Praise be: Sotheby’s and Fanatics are celebrating their new partnership with an auction of biblical proportions this September.
The inaugural sale, aptly titled Holy Grails, will include 40 of the rarest and most coveted trading cards from the 20th and 21st centuries that celebrate legendary athletes such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, Jackie Robinson, and many more. The lots have a combined value of more than $7 million.
The auction will be led by a Michael Jordan rarity valued at over $1 million. The one-of-one card was the only copy released for the 2005-06 season and one of only two such cards to feature Michael Jordan and Julius Erving. Both basketball stars signed it, too.
Another standout is baseball legend Roberto Clemente’s 1955 Topps rookie card. This example is one of only 11 to receive a PSA 9 grading and is presented in immaculate condition. It is expected to fetch between $800,000 and $1 million.
Those two cards and 38 others will be showcased during a “one-of-a-kind exhibition and auction,” according to Sotheby’s. Kicking off on September 23, the two-day event will see New York City’s Harlem Parish transformed into a cathedral for athletes. The auction floor will resemble a baseball diamond, with bidders sitting along the first and third baselines and the auctioneer positioned at the pitcher’s mound. There will also be two auctioneers: one starter and one reliever. Guests will also be able to tuck into elevated twists on ballpark classics, such as hot dogs made with wagyu beef or popcorn tossed in brown butter.
The exhibition will be open to the public on both days and culminates with a live auction on September 24. The auction house says many celebrities and pro athletes will be in attendance.
“From the outset, our aim was to create an immersive auction experience unlike anything ever seen in the trading card industry,” Sotheby’s head of modern collectibles Brahm Wachter said in a statement. “By choosing the iconic Harlem Parish as our venue and through bold, visual scenography and property displays, we are reimagining what the trading card industry means for collectors and enthusiasts.”
Fanatics and Sotheby’s first teamed up in June to launch a new platform dedicated to sports collectibles. Aptly titled Fanatics Collect, the online marketplace gives collectors access to premium trading cards worth $100,000 or above and other coveted memorabilia via both fixed-priced listings and auctions. The duo is hoping to challenge the auction status quo with live sales that are a cut above the average, too.
“With this innovative approach, we’re not only shaking up the industry but also bringing cards into today’s modern world in a way that’s truly unprecedented,” Wachter adds.