Sport Equipment
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
not including Baseball bat and Sport uniform.
See also : Sport Sport II Baseball Basketball Jordan
Chronology : 1998
not including Baseball bat and Sport uniform.
See also : Sport Sport II Baseball Basketball Jordan
Chronology : 1998
1927 Ruth Glove
2022 SOLD for $ 1.53M by Hunt
A top grade bespoke Spalding Professional leather glove of Babe Ruth from the period 1927-1933 was sold for $ 1.53M by Hunt on November 12, 2022, lot 143. Its Babe Ruth signature is a stamped facsimile.
PSA/DNA considered a possible photo matching on Ruth's hand in 1934 with a stain on the back of his right index finger which may be from tobacco juice. A ca 1927 photo features Ruth with a similar glove.
It has an impeccable provenance from the champion who gave it in worn out condition to Jim Austin, a former MLB player of the St. Louis Browns. It had been treasured by Austin's niece.
PSA/DNA considered a possible photo matching on Ruth's hand in 1934 with a stain on the back of his right index finger which may be from tobacco juice. A ca 1927 photo features Ruth with a similar glove.
It has an impeccable provenance from the champion who gave it in worn out condition to Jim Austin, a former MLB player of the St. Louis Browns. It had been treasured by Austin's niece.
Ruth Glove Given to Jimmy Austin Now Has Possible Photo Match: https://t.co/SCu0r77lQI pic.twitter.com/zXDlFAuEA3
— Sports Collectors Daily (@SportsCollector) November 3, 2022
JORDAN Nike sneakers
1
1984 Air Ship
2021 SOLD for $ 1.47M by Sotheby's
Michael Jordan begins his NBA career in 1984 with the Chicago Bulls. From the first weeks, he is considered as one of the greatest basketball players of all time by his success in the basket and his aerial jumps.
Jordan was first equipped in the pre-season with the newly released Nike Air Ship sneakers.
Jordan's success leads to an offer from Nike to design custom sneakers for him. The champion is assisted by the sports agent David Falk, a specialist in trade promotions for NBA players.
From September, Jordan is also equipped with a pair of commercial Nike Air Ship sneakers in the colors of the Bulls, black and red. The NBA bans this non-compliant color scheme on October 18 just before the opening of the season.
An NBA compliant Air Ship pair in white and red was sold for $ 1.47M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2021, lot 23. They are the earliest known NBA game used sneakers of Michael Jordan who presented them to a ball boy of the Denver Nuggets after a game on November 1. They are in size 13 while the matching Jordan measurement should be 13.5 for the right foot.
The custom design includes the lowering of the shoes for bringing the foot closer to the court. Falk coins the trademark Air Jordan for this new line of products, so highlighting that His Airness is jumping from the air in his soles. The Air Jordan 1 model is released on November 17. Nike announces : "The NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately the NBA can't stop you from wearing them".
That release is made in the full colors of Michael Jordan's team, the Chicago Bulls, red, white and black. The NBA had indeed given way in the issue about the colors of his sneakers. The fashion for colorful sneakers was launched in basketball.
A game worn Air Jordan 1 pair marked 850102 TYPS was sold for $ 615K by Heritage on August 21, 2021, lot 80103. TY is the code for the factory in South Korea, PS stands for Player Sample and the six digits are a date code identifying the period January-February 1985. The difference between the PS and the retail version is a lower collar height, at Jordan's request for his comfort.
On May 17, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 560K a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample (PS) shoes in the colors of the Bulls manufactured from February to April 1985 (date code 0204 TYPS), lot 1.
MJ wore that pair in all games until October 1985 when his career was temporarily interrupted by a broken foot.
Michael Jordan severely broke his left foot in the third game of his second NBA season, on October 29, 1985. A pair of sneakers with date code 850102 announced by MEARS as likely the last original Air Jordan 1 game used by the champion was sold for $ 420K by Lelands on January 29, 2022, lot 8.
Jordan missed 64 games in that season. His foot was still painful when he made his NBA come back against the Bucks in Milwaukee on April 1, 1986, and he needed an extra protection.
He used a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample sneakers slightly taller than the original model, which were fitted with softer and wider Nike Dunk soles. The right shoe had a production defect : an eyelet was missing on both sides of the tongue, enabling the photo matching of the lacing anomaly along with a white abrasion on the same shoe.
This size thirteen Air Jordan 1 pair of size, date and manufacturing codes 13860304STPS was sold for $ 675K by Heritage on February 26, 2022, lot 80099. The right shoe is autographed by Jordan. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Nike's Air Jordan is a great success story. With a renewal of its models each year, Nike has in its 2024 catalog the Air Jordan XXXVI. The Nike Jordan cumulative sales have reached 100 million pairs. Michael Jordan is more generally one of the best marketed players in the history of sports, behind Tiger Woods.
Jordan was first equipped in the pre-season with the newly released Nike Air Ship sneakers.
Jordan's success leads to an offer from Nike to design custom sneakers for him. The champion is assisted by the sports agent David Falk, a specialist in trade promotions for NBA players.
From September, Jordan is also equipped with a pair of commercial Nike Air Ship sneakers in the colors of the Bulls, black and red. The NBA bans this non-compliant color scheme on October 18 just before the opening of the season.
An NBA compliant Air Ship pair in white and red was sold for $ 1.47M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2021, lot 23. They are the earliest known NBA game used sneakers of Michael Jordan who presented them to a ball boy of the Denver Nuggets after a game on November 1. They are in size 13 while the matching Jordan measurement should be 13.5 for the right foot.
The custom design includes the lowering of the shoes for bringing the foot closer to the court. Falk coins the trademark Air Jordan for this new line of products, so highlighting that His Airness is jumping from the air in his soles. The Air Jordan 1 model is released on November 17. Nike announces : "The NBA threw them out of the game. Fortunately the NBA can't stop you from wearing them".
That release is made in the full colors of Michael Jordan's team, the Chicago Bulls, red, white and black. The NBA had indeed given way in the issue about the colors of his sneakers. The fashion for colorful sneakers was launched in basketball.
A game worn Air Jordan 1 pair marked 850102 TYPS was sold for $ 615K by Heritage on August 21, 2021, lot 80103. TY is the code for the factory in South Korea, PS stands for Player Sample and the six digits are a date code identifying the period January-February 1985. The difference between the PS and the retail version is a lower collar height, at Jordan's request for his comfort.
On May 17, 2020, Sotheby's sold for $ 560K a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample (PS) shoes in the colors of the Bulls manufactured from February to April 1985 (date code 0204 TYPS), lot 1.
MJ wore that pair in all games until October 1985 when his career was temporarily interrupted by a broken foot.
Michael Jordan severely broke his left foot in the third game of his second NBA season, on October 29, 1985. A pair of sneakers with date code 850102 announced by MEARS as likely the last original Air Jordan 1 game used by the champion was sold for $ 420K by Lelands on January 29, 2022, lot 8.
Jordan missed 64 games in that season. His foot was still painful when he made his NBA come back against the Bucks in Milwaukee on April 1, 1986, and he needed an extra protection.
He used a pair of Nike Air Jordan 1 Player Sample sneakers slightly taller than the original model, which were fitted with softer and wider Nike Dunk soles. The right shoe had a production defect : an eyelet was missing on both sides of the tongue, enabling the photo matching of the lacing anomaly along with a white abrasion on the same shoe.
This size thirteen Air Jordan 1 pair of size, date and manufacturing codes 13860304STPS was sold for $ 675K by Heritage on February 26, 2022, lot 80099. The right shoe is autographed by Jordan. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Nike's Air Jordan is a great success story. With a renewal of its models each year, Nike has in its 2024 catalog the Air Jordan XXXVI. The Nike Jordan cumulative sales have reached 100 million pairs. Michael Jordan is more generally one of the best marketed players in the history of sports, behind Tiger Woods.
2
1998 NBA Finals Game 2 Sneakers
2023 SOLD for $ 2.24M by Sotheby's
The 1998 Finals were a key event in NBA history, opposing the Utah Jazz and the Chicago Bulls. Michael Jordan, who had hitherto made his whole NBA career with the Bulls, won the Most Valuable Player award of the Finals and his sixth NBA championship.
Game 1 of the 1998 Finals was lost by the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The road jersey worn by Michael Jordan in that Game was sold for $ 10M by Sotheby's on September 15, 2022, lot 1.
Two days later in the same venue, Game 2 was a must win for the Bulls. Utah was so hostile to their visitors that Jordan's kids did not attend. It was won by the Chicago Bulls 93-88, with Jordan scoring 37. The series was thus tied 1-1 at that time.
The current model of the Nike Air Jordan sneakers was the number XIII, featuring a holographic eye and an outsole resembling a panther paw in a reference to the agility of a cat.
The size 13 black and red pair worn by Jordan in the second half of Game 2 was silver signed on both toes by him in the locker room and gifted to the ball boy as a reward for having retrieved a jacket. They are the only pair worn by Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals that have been photo-matched by MeiGray Group.
It was sold for $ 2.24M by Sotheby's on April 11, 2023, lot 1.
Game 1 of the 1998 Finals was lost by the Chicago Bulls against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. The road jersey worn by Michael Jordan in that Game was sold for $ 10M by Sotheby's on September 15, 2022, lot 1.
Two days later in the same venue, Game 2 was a must win for the Bulls. Utah was so hostile to their visitors that Jordan's kids did not attend. It was won by the Chicago Bulls 93-88, with Jordan scoring 37. The series was thus tied 1-1 at that time.
The current model of the Nike Air Jordan sneakers was the number XIII, featuring a holographic eye and an outsole resembling a panther paw in a reference to the agility of a cat.
The size 13 black and red pair worn by Jordan in the second half of Game 2 was silver signed on both toes by him in the locker room and gifted to the ball boy as a reward for having retrieved a jacket. They are the only pair worn by Jordan in the 1998 NBA Finals that have been photo-matched by MeiGray Group.
It was sold for $ 2.24M by Sotheby's on April 11, 2023, lot 1.
3
1991-1998 NBA Finals Sneakers
2024 SOLD for $ 8M by Sotheby's
The Chicago Bulls entered and won their first NBA finals in 1991 with Michael Jordan elected Most Valuable Player of the event. Prior to the match a Public relations executive of the club had asked the champion for an individual game worn sneaker should the Bulls be victorious. So did Jordan.
The same wins happened again in 1992. An amused Jordan considered that his gift should become a tradition and presented a game worn shoe from that final to the same club officer. A photo was made of the smiling champion with one shoe missing.
The story was repeated in 1993. After a two year gap the Bulls had three further finals wins, in 1996, 1997 and 1998, with Jordan each time elected the MVP. New presentations of shoes were made.
The full set of six sneakers is made of Nike Air Jordan VI, VII, VIII, XI, XII and XIV, one of each. It was sold for $ 8M by Sotheby's on February 2, 2024, lot 4. It is accompanied by the 1/1 of the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 photos.
The same wins happened again in 1992. An amused Jordan considered that his gift should become a tradition and presented a game worn shoe from that final to the same club officer. A photo was made of the smiling champion with one shoe missing.
The story was repeated in 1993. After a two year gap the Bulls had three further finals wins, in 1996, 1997 and 1998, with Jordan each time elected the MVP. New presentations of shoes were made.
The full set of six sneakers is made of Nike Air Jordan VI, VII, VIII, XI, XII and XIV, one of each. It was sold for $ 8M by Sotheby's on February 2, 2024, lot 4. It is accompanied by the 1/1 of the 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998 photos.
1998 Mark McGwire's 70th home run ball
1999 SOLD for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's
The home run is the feat around which the rules of baseball were established. In the modern history of that sport, the two most important records have been broken.
The highest number of homers in a single season was 61 by Roger Maris in 1961. Mark McGwire broke this record at 70 homers in 1998 and Barry Bonds at 71 homers in 2001.
The 70th homer ball of 'Big Mac' was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999. It was reported post sale by CBS News.
The largest number of homers scored in the major leagues during a career had been 755 by Hank Aaron in 1976. Barry Bonds equaled and then exceeded this record in August 2007. On September 5, 2007, Bonds scores his 762nd and last major league homer. He is suspected of doping and cannot get a contract for the next year.
These two players were not elected at the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2010 McGwire confirmed that he had used doping substances for most of his career. Bonds always denied a similar practice.
The highest number of homers in a single season was 61 by Roger Maris in 1961. Mark McGwire broke this record at 70 homers in 1998 and Barry Bonds at 71 homers in 2001.
The 70th homer ball of 'Big Mac' was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999. It was reported post sale by CBS News.
The largest number of homers scored in the major leagues during a career had been 755 by Hank Aaron in 1976. Barry Bonds equaled and then exceeded this record in August 2007. On September 5, 2007, Bonds scores his 762nd and last major league homer. He is suspected of doping and cannot get a contract for the next year.
These two players were not elected at the Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2010 McGwire confirmed that he had used doping substances for most of his career. Bonds always denied a similar practice.
2000-2001 Tiger Woods Clubs
2022 SOLD for $ 5.2M by Golden Age
Tiger Woods won in 2000 the US Open, the British Open and the PGA championship. When he added his victory in the 2001 Masters, he became the first modern golf champion to be the current holder of the four major championships. This feat is referred as the Tiger Slam.
He had used the same set of clubs for these four victories. A set of eight of these Titleist irons of reference 681-T plus one pitching wedge and two sand wedges was sold for $ 5.2M by Golden Age on April 9, 2022, lot 1. They were illustrated post sale by Golf Planète. The irons are numbered from 2 to 9.
The provenance is impeccable. When Titleist presented a new set of equipment to the champion in 2001 after the Masters, the Tiger Slam equipment went to be owned by a vice-president of that brand who sold it at auction in 2010 to the 2022 consignor. Many photo-matches from the 2000-2001 season are announced, and the set fully matches a description in a period magazine including a slightly modified angle in a wedge.
The 1930 Grand Slam of Bobby Jones had been made of the Amateur Championship in Scotland, the British Open, the US Open and the US Amateur, all being won in the same calendar year.
He had used the same set of clubs for these four victories. A set of eight of these Titleist irons of reference 681-T plus one pitching wedge and two sand wedges was sold for $ 5.2M by Golden Age on April 9, 2022, lot 1. They were illustrated post sale by Golf Planète. The irons are numbered from 2 to 9.
The provenance is impeccable. When Titleist presented a new set of equipment to the champion in 2001 after the Masters, the Tiger Slam equipment went to be owned by a vice-president of that brand who sold it at auction in 2010 to the 2022 consignor. Many photo-matches from the 2000-2001 season are announced, and the set fully matches a description in a period magazine including a slightly modified angle in a wedge.
The 1930 Grand Slam of Bobby Jones had been made of the Amateur Championship in Scotland, the British Open, the US Open and the US Amateur, all being won in the same calendar year.
2004 Kobe Bryant Locker
2024 SOLD for $ 2.9M by Sotheby's
Opened in 1999 and renamed crypto.com arena in 2021, the Staples Center is the home of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant made his whole career with that club, from 1996 to 2016.
The champion used for his home games in the second part of his career a locker identified by a nameplate in white lettering on purple. The piece of furniture in wood and metal 2.50 m high has been photo-matched by MeiGray with eleven images from 2004 to 2016, including a showering of champagne on him after his final game. The nameplate has been authenticated by Sports Investors Authentication.
It was sold for $ 2.9M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on August 2, 2024, lot 1. A portion of the proceeds was to benefit the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.
The champion used for his home games in the second part of his career a locker identified by a nameplate in white lettering on purple. The piece of furniture in wood and metal 2.50 m high has been photo-matched by MeiGray with eleven images from 2004 to 2016, including a showering of champagne on him after his final game. The nameplate has been authenticated by Sports Investors Authentication.
It was sold for $ 2.9M from a lower estimate of $ 1M by Sotheby's on August 2, 2024, lot 1. A portion of the proceeds was to benefit the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation.
2022 Aaron Judge Baseball
2022 SOLD for $ 1.5M by Goldin
Roger Maris broke in 1961 the MLB record of the number of home runs in a single season, with 61 homers. He was playing in the American League with the New York Yankees beside the star player Mickey Mantle.
His feat had been overcome six times by players of the other league of the MLB, the National League, with the highest total of 73 by Barry Bonds in 2001. The ball of the 70th homer scored in 1997 by Mark McGwire in 1997 was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999.
Maris's American League record was overcome on October 4, 2022 in Arlington TX by another player of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, with a 62nd homer in his last MLB game of the 2022 season.
Unlike bats or jerseys which are owned by players or teams, a ball is the immediate property of whoever catches it.
A fan managed to catch the AL record setting ball, which is authenticated by markings made in black marker by the MLB before the event. He consigned it to Goldin for sale on December 18, 2022, lot 1. It was sold for $ 1.5M.
His feat had been overcome six times by players of the other league of the MLB, the National League, with the highest total of 73 by Barry Bonds in 2001. The ball of the 70th homer scored in 1997 by Mark McGwire in 1997 was sold for $ 3.05M by Guernsey's on January 12, 1999.
Maris's American League record was overcome on October 4, 2022 in Arlington TX by another player of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, with a 62nd homer in his last MLB game of the 2022 season.
Unlike bats or jerseys which are owned by players or teams, a ball is the immediate property of whoever catches it.
A fan managed to catch the AL record setting ball, which is authenticated by markings made in black marker by the MLB before the event. He consigned it to Goldin for sale on December 18, 2022, lot 1. It was sold for $ 1.5M.
2024 Shohei Ohtani Baseball
2024 SOLD for $ 4.4M by Goldin
Shohei Ohtani made his professional debut in the Japanese baseball league in 2013, aged 19. He joined the MLB in 2018 with the Los Angeles Angels and was transferred in 2024 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He plays with Team Japan in international tournaments.
In 2021 he scored 46 home runs and 26 stolen bases in a single season.
On September 19, 2024 in the seventh inning of the Dodgers against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani crushed all previous records with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. That feat of power and speed was acclaimed by baseball fans as the founding of a symbolic 50/50 Club. The 40/40 club is listing 6 batters.
The baseball of his 50th 2024 homer reached a dining area beyond the field. Its lucky finder was escorted by ballpark security immediately and had it authenticated and signed by the official MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. The place were hit is visible on the ball. It was sold for $ 4.4M by Goldin on October 23, 2024, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Ohtani finished the 2024 season by playing in 159 games, with a .310 batting average, 54 home runs, 130 RBI and 59 stolen bases.
In 2021 he scored 46 home runs and 26 stolen bases in a single season.
On September 19, 2024 in the seventh inning of the Dodgers against the Miami Marlins, Ohtani crushed all previous records with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. That feat of power and speed was acclaimed by baseball fans as the founding of a symbolic 50/50 Club. The 40/40 club is listing 6 batters.
The baseball of his 50th 2024 homer reached a dining area beyond the field. Its lucky finder was escorted by ballpark security immediately and had it authenticated and signed by the official MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. The place were hit is visible on the ball. It was sold for $ 4.4M by Goldin on October 23, 2024, lot 1. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Ohtani finished the 2024 season by playing in 159 games, with a .310 batting average, 54 home runs, 130 RBI and 59 stolen bases.
2024 Freddie Freeman Baseball
2024 SOLD for $ 1.56M by SCP
The 2024 World Series was a 4-1 win of the Los Angeles Dodgers against the New York Yankees.
In the Game 1 in October 25, Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers hit a walk-off grand slam home run, an unprecedented feat in the 120 editions of the MLB history. Despite an injury to an ankle one month earlier that was still needing surgery, he was also the first ever player to score a homer in the first four games of a World Series, of which he got the 2024 Most Valuable Player award.
A grand slam is a homer that went through the three bases. A walk off is a homer that terminates a game.
The ball of the Game 1 grand slam had rolled under the seat of a ten year old. It was sold for $ 1.56M by SCP on December 14, 2024, lot 2. It is photo-matched by Sports Investors.
In the Game 1 in October 25, Freddie Freeman of the Dodgers hit a walk-off grand slam home run, an unprecedented feat in the 120 editions of the MLB history. Despite an injury to an ankle one month earlier that was still needing surgery, he was also the first ever player to score a homer in the first four games of a World Series, of which he got the 2024 Most Valuable Player award.
A grand slam is a homer that went through the three bases. A walk off is a homer that terminates a game.
The ball of the Game 1 grand slam had rolled under the seat of a ten year old. It was sold for $ 1.56M by SCP on December 14, 2024, lot 2. It is photo-matched by Sports Investors.
