Can World Series Top Ohtani Ball Auction Hype?

$4,392,000, Collectors! Can you believe it!?

On Tuesday night, Goldin Auctions sold the 50th home run ball Shohei Ohtani hit this season, the ball that created the 1-member-only 50/50 Club, for $4,392,000! The sale ranks as the biggest all-time for a baseball, eclipsing the $3M sum Mark McGwire’s then-record 70th home run ball brought in when sold back in 1999 (to toy maker Todd McFarlane).

Of course, Ohtani and the Dodgers have a few more games to win this year to help determine just how special the 50/50 ball really is…

A Dream World Series Match-Up

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred couldn’t have dreamt up a better World Series scenario. New York vs. LA. Two of the most storied franchises in all of sports. Rosters packed with global superstars, and each team boasting a generational hitting talent. The age-old rivalry has created countless legendary moments, and Sports Collectors Daily pulled out 12 of them, and told the stories via baseball cards. It’s a fun read.

But one collecting cohort isn’t as excited … ticket collectors, as neither the Yankees nor the Dodgers plan to issue paper tickets for the Fall Classic. cllct reported on the missed opportunity.

Zero Points, 1 Topps Now Card for Bronny in Debut

As baseball wraps its season, the NBA tipped off on Tuesday night, with the defending champs Boston Celtics beating the new-look New York Knicks, and LeBron and Bronny James gracing the court for the first time as father-son teammates. Topps, as usual, jumped to capitalize on the much-hyped moment to release a NOW card, where the first-ever dual Bron/Bronny auto will be randomly inserted into one lucky pack.

Given how much hoops heads and the media talk LeBron and Wemby, and Caitlin Clark in the women’s game, The Athletic dug into eBay data to see what other basketball players have the eye of collectors. A few names missing from the list might surprise you.

Every Tuesday is Mail Day

A name on The Athletic’s list? Chicago Sky rookie, Angel Reese, though one of her best cards from Panini’s new Origins set is off the board after it was just pulled (and shared first on Mantel). We talked to the collector for this week’s Mail Day, which continues to be the most entertaining newsletter in collectibles.

Dog that Caught the Car(d)

Also shared in Mail Day? That Allen & Ginter will have dog cards in the set this year, after Topps inked a partnership with the Westminster Kennel Club. Some collectors are perplexed by the announcement, though as it was shared on Mantel yesterday, dogs have been appearing in card sets since the late 1800s. If Wemby, Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and LeBron James are the most sought-after basketball players for collectors, who do you think will be the biggest chase for the Westminster dog cards?

Spores of Bidders Drive Up Price at Auction

We often say that if an item exists, there’s probably a community of people out there who collect it. Well, at no time was that sentiment truer than yesterday, when a petri dish containing a bit of 100-year-old mold sold for $60,000. In fairness, this mold was used by Alexander Fleming while developing penicillin… so it’s historic, important mold. But still mold.

cllct has the full story.