Some of the rarest sports memorabilia ever is set to hit the auction. Dubbed ‘Holy Grails’, this collection from Sotheby’s and Fanatics features 40 of the most coveted trading cards from the 20th and 21st centuries, honoring sports legends like Tom Brady, LeBron James, Jackie Robinson, and Roberto Clemente.
The exhibition and auction will take place at Harlem Parish, an awe-inspiring former church on West 118th Street in New York City. It will be open to the public from September 23 to 24, with the live auction scheduled for September 24.
Among the highlights of the auction is a 2005-06 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card featuring NBA athletes Michael Jordan and Julius Erving. Rated BGS 8.5 with an Autograph 10, this card is the only one released for that season and one of only two dual logoman autographs from the Exquisite Collection featuring both legends, and is estimated to soar past its estimated value of $1 million.
Another gem is the 2005-06 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Autograph Patch #6-AP LeBron James featuring a unique 2-color patch and perfect autograph, valued over $350,000. As a rare 1 of 1 card, it commemorates Mr. LeBron’s pivotal moment in his third NBA season when he earned his first All-NBA 1st Team honors and set a career-high average of 31.4 points per game.
A 1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald Tim Duncan rookie card, graded BGS 8, is one of only 10 made and valued between $200,000 and $300,000, highlighting Mr. Duncan’s legendary career. Each player had just 100 PMGs, 90 Red/Ruby and 10 Green/Emerald, released in that year’s Metal Universe, making these cards highly coveted nearly 30 years later. Known for their susceptibility to damage, finding a PMG in pristine condition is exceptionally rare.
Another highlight is former baseball player Roberto Clemente’s 1955 Topps rookie card, graded PSA 9, which is extremely rare and is valued between $800,000 and $1 million. The set also includes rookie cards of Harmon Killebrew and Sandy Koufax.
The 2000 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket Autograph Tom Brady graded BGS 9.5/Autograph 10 and valued at $100,000-$130,000, is one of the finest examples of his rare rookie card. In his 2000 debut season with the New England Patriots, just 128 mainstream rookie cards were issued, with only 11 featuring his autograph. Of those, only four cards depict him in a Patriots uniform. This card is a standout, boasting one of the highest grades ever certified by Beckett, with none of the 674 cards evaluated by them receiving a higher score.
Along with sports players, the auction also gives a taste of Pokemon, as two highly rare Pikachu cards make an appearance in this auction. A 1998 Pokémon Japanese Promo Illustrator Holo CoroCoro Comics Pikachu – CGC 9 card, signed by Takumi Akabane (one of the founders of the Pokemon Trading Cards game), is estimated at $550,000 – 650,000.
The sale also includes a Japanese Alpha Prototype Pikachu that is the most historically significant Pikachu card in existence. Created as a proof of concept for the Pokémon trading card game and presented to Pokémon executives by Tsunekazu Ishihara in 1995, this card represents one of the very first Pokémon cards ever produced, and is estimated at $300,000 – 500,000.
The bids could be as epic as the players themselves!
Note: The story was updated on September 10, 2024, to include information on the Pokemon trading cards available for auction.
