Ultimate presents: Most valuable Dodger memorabilia
By Cary Osborne
What is the most valuable piece of Dodger memorabilia?
Who’s to say?
Dodger memorabilia exists at Dodger Stadium, the Hall of Fame and in people’s homes and offices.
But we do know that some of the priciest and most iconic Dodger items have been sold at auction houses over the past decade, and those pieces of Dodger history fetched prices comparable to what one would pay for a house.
Two auction houses in particular have brought in the largest sums — SCP Auctions, which partnered with Steve Garvey in 2013 to sell some of his baseball possessions (his 1974 National League Most Valuable Player Award fetched $68,481.60) and Hunt Auctions, which conducts the Major League Baseball All-Star Game FanFest’s annual auction.
In 2010, Kirk Gibson consigned SCP to sell items from the 1988 World Series. The jersey he wore when he hit the legendary Game 1 walkoff home run sold for $303,277.20 — the highest price ever for a Dodger item through SCP.
Here are the next four highest:
- Sandy Koufax’s 1965 game-worn jersey, autographed: $268,664.40
3. Babe Ruth’s game-worn Brooklyn Dodgers uniform: $207,141.60
4. Gibson’s helmet from the 1988 World Series walkoff home run: $153,388.80
5. Roger Craig’s 1956 NL Champions 10K gold cuff links: $98,928.00
A more contemporary item, Clayton Kershaw’s 2008 game-worn road jersey from his rookie year, drew $13,800.
Hunt has transferred some of the oldest and most historic Dodger memorabilia to come across an auction block.
For example, it sold a Jackie Robinson game-used bat, circa 1952, for $140,000. Other Robinson bats went for $80,000, $70,000 and $35,000.
Robinson’s cap from 1951 went for $35,000.
Pee Wee Reese’s 1951 jersey (check out the sleeves), sold for $26,000.
Two items that belonged to Roy Campanella rival some of the most impressive and most expensive Dodger memorabilia ever sold. The great catcher’s Hall of Fame ring sold for $75,000.
His 1955 MVP award sold for $90,000.
Speaking of 1955, I’ll leave you with an impressively well-preserved autographed team ball from the Dodgers’ first world championship team. It sold for $23,000.
