Willie Mays Rookie Card Smashes Records with $390,935 Sale!

Get ready to have your mind blown, sports fans—a 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie card just sold for an astonishing $390,935, setting a new record at Robert Edward Auctions' Summer Catalog Auction! This card, one of the highest-graded examples to grace the auction block in over 15 years, had collectors in a bidding frenzy, with eleven bids driving the price to stratospheric levels.

Why all the excitement? Well, for starters, there are no PSA 10 Willie Mays rookie cards out there, and only eight PSA 9s. So, when a card this rare comes up, you can bet collectors are ready to swing for the fences. And swing they did, setting a record that will be talked about for years to come.

This sale comes hot on the heels of another Mays rookie card that sold for $207,400 just a week ago at Goldin. Clearly, anything with Mays’ name on it is hotter than a fastball right down the middle!

But this isn’t just about dollars and cents. The consignor of this incredible piece is using the proceeds to fund a college scholarship endowment, meaning this card is not only making history, but it’s also paving the way for future generations. How’s that for a grand slam?

The Summer Catalog Auction was a massive success overall, pulling in more than $13.3 million from over 82,000 bids across nearly 3,200 lots. Thirteen of those items cracked the six-figure mark, including a 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie PSA 4.5 that sold for a record-breaking $162,000, the highest ever for that grade.

Other standout sales included an autographed 1949 Bowman Roy Campanella rookie (PSA 3) with a PSA 9 signature grade, which went for $132,000, and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card (PSA 7 with a 7 autograph rating) that sold for $120,000.

And let's not forget the game-used memorabilia. A newly discovered 1936-1937 Dizzy Dean St. Louis Cardinals game-used road jersey set a record by fetching $114,000, the highest price ever for a Dizzy Dean item.

Here are some more highlights from this blockbuster auction:

• 1933 R338 Sport Kings #2 Babe Ruth PSA NM-MT 8 – $120,000
• 1915 Boston Red Sox Real-Photo Team Postcard with Babe Ruth Rookie – $114,000
• 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie PSA GEM MINT 10 – $111,000
• 1909-1911 T206 White Border Cy Young Glove Shows PSA EX+ 5.5 (Broad Leaf 460 Back) – $111,000
• 1979-1980 O-Pee-Chee Hockey #18 Wayne Gretzky Rookie PSA MINT 9 – $105,000
• 1914 E145 Cracker Jack #103 Joe Jackson SGC GOOD+ 2.5 – $102,000 (record for SGC grade)
• 1933 V353 World Wide Gum Canadian Goudey #80 Babe Ruth PSA NM 7 – $96,000 (record for the card)
• 1984-1985 Star Company Basketball #101 Michael Jordan Rookie BGS NM-MT+ 8.5 – $52,800 (record for Beckett grade)

“This auction was nothing short of incredible, with records being shattered left and right,” said Brian Dwyer, President of REA. “We’re thrilled by the trust our consignors place in us and the enthusiasm of the bidders who made this auction such a success.”

If you missed out, don’t worry—REA’s September Encore Auction is just around the corner, running from September 12-22. Get ready for more action and maybe even more record-breaking sales!