A Christy Mathewson autographed baseball was among the top sellers in the All-Star FanFest Auction held in St. Louis on July 14. The single-signed ball sold for $50,600 which included a 15% buyer’s premium tacked on to all winning bids.
Mathewson’s death from tuberculosis long before he reached old age makes his signature rare; his Hall of Fame career adds to the desirability.
There were several other signature baseballs up for bid in the 700-plus lots sold on the day of the American League’s 4-3 win over the National League.
Three baseballs autographed by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig were offered, with two selling. One brought $6325 and the other $5060. The value of vintage signed baseballs depends greatly upon condition and clarity of the signatures. Other Ruth and Gehrig balls have sold for significantly more over the past fifteen years that the sports memorabilia auction business has taken flight.
Other lots sold included a high quality Roberto Clemente signed ball, which also included fellow Pirates’ Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski ($6325) and a 1924 Washington Senators ball ($6325); the only Washington team ever to win a World Series. It included the autograph of star pitcher Walter Johnson. A ball inked by members of the 1917 New York Giants including manager John McGraw and legendary Jim Thorpe brought $5405 while another signed by 11 members of the 500 home run club sold for $1265.
The top selling item in the auction was a Lou Gehrig New York Yankees game-worn cap dating from the late 1920s or early 30s. It was purchased by another auction house on behalf of a client and sold for over $74,000.
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