Modern Sport Cards
1979 Gretzky by O-Pee-Chee and Topps
2020 SOLD for $ 1.3M including premium
O-Pee-Chee was a candy maker based in London, Ontario. The company entered the baseball and ice hockey trading cards market in 1934. In 1958 an agreement is concluded with the US company Topps for coordinated operations. Topps cards have an English back and O-Pee-Chee cards are bilingual.
Wayne Gretzky is hockey's super-champion, and his rookie cards published in 1979 by both companies are avidly sought after by collectors. The O-Pee-Chee is the rarest.
The text on the back of the card announces the future great career of the champion : he is "the best prospect to turn professional since Guy Lafleur".
Gretzky had entered the NHL before the legal age of that league for a conjunctural cause. He had played the 1978-1979 season as a professional at 17 with the WHA which was absorbed at the end of that season by the NHL. The WHA had no age limit.
The population of Wayne Gretzky's rookie cards in PSA supreme grade Gem Mint 10 is two units for the O-Pee-Chee and two for the Topps. Heritage lists one example of each in the online sale that ends on December 10.
The O-Pee-Chee gem mint had been sold for $ 94K including premium by SCP Auctions on May 1, 2011 and for $ 465K including premium by Goldin on August 4, 2016, lot 25. It was then the only O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookie card known in that grade. It is estimated $ 1M by Heritage, lot 58423. The Topps is estimated $ 400K, lot 58422.
A sealed box of 48 packs of 14 1979 O-Pee-Chee cards each is estimated $ 75K, lot 58446.
In the same sale on December 11, a PSA Mint 9 of the same O-Pee-Chee is estimated $ 50K, lot 58747 and another sealed box is estimated $ 100K, lot 58861.
RESULTS including premium
O-Pee-Chee Gem Mint SOLD for $ 1.3M
Topps Gem Mint SOLD for $ 720K
O-Pee-Chee Mint SOLD for $ 84K
sealed boxes SOLD for $ 114K and $ 250K
Wayne Gretzky is hockey's super-champion, and his rookie cards published in 1979 by both companies are avidly sought after by collectors. The O-Pee-Chee is the rarest.
The text on the back of the card announces the future great career of the champion : he is "the best prospect to turn professional since Guy Lafleur".
Gretzky had entered the NHL before the legal age of that league for a conjunctural cause. He had played the 1978-1979 season as a professional at 17 with the WHA which was absorbed at the end of that season by the NHL. The WHA had no age limit.
The population of Wayne Gretzky's rookie cards in PSA supreme grade Gem Mint 10 is two units for the O-Pee-Chee and two for the Topps. Heritage lists one example of each in the online sale that ends on December 10.
The O-Pee-Chee gem mint had been sold for $ 94K including premium by SCP Auctions on May 1, 2011 and for $ 465K including premium by Goldin on August 4, 2016, lot 25. It was then the only O-Pee-Chee Gretzky rookie card known in that grade. It is estimated $ 1M by Heritage, lot 58423. The Topps is estimated $ 400K, lot 58422.
A sealed box of 48 packs of 14 1979 O-Pee-Chee cards each is estimated $ 75K, lot 58446.
In the same sale on December 11, a PSA Mint 9 of the same O-Pee-Chee is estimated $ 50K, lot 58747 and another sealed box is estimated $ 100K, lot 58861.
RESULTS including premium
O-Pee-Chee Gem Mint SOLD for $ 1.3M
Topps Gem Mint SOLD for $ 720K
O-Pee-Chee Mint SOLD for $ 84K
sealed boxes SOLD for $ 114K and $ 250K
1986 Fleer on Basketball
2020 SOLD for $ 1.8M including premium
Despite NBA support, the basketball cards had fallen into disuse. Topps had abandoned this sport after the 1981-82 season. The series released in 1986 for the 1986-87 season by Fleer, the maker of bubble gum, is a resurrection.
Because of this hiatus, many young players had not yet had a regular trading card and their 1986 Fleer is considered by collectors as their rookie card. They include Michael Jordan who had begun his NBA career in 1984.
In 2020 Jordan's glory is at its peak, driven by the success of the television documentary series named The Last Dance. Collectors are flocking to his rookie card, although it is not uncommon including about 300 cards graded Gem Mint.
A card graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA was sold for $ 96K including premium by Heritage on May 8, 2020, breaking by far the previous record set 19 days earlier by the same auction house. Another copy of the same grade will be sold online by Heritage on July 30, lot 56540.
The 1986-87 Fleer series consists of 132 cards and 11 stickers. On July 30 in the same sale as above, a complete set fully graded 10 by PSA is estimated $ 200K, lot 56545.
For retail, Fleer offered packs of 12 random-inserted cards and one sticker, not to forget the bubble gum. For wholesale, Fleer assembled boxes of 36 packs and cases of 12 boxes. In the same next sale by Heritage, a box whose content has been reconstituted with 36 unopened packs is estimated $ 80K, lot 56605. The list of stickers is identified in the catalog.
On August 6 online, Collect Auctions sells as lot 31 a factory sealed case. The lot therefore contains 5,184 cards and 432 stickers which have not been handled after their packaging. Statistically, bidders can thus hope to find therein in as new condition 39 cards and 39 stickers of the Jordan rookie. The bidding exceeded $ 1M on the first day (July 13) and continues to increase.
RESULTS including premium
Collect Auctions (case) : SOLD for $ 1.8M
Heritage : SOLD for $ 216K (complete set), $ 90K (box), $ 75K (Jordan card)
Because of this hiatus, many young players had not yet had a regular trading card and their 1986 Fleer is considered by collectors as their rookie card. They include Michael Jordan who had begun his NBA career in 1984.
In 2020 Jordan's glory is at its peak, driven by the success of the television documentary series named The Last Dance. Collectors are flocking to his rookie card, although it is not uncommon including about 300 cards graded Gem Mint.
A card graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA was sold for $ 96K including premium by Heritage on May 8, 2020, breaking by far the previous record set 19 days earlier by the same auction house. Another copy of the same grade will be sold online by Heritage on July 30, lot 56540.
The 1986-87 Fleer series consists of 132 cards and 11 stickers. On July 30 in the same sale as above, a complete set fully graded 10 by PSA is estimated $ 200K, lot 56545.
For retail, Fleer offered packs of 12 random-inserted cards and one sticker, not to forget the bubble gum. For wholesale, Fleer assembled boxes of 36 packs and cases of 12 boxes. In the same next sale by Heritage, a box whose content has been reconstituted with 36 unopened packs is estimated $ 80K, lot 56605. The list of stickers is identified in the catalog.
On August 6 online, Collect Auctions sells as lot 31 a factory sealed case. The lot therefore contains 5,184 cards and 432 stickers which have not been handled after their packaging. Statistically, bidders can thus hope to find therein in as new condition 39 cards and 39 stickers of the Jordan rookie. The bidding exceeded $ 1M on the first day (July 13) and continues to increase.
RESULTS including premium
Collect Auctions (case) : SOLD for $ 1.8M
Heritage : SOLD for $ 216K (complete set), $ 90K (box), $ 75K (Jordan card)
1997 Metal Jordan
2020 SOLD for $ 920K including premium
Collectors of contemporary trading cards love baseball and basketball, rookie cards, Michael Jordan and the top rarities.
Regarding the illusion of luxury, the impetus was given in 1997 by the very ephemeral brand Metal Universe, publisher of the Basketball Precious Metal Gems series for the seasons 1997-98 and 1998-99 and Championship Basketball in 1997-98 . Ten years later Upper Deck attempted to re-establish the brand.
The first two Precious Metal Gems editions featured 123 players each, with a photo in action on the front and a portrait on the back. The front was printed on a sheet of metal. The edition was serialized from 1 to 10 with an image on an "emerald" green background and from 11 to 100 with a red background.
This construction generated a weakness, with wear on the edges of the metal affecting a large proportion of the cards. PSA does not grade these damaged cards, even when the image remains intact. However, this company checks the authenticity.
The population of ten Michael Jordan 1997 Precious Metal Gem Green cards attracts much desire. Two of them were graded EX-MT + 6.5 by PSA and one EX-MT 6.
Two cards rated Authentic by PSA were sold on eBay, # 1 in 2015 and # 6 in 2019. Their prices, exceptional in their time, can be forgotten following the craze of 2020 for all the artefacts relating to Jordan .
On December 10, in an online auction, Heritage sells at lot 58088 the card # 9, guaranteed Authentic (but not identified as Altered) by PSA. The estimate, $ 500K, is already exceeded.
Regarding the illusion of luxury, the impetus was given in 1997 by the very ephemeral brand Metal Universe, publisher of the Basketball Precious Metal Gems series for the seasons 1997-98 and 1998-99 and Championship Basketball in 1997-98 . Ten years later Upper Deck attempted to re-establish the brand.
The first two Precious Metal Gems editions featured 123 players each, with a photo in action on the front and a portrait on the back. The front was printed on a sheet of metal. The edition was serialized from 1 to 10 with an image on an "emerald" green background and from 11 to 100 with a red background.
This construction generated a weakness, with wear on the edges of the metal affecting a large proportion of the cards. PSA does not grade these damaged cards, even when the image remains intact. However, this company checks the authenticity.
The population of ten Michael Jordan 1997 Precious Metal Gem Green cards attracts much desire. Two of them were graded EX-MT + 6.5 by PSA and one EX-MT 6.
Two cards rated Authentic by PSA were sold on eBay, # 1 in 2015 and # 6 in 2019. Their prices, exceptional in their time, can be forgotten following the craze of 2020 for all the artefacts relating to Jordan .
On December 10, in an online auction, Heritage sells at lot 58088 the card # 9, guaranteed Authentic (but not identified as Altered) by PSA. The estimate, $ 500K, is already exceeded.
1998 Michael Jordan by Upper Deck
2021 SOLD for $ 1.44M including premium by Heritage
narrated post sale
Established in 1988, Upper Deck modernized the sports cards. In 1990, the player's autograph signature is added to some prestige series, in necessarily limited quantities. The very first trading card autographed by Michael Jordan is a 1996 Upper Deck in the SPx series.
In 1997 the new dynamic of special effects appeals their competitors including Fleer and the ephemeral Metal Universe. Upper Deck creates another novelty : the jersey fragment inlaid on the card.
Michael Jordan uses his jersey in the Game Jersey edition of Upper Deck for the 1997-98 season, with a 1998 double copyright to the publisher and to the NBA. This card is serialized out of a high figure of 23 which corresponds to the player's number but does not mean that this quantity has been entirely produced. Jersey and photos relate to a prestigious game, the 1992 NBA All-Star Game in which Jordan scored 18 points in 31 minutes of play.
The card 8/23 was sold for $ 1.44M including premium by Heritage on February 5, 2021 from an estimate of $ 400K, lot 50196. Its condition is rated NM7 by PSA. Progress remained to be made : the designer had not planned a dedicated place for the signature, which is weak and narrow.
In the same Upper Deck Game Jersey series, the card Michael Jordan 13/23 published for the 1998-99 season, rated Mint 9 by BGS, was sold for $ 310K including premium by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 8. Its jersey had been worn during the 1992-93 season.
In 1997 the new dynamic of special effects appeals their competitors including Fleer and the ephemeral Metal Universe. Upper Deck creates another novelty : the jersey fragment inlaid on the card.
Michael Jordan uses his jersey in the Game Jersey edition of Upper Deck for the 1997-98 season, with a 1998 double copyright to the publisher and to the NBA. This card is serialized out of a high figure of 23 which corresponds to the player's number but does not mean that this quantity has been entirely produced. Jersey and photos relate to a prestigious game, the 1992 NBA All-Star Game in which Jordan scored 18 points in 31 minutes of play.
The card 8/23 was sold for $ 1.44M including premium by Heritage on February 5, 2021 from an estimate of $ 400K, lot 50196. Its condition is rated NM7 by PSA. Progress remained to be made : the designer had not planned a dedicated place for the signature, which is weak and narrow.
In the same Upper Deck Game Jersey series, the card Michael Jordan 13/23 published for the 1998-99 season, rated Mint 9 by BGS, was sold for $ 310K including premium by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 8. Its jersey had been worn during the 1992-93 season.
2003 Investment in Basketball
2020 SOLD for $ 1.85M including premium
Sports card collectors have not stopped loving the old glories. The most sought-after items are rarities in their own series, like the T206 Wagner or the 1952 Topps of Mickey Mantle. The cards kept in the best condition have been attracting investors for a few years.
Modern editors like Upper Deck and Topps add goodies that allow them to offer limited editions with a separate serialization. They may include the integration in the card of an element from another category of collectibles, such as the autograph signature of the player or a piece of his jersey. There can also be only a tiny difference in the design of the card.
The new collector-investor will want to constitute for a model of his choice a complete set of all the variants, and in the best possible condition.
Basketball has joined baseball as America's favorite sport. In 2003 Upper Deck launched its Exquisite Collection trademark without forgetting an Exquisite Rookie Patch identification for the rookies. The front side includes a photo of the player, his signature, the piece of his jersey and the serial number in the specific variant. The back includes another photo, Upper Deck's guarantee of authenticity of signature and jersey, and the NBA logo.
2003-2004 is also the rookie season of LeBron James. His Exquisite Rookie Patch is the high end of all basketball cards, especially since Upper Deck had overtaken Topps and Fleer by obtaining the exclusivity of his autograph on a card for that season.
The basic version of LeBron James' Exquisite Rookie Patch was edited in 99 copies. The card 05/99, graded Mint 9 by BGS, was sold for $ 264K including premium by Heritage on February 22, 2020.
A very similar variant identified as Rookie Patch Parallel is rarer with only 23 copies. The card 16/23, graded NM/MT+ 8.5 by BGS, was sold for $ 264K including premium by Goldin in October 2019.
The card 14/23, graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS, is the highest graded in the group. It is listed as lot 12 in the online sale by Goldin which will end on July 18. 23 days before closing, the highest bid is at $ 750K.
With another photo of the player and no piece of jersey, the unique card 1/1 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection of James in his rookie year, graded Mint 9 by PSA, was sold for $ 312K by Goldin in 2016.
Modern editors like Upper Deck and Topps add goodies that allow them to offer limited editions with a separate serialization. They may include the integration in the card of an element from another category of collectibles, such as the autograph signature of the player or a piece of his jersey. There can also be only a tiny difference in the design of the card.
The new collector-investor will want to constitute for a model of his choice a complete set of all the variants, and in the best possible condition.
Basketball has joined baseball as America's favorite sport. In 2003 Upper Deck launched its Exquisite Collection trademark without forgetting an Exquisite Rookie Patch identification for the rookies. The front side includes a photo of the player, his signature, the piece of his jersey and the serial number in the specific variant. The back includes another photo, Upper Deck's guarantee of authenticity of signature and jersey, and the NBA logo.
2003-2004 is also the rookie season of LeBron James. His Exquisite Rookie Patch is the high end of all basketball cards, especially since Upper Deck had overtaken Topps and Fleer by obtaining the exclusivity of his autograph on a card for that season.
The basic version of LeBron James' Exquisite Rookie Patch was edited in 99 copies. The card 05/99, graded Mint 9 by BGS, was sold for $ 264K including premium by Heritage on February 22, 2020.
A very similar variant identified as Rookie Patch Parallel is rarer with only 23 copies. The card 16/23, graded NM/MT+ 8.5 by BGS, was sold for $ 264K including premium by Goldin in October 2019.
The card 14/23, graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS, is the highest graded in the group. It is listed as lot 12 in the online sale by Goldin which will end on July 18. 23 days before closing, the highest bid is at $ 750K.
With another photo of the player and no piece of jersey, the unique card 1/1 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection of James in his rookie year, graded Mint 9 by PSA, was sold for $ 312K by Goldin in 2016.
2003 RPA or RPP
2020 SOLD for $ 1.1M including premium
The interest of bidders in contemporary trading cards is altogether new, intense and lasting. The characteristics of this new market are not yet stabilized.
The two highest priced cards are LeBron James' Upper Deck Exquisite Collection 2003-04 and Mike Trout's 2009 Topps Refractor. They have some common features. They relate to players in their rookie year. Both champions are active. The cards are from prestige editions with variants, the production run of the variant is identified and each card is serialized. They have one notable difference : they do not concern the same sport.
The Upper Deck Exquisite is composite, with the player's photo, his autograph signature and a small piece of his jersey. The two variants RPA (Rookie Patch Autograph) and RPP (Rookie Patch Parallel) are differentiated by the position of the piece of fabric. The RPA is edited in 99 copies and the RPP in 23 copies.
In comparable condition, collectors and investors will prefer the more limited series. The LeBron James RPP 14/23 rookie card which was sold for $ 1.85M including premium on July 18, 2020 by Goldin is rated Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS. The rating breakdown is provided by BGS : Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 9.5.
Goldin's online sale to close on August 22 includes two examples of the same card.
The RPP 16/23 is graded NM/MT 8.5+ by BGS because of edges graded at 8, compensated by an excellent centering at 9.5. It was sold for $ 264K including premium by Goldin in October 2019, lot 241. Listed as lot 20 in the next sale, it has already far exceeded its price from last year.
Less than two weeks before the closing of the sale, the bidders prefer the RPA 02/99, listed as lot 3. It is graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS with details as follows : Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 10.
All of the above examples have perfect autograph signatures, graded 10 by BGS.
RESULTS including premium
Lot 3 : SOLD for $ 1.1M
Lot 20 : SOLD for $ 550K
The two highest priced cards are LeBron James' Upper Deck Exquisite Collection 2003-04 and Mike Trout's 2009 Topps Refractor. They have some common features. They relate to players in their rookie year. Both champions are active. The cards are from prestige editions with variants, the production run of the variant is identified and each card is serialized. They have one notable difference : they do not concern the same sport.
The Upper Deck Exquisite is composite, with the player's photo, his autograph signature and a small piece of his jersey. The two variants RPA (Rookie Patch Autograph) and RPP (Rookie Patch Parallel) are differentiated by the position of the piece of fabric. The RPA is edited in 99 copies and the RPP in 23 copies.
In comparable condition, collectors and investors will prefer the more limited series. The LeBron James RPP 14/23 rookie card which was sold for $ 1.85M including premium on July 18, 2020 by Goldin is rated Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS. The rating breakdown is provided by BGS : Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 9.5.
Goldin's online sale to close on August 22 includes two examples of the same card.
The RPP 16/23 is graded NM/MT 8.5+ by BGS because of edges graded at 8, compensated by an excellent centering at 9.5. It was sold for $ 264K including premium by Goldin in October 2019, lot 241. Listed as lot 20 in the next sale, it has already far exceeded its price from last year.
Less than two weeks before the closing of the sale, the bidders prefer the RPA 02/99, listed as lot 3. It is graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS with details as follows : Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 10.
All of the above examples have perfect autograph signatures, graded 10 by BGS.
RESULTS including premium
Lot 3 : SOLD for $ 1.1M
Lot 20 : SOLD for $ 550K
2009 The Lottery of Baseball
2020 SOLD for $ 3.94M including premium
The era of dull cards ended for Topps in 1993 when this publisher added a reflective layer to the front side of its trading cards. A specific card is now edited in several variants. Small series are serialized. The colored framing around the image provides the visual information of the production run of its variant. Bowman and Refractor are trademarks of Topps.
The cards were randomly distributed by the publisher in the original packaging. Their discovery is a game akin to the lottery. In events announced in advance by specialist companies, a client opens an old box that is still sealed. When one of them gets his hands on a holy grail, the video of the event is a good marketing incentive for the operator.
The most popular cards are those of the rookies. The most promising have the whole range of variants, including the Red Refractor in five copies. At the top of this hierarchy is the 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect of Mike Trout, who will be the best baseball player of his generation.
On May 22, 2020, Goldin sold for $ 920K including premium the 2009 Red Refractor 5/5 of Mike Trout, graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS with an autograph signature graded 10 by Beckett.
Can do better !
The Red Refractor, despite its limited edition, is not the top of the range. Here is the Superfractor. The player's photo is layered with a reflective pattern that provides a glitter. Several Superfractor variants of the same card can coexist but each piece is unique in its variant, and serialized 1/1.
In an online sale closing on August 22, Goldin sells as lot 1 a Superfractor 1/1 of the rookie card of Mike Trout. It is graded Mint 9 by BGS with an autograph signature graded 10 by Beckett. The starting bid was $ 1M.
The cards were randomly distributed by the publisher in the original packaging. Their discovery is a game akin to the lottery. In events announced in advance by specialist companies, a client opens an old box that is still sealed. When one of them gets his hands on a holy grail, the video of the event is a good marketing incentive for the operator.
The most popular cards are those of the rookies. The most promising have the whole range of variants, including the Red Refractor in five copies. At the top of this hierarchy is the 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospect of Mike Trout, who will be the best baseball player of his generation.
On May 22, 2020, Goldin sold for $ 920K including premium the 2009 Red Refractor 5/5 of Mike Trout, graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS with an autograph signature graded 10 by Beckett.
Can do better !
The Red Refractor, despite its limited edition, is not the top of the range. Here is the Superfractor. The player's photo is layered with a reflective pattern that provides a glitter. Several Superfractor variants of the same card can coexist but each piece is unique in its variant, and serialized 1/1.
In an online sale closing on August 22, Goldin sells as lot 1 a Superfractor 1/1 of the rookie card of Mike Trout. It is graded Mint 9 by BGS with an autograph signature graded 10 by Beckett. The starting bid was $ 1M.
2009 Panini Card of Stephen Curry
2021 SOLD for $ 980K including premium by Goldin
Link to catalogue.
Another lot sold in the same sale for $ 450K including premium. catalogue.
Another lot sold in the same sale for $ 346K including premium. catalogue.
Another lot sold in the same sale for $ 450K including premium. catalogue.
Another lot sold in the same sale for $ 346K including premium. catalogue.
2009 Red Refractor for Mike Trout
2020 SOLD for $ 920K including premium
The memory of sport is no longer just an artifact of the past. The US publishers of trading cards make their items visually more appealing. Very small productions include the player's autograph signature, and sometimes a small piece of the jersey, a lock of hair and a short video. The most popular sports today are baseball and basketball.
The enthusiasm of collectors for this range of products is very recent. As with the old cards, the rookie seasons of the top players in their major leagues are especially sought after. A LeBron James rookie patch edited by the Upper Deck Company for the 2003-2004 NBA season was sold for $ 264K including premium by Goldin in October 2019.
In 1993 Topps introduced the Refractor, which is a protected designation of the brand. The player's photo is framed by a colored chrome strip. The rainbow is reached by a collector when he has the whole set of colors of the same card. Only five units of a specific model have a Red Refractor. They are serialized from 1/5 to 5/5.
They don't even wait for a promising champion to start his professional career. In 2009 the baseball player Mike Trout, 18, had just been selected as a Drafted prospect by the Los Angeles Angels. His card has been published by Topps in the Bowman Chrome series.
The Trout rookie Red Refractor card 5/5 is in near perfect condition, graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS (Beckett Grading) and 10 for the autograph signature, also by Beckett. It is for sale by Goldin as lot 218 in an online sale which should have been closed on May 17 but has been paused for an Internet server problem.
Mike Trout stayed with the Angels. In 2019, he signed for twelve years the most expensive contract in the history of US sport, $ 426M.
The enthusiasm of collectors for this range of products is very recent. As with the old cards, the rookie seasons of the top players in their major leagues are especially sought after. A LeBron James rookie patch edited by the Upper Deck Company for the 2003-2004 NBA season was sold for $ 264K including premium by Goldin in October 2019.
In 1993 Topps introduced the Refractor, which is a protected designation of the brand. The player's photo is framed by a colored chrome strip. The rainbow is reached by a collector when he has the whole set of colors of the same card. Only five units of a specific model have a Red Refractor. They are serialized from 1/5 to 5/5.
They don't even wait for a promising champion to start his professional career. In 2009 the baseball player Mike Trout, 18, had just been selected as a Drafted prospect by the Los Angeles Angels. His card has been published by Topps in the Bowman Chrome series.
The Trout rookie Red Refractor card 5/5 is in near perfect condition, graded Gem Mint 9.5 by BGS (Beckett Grading) and 10 for the autograph signature, also by Beckett. It is for sale by Goldin as lot 218 in an online sale which should have been closed on May 17 but has been paused for an Internet server problem.
Mike Trout stayed with the Angels. In 2019, he signed for twelve years the most expensive contract in the history of US sport, $ 426M.
2014 The Greek Giant
2020 SOLD for $ 1.85M including premium
Basketball provides exemplary cases that make young people dream of an irresistible social rise.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most complete players of all time, both in offense and defense. He is helped by his height, 2.11m, and his exceptional span, 2.36m, but this giant nicknamed the Greek Freak is also very athletic and very agile.
He was born stateless to Nigerian parents, in the suburbs of Athens. His official name is a poor transcription when he acquired Greek nationality at his coming of age. His original name is Adetokunbo. He had started his life as an irregular street vendor.
The rules of the drafts of the NBA accept foreigners. Although coming from a lower division Greek club, he was placed 15th in the 1st round in 2013, hired by the Milwaukee Bucks. He made his Bucks debut on October 13, 2013, becoming at under 19 one of the youngest players in NBA history.
The Bucks managed to keep him, with substantial pay increases. His progress is spectacular and puts his team at the top level. On March 17, 2019 he scored 52 points in a single game. On December 16 he had 18 successful goals out of 31 attempted.
Panini has since 2009 the exclusive license of the NBA for the trading cars and stickers. In an online sale that ends on September 20, Goldin sells as lot 1 the National Treasures Horizontal RPA rookie card of Giannis Antetokounmpo edited by Panini for the 2013-14 season. This horizontal card numbered One of One shows on the left a photo of the player, on the right his autograph signature and in the middle the NBA logoman cut out from one of his jerseys. It was graded Mint 9 by BGS. The copyright is dated 2014.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most complete players of all time, both in offense and defense. He is helped by his height, 2.11m, and his exceptional span, 2.36m, but this giant nicknamed the Greek Freak is also very athletic and very agile.
He was born stateless to Nigerian parents, in the suburbs of Athens. His official name is a poor transcription when he acquired Greek nationality at his coming of age. His original name is Adetokunbo. He had started his life as an irregular street vendor.
The rules of the drafts of the NBA accept foreigners. Although coming from a lower division Greek club, he was placed 15th in the 1st round in 2013, hired by the Milwaukee Bucks. He made his Bucks debut on October 13, 2013, becoming at under 19 one of the youngest players in NBA history.
The Bucks managed to keep him, with substantial pay increases. His progress is spectacular and puts his team at the top level. On March 17, 2019 he scored 52 points in a single game. On December 16 he had 18 successful goals out of 31 attempted.
Panini has since 2009 the exclusive license of the NBA for the trading cars and stickers. In an online sale that ends on September 20, Goldin sells as lot 1 the National Treasures Horizontal RPA rookie card of Giannis Antetokounmpo edited by Panini for the 2013-14 season. This horizontal card numbered One of One shows on the left a photo of the player, on the right his autograph signature and in the middle the NBA logoman cut out from one of his jerseys. It was graded Mint 9 by BGS. The copyright is dated 2014.
2013 Giannis Antetokounmpo Panini Rookie Card
2020 SOLD for $ 1.17M including premium by Goldin
Link to catalogue.
2013 Panini One Of One of Anthony Davis
2021 SOLD for $ 1.02M including premium by Goldin
narrated post sale
Anthony Davis is the revelation of 2012. He is named best college player and returns from the London Olympics with a gold medal. Ranked first in the NBA Draft, he is chosen by the New Orleans Hornets. He is 19 years old and his growth is not over. His wingspan is exceptional : 2.27 m. His record was enriched in 2020 with his victory in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers.
A One Of One copy of his Panini National Treasures rookie card graded Mint 9 by BGS was sold for $ 1.02M including premium by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 3.
The editor, assured of the bright future of the young man, has taken remarkable care in the composition of this unique card. The jersey patch is the NBA Logoman, complete and perfectly straight. The player added his number 23 under his signature.
The back side records his performances in the 2012-13 season with the Hornets and the copyright is dated 2013.
A One Of One copy of his Panini National Treasures rookie card graded Mint 9 by BGS was sold for $ 1.02M including premium by Goldin on January 30, 2021, lot 3.
The editor, assured of the bright future of the young man, has taken remarkable care in the composition of this unique card. The jersey patch is the NBA Logoman, complete and perfectly straight. The player added his number 23 under his signature.
The back side records his performances in the 2012-13 season with the Hornets and the copyright is dated 2013.
