Jose Canseco’s car? A ‘Happy Gilmore’ VHS tape? A Betty White signed baseball? Auctions aren’t just for T206 Honus Wagner cards
Not every piece of sports memorabilia that sells at auction is the highly sought-after rookie card or the PSA 10 that has skyrocketed in value. There are a number of collectors looking for unique, odd or off the beaten path items.
Auction houses are regularly selling items that you don’t come across every day, so here is a look at some recent sales from unique memorabilia pieces across the sports world.
+ A 1999 Acura NSX that was converted to look like a Lamborghini was put up for auction on eBay. That Acura was said to have been owned by former MLB star Jose Canseco at one point, and the vehicle sold on April 26 for $126,100 with 22 bids.
+ Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay has been known to collect some unique items. He has a love for guitars and owns instruments that belonged to Bob Dylan, George Harrison and a number of other well-known musicians.
Irsay tweeted on May 12, that he purchased a baseball signed by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The ball was signed in 2019, when Zelenskyy visited New York and it was purchased by Irsay for $50,103 and a portion of the proceeds will go to Ukraine.
Newly added to “The Jim Irsay Collection” is this incredibly rare Volodymyr Zellenskyy signed baseball that the Ukrainian President had signed during a visit to New York in 2019. We’ll be displaying it, at our FREE June 3rd exhibition in New York City. ~ https://t.co/6NiUSYaVF2 pic.twitter.com/ypppZrZ77x
+ Happy Gilmore is one of Adam Sandler’s iconic movies about a not-so-great hockey player who finds his talent for golf. The comedy came out in 1996 and a sealed copy of the VHS tape just sold at Goldin Auctions for $360. It’s graded as a 9.4 by VHSDNA and had eight bids during the auction.
+ Betty White was a beloved actress, who died in December. She was universally liked by most, so why not buy a baseball with her autograph on it? That’s what one buyer did at Goldin when the signed ball sold for $240 with five bids.
+ Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto was on a rehab assignment playing for the Louisville Bats minor league team. He happened to be there when the Bats wore Marvel’s “Dr. Strange” uniforms with a giant picture of Dr. Strange on the front.
This one hasn’t sold yet, but with six days left, it’s currently at $530 at MiLBAuctions.com.
+ The Super Bowl LVI halftime show made waves with people born in the 1980s and 90s as Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar all performed. Someone was able to get a football signed by most of the performers from that night and put it up for auction with Heritage Auctions.
The football sold on May 13 for $16,200 which includes the buyer’s premium.
+ Finally, who doesn’t remember seeing Charlie Brown try to kick a football or throw a baseball, only to be thwarted by Peppermint Patty? Heritage Auctions sold a baseball signed by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz.
The ball also has a picture of Charlie Brown drawn by Schulz and sold on May 13 for $24,000.