Ultra Rare Collectibles Auction to Feature Brady, LeBron, Jackie Robinson Cards

The auction will take place in September and feature some of the rarest trading cards in American sports history. 
Tom Brady Rookie Card that will be auctioned at the Holy Grails Exhibition
Tom Brady Rookie Card that will be auctioned at the Holy Grails Exhibition / Fanatics Collect

In September, some of the rarest trading cards in American Sports history will go up for auction in a unique showcase. From a LeBron James autograph patch to a 1955 Roberto Clemente Rookie (PSA 9), to a very rare Tom Brady rookie autograph, it will feature items even the most committed of collectors can only dream of.

Aptly titled “Holy Grails,” the auction will be put on by Fanatics Collect and Sotheby’s. It will contain over 40 cards from the 20th and 21st century. Fanatics and Sotheby's previously said they would hold four auctions a year.

The auction will be held at a venue suitable for the high-class theme, with the exhibition scheduled to be held at Harlem Parish—a deconsecrated but still reverent church now used as an event space—just north of Central Park in New York City. It's Sotheby's first cut at redefining the auction setting, merging a museum and storytelling feel it has promised with the items being auctioned.

“By choosing the iconic Harlem Parish as our venue and through bold, visual scenography and property displays, we are reimagining what the trading card industry means for collectors and enthusiasts," Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of modern collectables said in a press release. "With this innovative approach, we’re not only shaking up the industry but also bringing cards into today’s modern world in a way that’s truly unprecedented."

An auction overview is available at Sotheby's website, with the public exhibition September 23 and 24, and the live auction on the 24th.


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Here’s a look at some of the most anticipated cards from the event scheduled to be available for bidding: 

2000 Tom Brady Rookie

Playoff Contenders Gem MT 9.5

Tom Brady Rookie Card
2000 Tom Brady Rookie Playoff Contenders Gem Mint 9.5 (Auto 10), to be auctioned at Holy Grails Exhibition / Fanatics Collect

This card is estimated at $100,000-$130,000. It's particularly sought-after because so few Brady cards were produced since he wasn't seen as a likely superstar going into his rookie season. It's estimated that only four rookie cards displaying him in a Patriots uniform were autographed, with this particular card the best-graded by Beckett.

Tim Duncan Rookie 

Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald #66 BGS 8

Tim Duncan Rookie Card
1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Emerald #66 Tim Duncan BSG 8, to be auctioned at Holy Grails Exhibition / Fanatics Collect

2005-06 LeBron James

This card is estimated to bid in the $200,000-$300,000 range. There were only 10 of this particular parallel in circulation, the rarest parallel of the Precious Metal Gem (90 Ruby were also printed).

Exquisite 1-of-1 Auto Patch

LeBron James Auto Patch
2005-06 Exquisite Collection Autograph Patch LeBron James BSG 8.5 to be auctioned at Holy Grails Exhibition / Fanatics Collect

This card is estimated in excess of $350,000.

1948 Jackie Robinson Rookie

#79 Leaf

Jackie Robinson Rookie Card
1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson Rookie PSA 8, to be auctioned at Holy Grails Exhibition / Fanatics Collect

No estimate is provided for this card, the oldest one known to be available at the exhibition. It is not only historic but in near-impeccable condition as a PSA-8. In 2018, a card in slightly better condition sold at auction for $336,000, but that was well before the explosion of collector's interest during the pandemic and thereafter.

This card sold for $38,400 in November, 2017, according to PSA, who values the card today at $428,000. Only 51 other versions of this card exist at this quality or better.

1955 Roberto Clemente Rookie

Topps #164 PSA 9

Roberto Clemente Rookie Card
1955 Topps Roberto Clemente PSA 9, to be auctioned at Holy Grails Exhibition / Fanatics Collect

This card is estimated between $800,000 and $1 million, and is one of just 11 to receive a PSA 9 among all the major grading services.


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Josh Wilson
JOSH WILSON

Josh Wilson is the news director of the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in 2024, he worked for FanSided in a variety of roles, most recently as senior managing editor of the brand’s flagship site. He has also served as a general manager of Sportscasting, the sports arm of a start-up sports media company, where he oversaw the site’s editorial and business strategy. Wilson has a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from SUNY Cortland and a master’s in accountancy from the Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. He loves a good nonfiction book and enjoys learning and practicing Polish. Wilson lives in Chicago but was raised in upstate New York. He spent most of his life in the Northeast and briefly lived in Poland, where he ate an unhealthy amount of pastries for six months.