Bob Gibson sold just about everything--Cy Young awards...

[blowoutcards]

Bob Gibson sold just about everything--Cy Young awards

Bob Gibson sold just about everything--Cy Young awards, World Series rings, MVP awards and his old equipment. His own team wound up with some of it after Gibson hired Legendary Auctions to find buyers.


The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum announced several acquisitions this week, including three items from the Bob Gibson collection that were sold at Legendary Auctions' July 31 live event at the House of Blues in Cleveland.

Among the items obtained by the Cardinals were the 1968 Cy Young Award, which sold for $84,000; Gibson's personal Baseball Hall of Fame plaque ($45,000) and one of Gibson's game used gloves ($9000).

While the Cardinals will plan to display the items at a permanent Cardinals' Hall of Fame, there is no such place at the moment. The Cards plan to build a new Hall across from Busch Stadium in an area known as Ballpark Village, but construction has not started. The club currently has over 15,000 artifacts in storage.

Gibson's 1.12 earned run average in 1968 was a landmark that remains today. It was the lowest recorded since the deadball era ceased in 1919. Gibson threw 13 shutouts, leading the Cardinals to the National League pennant. His MVP award was sold in the auction for $118,000.

"1.12 is one of the legendary numbers in baseball," said Paula Homan, Curator of the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, "and we're excited to add his Cy Young Award from that incredible season to our collection to share with fans for decades to come."

The Museum also acquired one of Gibson's game used gloves from his standout career and the plaque given to him by the National Baseball Hall of Fame commemorating his induction in 1981. The plaque is a smaller version of that which is hanging in Cooperstown, NY.

Earl "Sparky" Adams' 1931 World Series ring was also acquired by the Cardinals' museum. It joins an extensive collection of championship rings held by the Museum which represent every other World Series championship and National League pennant (post-1944 when league championship rings were first presented) in franchise history.

-Story from Sports Collectors Daily

[dd316]

Sooooo..... anyone know WHY he decided to sell all this?

[iluvfish2]

My guess is he needed $$ A good portion of the players from this era are hurting for money since they were not part of the current salaries.

[mwheeler27]

I heard that he feels it's easier to sell everything and divide the money up amongst family as apposed to trying to figure out "who gets what".

[BAMBAM]

This is why card companies just don't get it and never will. What a coup that would have been if say Topps bought one of the CY Young awards and put it in a product as a redemption. That would move some cases.

[mwheeler27]

Originally Posted by BAMBAM

This is why card companies just don't get it and never will. What a coup that would have been if say Topps bought one of the CY Young awards and put it in a product as a redemption. That would move some cases.

Yes, as long as it wasn't pulled the day of release.

If only people could remain quiet for a few months after pulling those huge hits.

[wju2004]

I'm pretty sure there was a bunch of his stuff up for auction up at the Nationals as well.

[BAMBAM]

Originally Posted by mwheeler27

Yes, as long as it wasn't pulled the day of release.

If only people could remain quiet for a few months after pulling those huge hits.

We both know it doesn't have to be pulled early Wheels if they don't want it to be

They don't even have to announce the exact product. The could Wonka it and announce it would be in one of 3 different releases. Even tough I don't like much in the way of Topps Baseball products and haven't opened anything high end Topps since Triple Threads, I'd probably buy at least one case of those said products just to take a shot.

[dd316]

Originally Posted by BAMBAM

This is why card companies just don't get it and never will. What a coup that would have been if say Topps bought one of the CY Young awards and put it in a product as a redemption. That would move some cases.

Yeah right, they'd end up chopping it into little pieces to put on cards.

I know older players aren't part of the current pension deals, but to hear these stories always confuses me. Bob's a pretty big name and could do any number of shows, charge at a minimum $25 and he'd always have a line. Heck, he'd probably even be able to get twice that. Even if you guess around 200 people get his auto (probably low), that's $5,000 right there. And the show promoters normally pay for everything (transportation, hotel, food), so it's not like he has any overhead other than his time.

Saying he did this EVERY week in a year (obviously not, but for example), that's $260,000/year.

[cardsrus1]

Originally Posted by mwheeler27

I heard that he feels it's easier to sell everything and divide the money up amongst family as apposed to trying to figure out "who gets what".

I am sure that is part of it. He also stated he had the items for over 50 years and it was time for someone else to have them. Also part of the proceeds went to a baseball charity, BATS if I remember correctly.