Bouvier, he met a Swedish woman while on vacation. For the next couple of years, Gunilla von Post and the freshman senator carried on a long-distance relationship that was captured in a collection of correspondence. The collection of 11 letters and 3 telegrams, never before seen publicly, attracted both national and international media attention including a segment on “Good Morning America.” The collection sold for $115,538.
Allen was pleased with the results of the JFK letters. “Our expectation was around $50,000, but we were aware that the collection could have gone much higher,” said Allen. “The fact that the letters topped six figures and attracted international bidders provides ample evidence that the global legacy of JFK endures.”
Other Sports Card Highlights
While the majority of the media attention focused on the JFK letters, Legendary Auctions’ bidders also took ample notice of the quality, high-grade selection of sports cards available in the auction. Of the top 16 lots, sports cards accounted for 12. They include:
1933/34 V357 World Wide Gum “Ice Kings” Complete Set (72) – #1 on the PSA Set Registry
This is the finest “Ice Kings” set known to exist. For serious hockey collectors, it does not get any better than this. The price for such excellence was $91,838.
1933 Goudey #106 Napolean Lajoie – PSA NM 7
A true legend and an absolute hobby rarity. The fabled Lajoie in high grade always attracts heavy bidding and is considered a prized possession in any collection. It sold for $38,513.
1915 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb – SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5
Featuring the “ready-to-bat” pose of Ty Cobb, this spectacular card is simply beautiful. It is one of only two cards graded by SGC at this tier with just one graded higher. The card went for $32,588.
1961 Topps Complete set (587) Plus Checklist Variations – #8 on the PSA Set Registry
A collection of rookies, baseball’s greatest moments, All-Star honorees and World Series highlights makes this one of the most collectible sets of the 1960s. The final price was $32,588.
1910 D322 Tip Top Bread Honus Wagner – PSA EX 5 “1 of 2”
There isn’t another card like this one graded higher. In fact, only one other card has ever been assigned the same grade. Painfully few of these cards even exist. The card sold for $29,625.
1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets Honus Wagner – PSA VG-EX+ 4.5 “1 of 1”
It cannot be overstated – rarity has its price. No card like this is graded higher and in fact, PSA has only two of these cards reported in its entire census. The card sold for $29,625.
1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets Ty Cobb – PSA VG 3 (MK)
Although similar in design to T3 Turkey Red cabinets, the M110s are infinitely more scarce. Only six of these are known to exist and only one is graded higher. The final price was $29,625.
1933 R319 Goudey PSA-Graded Complete Set (239) – #19 on the PSA Set Registry
It is considered the King of the gum issues. Obviously one collector was ready for such royalty in their collection. The set sold for $29,625.
1911 M110 Sporting Life Cabinets Christy Mathewson – PSA VG-EX 4 “1 of 1”
This is the highest-graded example of this card with only one other recorded in PSA’s census. It is an amazing card of one of baseball’s greatest gentlemen. The card sold for $22,515.
1911 T205 Gold Border Ty Cobb – SGC 84 NM 7
This card pays exceptionally fine tribute to Cobb’s amazing legend. The fragile showpiece features “pack fresh” appeal. It went for $21,330.
1869 Peck & Snyder Red Stockings B.B. Club of Cincinnati Carte de Visite
This incredible relic pictures baseball’s first professional team and includes two future Hall of Famers – the Wright brothers, Harry and George. The card went for $14,220.
More Memorabilia
In addition to sports cards and Americana, several other pieces of sports memorabilia achieved notable results in the Legendary Auctions’ spring Premier event. They include:
Lou Brock’s 2006 St. Louis Cardinals World Championship Ring
This ring was awarded to Lou Brock following the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series win over the Detroit Tigers. It was given out of respect and in recognition of Brock’s ongoing importance to the St. Louis franchise. The ring sold for $35,550.
1951-55 Roy Campanella H&B Game Used Bat – PSA DNA GU 9
Specifications of the bat point to it being used during the heart of Campanella’s Hall of Fame career. The bat went for $21,330.
Johnny Bench 1975 Cincinnati Reds Game Used Home Jersey
This is an incredible jersey from one of the greatest catchers of all-time … from the most fabled year of his career. Little wonder the jersey sold for $14,220.
Looking ahead to the rest of 2010, Allen expresses excitement about the balance of the year for Legendary Auctions. “We have a jam-packed schedule planned and have experienced a considerable up-tick in consignments,” said Allen. “Our next sale in May promises to be exciting, and we have a number of consignment deals in the works that have the potential to be ground-breaking. For both our consignors and bidders, there is much to look forward to at Legendary Auctions this year.”
For more information on upcoming Legendary Auctions events, to consign an item or to register to bid, go to www.legendaryauctions.com or call 708-889-9380.
About Legendary Auctions
Legendary Auctions, headquartered in Lansing, IL, is a premier auction house that specializes in bringing the finest Sports and Americana memorabilia to the collecting public. During the past decade, the company’s principals have managed and overseen the sale of some of the most valuable and historical collectibles in existence. Most recently, Legendary Auctions has handled the Bob Gibson Collection (which netted more than $500,000), and the Lou Brock Collection. Legendary Auctions conducts several sales annually in a combination of phone/internet and live auction events.
