Спортын ховор эд зүйлс олзын эрэлд

Nothing beats finding a bargain. Doing so in the sports collectibles world these days, with more attention and money pouring into the industry than ever before, makes unearthing a deal particularly thrilling. And lucrative.

Quinn Brown, a 19-year-old professional thrifter from Portland, Ore., spotted a Los Angeles Lakers warmup jacket bearing Wilt Chamberlain’s name on the back in a local Goodwill store and knew it was worth buying at just $3.07. He then took the jacket to Sports Investor Authentication (SIA) Photo Match, who identified that Chamberlain wore it during the 1972 NBA Finals. Brown then turned around and sold the jacket through Sotheby’s for $89,600 last week.

The discovery of a LeBron James 2022 All-Star Game jersey interrupted the Chamberlain hubbub. Sold on eBay for $800, the jersey was listed as “used” but made no mention that it was used by James himself in the actual NBA All-Star Game. After being photo-matched — a process wherein experts compare identifying details such as unique scuff marks or stitching imperfections to player photos from a particular event — to the jersey James wore in that All-Star Game, memorabilia experts told The Athletic that eBay find should sell for at least in the $140,000 range, with the possibility of a $250,000 price point.

For someone as seasoned as Chris Ivy, who’s the director of sports auctions for Heritage Auctions, it’s a lesson in always keeping your eyes wide open as a collector.

“You’ll get these stories from time to time where somebody gets something super cheap and has no idea what it’s worth and then all of a sudden it’s worth six figures, seven figures,” Ivy said. “That’s the fun part of collecting is that it’s that treasure hunt. It’s (the) thrill (of the) chase that’s so fun for collectors, and there are deals to be had out there.”

Brahm Wachter, head of modern collectibles for Sotheby’s, said memorabilia discoveries like with the Chamberlain and James items happen “more than you think, but not quite at that level,” particularly with the $3 Chamberlain piece.

Wachter pointed to an example of when a pair of custom gold Air Jordans originally made for Spike Lee that were discovered at a rescue mission for the homeless in Portland (lesson: start searching for things around Portland!) then sold through Sotheby’s for more $50,000 in 2023 to benefit the charity. Ivy highlighted a West Point sweater worn by Vince Lombardi being found at Goodwill and then sold at Heritage for $43,000 in 2015.

“I see a lot of stories of people buying something from an auction house and it’s labeled as a certain date,” Wachter said. “But maybe it was actually worn in a variety of other games, including an important game that they missed.
Do I see an apples to apples where somebody spends $3.07 and that then (a Chamberlain jacket type sale) happens all the time? I don’t see that a lot. But I do see situations where things are mislabeled and sold under market all the time.”

The description for the James jersey simply read: “Jordan NBA All-Star Game LeBron James #6 Basketball Jersey Gray Size 54.” It sold for a buy-it-now price of $800 on June 10. There was certainly no guarantee that this jersey might have been one simply bought off a rack at a retailer somewhere and worn by a fan. The buyer then had the jersey photo-matched to one James wore during the 2022 NBA All-Star game and now it’s suddenly worth far more than $800.

“As a collector for the stuff that I’m interested in and the material that I collect, I go through every auction that opens up because something could have been written that they weren’t exactly sure what it was or what kind of significance it had,” Ivy said. “I certainly recommend all collectors go through and see what’s available at every sale.”

The circumstances surrounding the Chamberlain warmup jacket involve not one, but possibly two bargains.

Brown’s discovery of the jacket at Goodwill flashes as the headline-grabbing hook. A near $90,000 hammer price on a $3.07 buy wins the day. But the buyer of last week’s Sotheby’s auction may have walked away with his own steal, even though he paid for more than Brown did.

The auction house estimated the Chamberlain jacket to be worth between $150,000 and $250,000. David Kohler, a Lakers super collector who happens to be the president of his own sports memorabilia auction house, SCP Auctions, had the winning bid at less than $90,000.

Kohler believes his purchase of the Chamberlain jacket was “absolutely” a bargain. As for Sotheby’s, the auction house basically said that’s the nature of the business.

“Our market, it’s really amazing, but it’s just like any other market,” Wachter said. “It’s just like some days, the stock prices might go up or down. The same is true of Will Chamberlain’s warmup. The reality is we see a wide variation in our market from sale to sale.
It’s just part of being in any market.”

As for Kohler, this isn’t the first “find” of his Lakers collection he thought was a bargain.

“It was over 25 years ago and I’m just searching eBay one day and someone had a Jerry West blue and white full (Lakers) uniform, with the shorts, from the mid ’60s,” Kohler said. “
I’ve never seen another one. And they had it up on eBay for starting at like $100. I look at this thing and all the pictures. I’m like, ‘This thing is real. Even back then, I would have paid $50,000.”

Kohler saw the bid at $8,000 for the West uniform and placed a maximum bid of $30,000. He ended up unknowingly beating out a friend for the jersey, winning the auction at $18,000. The reaction when West himself visited Kohler’s Lakers shrine seemed more than worth the price he paid.

“Jerry visited a few times,” Kohler said. “He came in the first time he visited, he saw the jersey that I’m talking about. He looked at me and he goes, ‘Where did you find that?’ I said, ‘On eBay?’ He goes ‘Really?!’”

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