Harry Potter Art and Sly Stallone's Watches Poised for Big Outcomes

Welcome, Collectors. 

According to a survey commissioned by our friends at cllct and conducted by the Seton Hall Sports Poll, 40% of sports fans actively collect sports memorabilia. And we’re guessing nearly everyone who checks that box owns at least a few items from Fanatics/Topps, as they continue their takeover of the sports card market. The latest salvo? An announcement this week that they won the rights to produce cards, games, and stickers for the Premier League beginning in 2025, dealing another major blow to competitor, Panini.

Now let’s get into it.

Harry Potter Original Art Aiming For Franchise-Record Sale

The original watercolor artwork for JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is headed to a June auction, and its estimated price of $400K - $600K would make it the most expensive Harry Potter item ever sold. This same item last sold in 2001– amidst the release of the first film adaptation – for £81,000 ($101K). The illustration was one of the first professional works by Thomas Taylor. Upon the book’s initial release, Taylor had the chance to own ten original copies… and promptly declined. One of these unsigned first editions recently sold for $421,000.

Sly Brings Watches To Market - With Seven-Figure Price Tags

Sylvester Stallone announced he’s auctioning off eleven of his most cherished watches, in a Sotheby’s sale that should generate several millions. The most valuable piece on offer is a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, believed to be the first to hit the open market, and is estimated to sell for north of $2.5M. The watch features 20 complications – functions that are separate from telling time – encased in 18k white gold, making it one of the most complex watches in existence. To sweeten the deal, the winning bidder will also receive a handwritten letter from Stallone himself.

Artist Looks To Land $1M+ Sale For Churchill Portrait

Back in 1955, artist Paul Trevillion created a portrait of Winston Churchill, originally inspired by a newspaper story chronicling the ailing Churchill’s dismay with portraits commissioned by Parliament. So, Trevillion created this piece simply from images in his head and sent it to Downing Street. Churchill was enamored with the portrait, personally inviting Trevillion for a meeting to sign the piece. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 150th birthday of Churchill, the 90-year-old Trevillion felt the time was right for the sale, and is hoping for a price north of $1M.

A Controversial OJ Item Hits Auction Block

An OJ Simpson-signed recital program from the day of Nicole Brown’s murder is now up for auction. The program previously belonged to a Simpson fan who spotted him at the recital four hours before Brown and Ron Goldman were killed and gained his signature. This auction feels much darker than the $2,000 sale of O.J. Simpson’s credit card last month, however, that hasn’t slowed down early interest, with bids already over $1,000.

Game-Changing Week For Coin Market

A Polish coin from 1621 sold this week for over $1.3M, a record-breaking price that shattered previous sales of $44,000 and $23,000. This particular coin was used to honor a major Polish victory against the Ottoman Empire, and was dubbed “nearly uncirculated”. Meanwhile, the owner of a vast collection of coins from the 17th to 20th centuries is seeking a total sale of £40,000 ($50,000). These coins span the globe, from Napoleonic France to Industrial-era US, and everything in between. Per the auctioneers, the "quantity and quality [of this collection] rarely come up for sale.”

Baseball Cards Worth Millions Stolen

The team at Sports Collectors Daily reported this week that $2M in baseball cards have gone missing. The valuable 54-piece collection, featuring Cracker Jack and T206 tobacco cards, was delivered to a hotel on April 14th in advance of a card show, and employees were unable to find the boxes four days later. According to the report, another auction company shipped cards to the same hotel and discovered their boxes had been tampered with. An investigation is ongoing.

Finally, if you’re in the NYC area, Bleecker Trading and Cards & Coffee are hosting a free card show tonight (5/9) on the corner of Christopher and Bleecker. Mantel community member and card artist Tom Fallos (AKA The Card Carver) will be there, and may just have a few custom Mantel cards, commissed by us, to give away. Plus, this location is perfect for a post-show slice at L’Industrie. Who would say no?

And as always, if you love diving deeper into the endless world of collectibles, let your friends know about Mantel and share this newsletter. Readers can sign up here: Above the Mantel.