Fanatics Collect-Sotheby’s Hold First-Ever Event
It was quite a night for the first-ever Fanatics Collect-Sotheby’s auction.
The “Holy Grails” live auction took place on Tuesday at the deconsecrated Harlem Place in New York. The event was loaded with 33 lots of high-end collectibles.
The auction brought out some big names, including former NFL players Tom Brady, Ryan Clark, and Channing Crowder, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, rapper Meek Mill, and social media influencer Logan Paul.
The first item up for bid was one of Shohei Ohtani’s top cards. Extremely hot in the hobby after reaching the 50-50 club just last week, Ohtani’s 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Superfractor 1/1 BGS 9.5/10 went for $336,000. That marks the highest price ever paid for an Ohtani card.
The highest priced item of the night was for a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 9. With a population of 11 at that grade, it sold for $840,000.
The best story of the night goes out to a pair of Patriot legends. Sitting next to Brady during the auction, Kraft purchased a Brady 2000 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket Autograph BGS 9.5/10 for $120,000.
The biggest modern card sale of the evening went to Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz. His 2022 Bowman Chrome Prospect Autograph Superfractor PSA 10/10 sold for a whopping $360,000. That breaks Cruz’s all-record for a sale. Earlier this month at auction, his 2024 Topps Chrome Rookie Autographs Superfractor went for $116,534.
One of the oldest cards in the auction fetched a nice figure. A 1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson PSA 8 sold for $312,000.