Wizards of the Coast
Auction Buzz: Michael Jordan's debut, iconic views, rare Pokemon, Hellyboy's Big Baby & more on block via Heritage
Auction Buzz is a monthly look at some of the variety found out there on the auction block ... check 'em out.
It's going to be a busy end of the year for Dallas-based Heritage Auctions with a number of regularly scheduled events as well as some showcase auctions with high-profile stuff all on the calendar. This time, we look at a few things from a few active sales this month.
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ANOTHER BIG JORDAN
The Item: Michael Jordan Oct. 26, 1984 (NBA Debut) Chicago Bulls season-ticket stub (PSA 4)
The Price: $65,000 after 25 bids (ends Sept. 27)
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: Last month, a Michael Jordan (and Kobe Bryant) card sale via auction re-wrote some hobby history and, while we're confident this one won't fetch $12.9 million, this one is in some rare air. It has already hit its estimated price from the auction house and while its grade is low there are only three higher. "The most important athletic debut of the post-war era?" asked Heritage in its listing. "A strong argument could be made. Perhaps only Wayne Gretzky could challenge Michael Jordan in balloting seeking to identify the most dominant figure of his respective major sport, but once you step outside the sports arena and into the wider popular culture, M.J. leaves The Great One in his dust. He remains one of the most recognizable humans on the planet two decades after his retirement from the NBA." Jordan scored a modest 16 points in a 109-93 win over the Washington Bullets on this night and only 14 of these have been grade overall.Keep reading for more interesting pieces up for grabs right now.
Rumors of Harry Potter series potentially coming to HBO Max could heat up already red-hot Potter gaming & trading cards
Some Hollywood chatter could mean big things for fans of Harry Potter -- and those who might be sitting on some cardboard from the past.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new Potter series could be coming to HBO Max at some point, giving fans a new way to explore the universe and merchandising machine fueled by past films that was created by the books by J.K. Rowling. Part of that merch in the past included a bunch of trading card releases with both gaming and non-sports elements (autos, memorabilia, you name it) in play and it's clear that one version remains a scorcher in box form.
The Wizards of The Coast box you see above is for the trading card game that was the first to arrive coinciding in advance of the arrival of the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, back in August 2001. It's a box that has sold for as much as $950 in recent months on eBay but with good sales volume -- and asking prices for boxes and cases (the few that still might exist) are commanding even higher marks. There are other WOTC expansions for the game that also sell relatively well but not quite as strong -- those include Quidditch Cup (November 2001), Diagon Alley (March 2002) and Adventures at Hogwarts (June 2002).
These gaming sets all arrived around the time of Pokémon -- and we all know how that story has gone.
BlowoutCards.com catches another legendary Pokémon card
BlowoutCards.com has caught another legendary Pokémon card at auction.
Tonight, when the dust settled over at Heritage Auctions, one of only two Pokémon Blastoise #009/165R Commissioned Presentation Galaxy Star Hologram cards made by Wizards of the Coast in 1998 sold for $360,000. It's graded a CGC NM/Mint+ 8.5 and "the present day existence of the other is questionable" as it may not even exist now according to the auction house. Just two of these blank-backed cards were made to present the concept of an English-market release to Nintendo executives all those years ago.
"Pokémon is the largest media franchise and this is one of the rarest collectibles," said Blowout's Thomas Fish after the sale. "I had to catch this one."
Blowout Cards lands another Pokémon 1st Edition booster box
Blowout Cards may not catch 'em all ... but we're trying.
This Pokémon 1st Edition booster box sold for $360,000 via Heritage Auctions on Thursday night -- a mark that includes the buyer's premium and set a new record sale. That topped a $198,000 mark (also via Heritage) in September.
Our 36-pack box includes 396 untouched cards that could carry potential for perfect Gem Mint 10 copies of everything, including the rare Charizard card that has generated headlines on its own with some six-figure sales on its own in advance of the 25th anniversary of the game's arrival in the United States next February.
Auction Buzz: Goldin's big sale went beyond Honus Wagner
A copy of the hobby's biggest cards set a new seven-figure auction record this weekend via Goldin Auctions, but it was far from the only notable sale in its two-session October Legends event that included some remarkable modern card sales that fetched six-figures and a collection from Cal Ripken Jr. that topped the million-dollar mark on its own.
AN EXQUISITE PIECE
The Item: Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen 2005-06 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Logoman Autographed Patches #DLA-JP (1/1)
The Price: Sold for $295,200 after 11 bids
Why it’s Buzz-worthy: It's not perfect, but it's a one-of-a-kind card -- and it's one of those kinds of cards that's as big as it gets as a dual-logoman auto from the brand that helped usher in the super-premium products that generate huge cash for high-rolling collectors today. It's slabbed as authentic likely due to the top left corner and how it's signed off the edges of the card but, again, it's alone as the only copy made making it a name-your-price piece. And, believe it or not, compared to many of the Exquisite card sales of the last few years this one still feels a tad under-priced.Keep reading for a deeper look at four more big items in the sale that should command attention.
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