The Top 20 Most Astounding Sports Memorabilia Sales by Goldin Auctions That Aren't Trading Cards

There’s a gold rush happening in the sports memorabilia world.

If you’ve been paying attention to headlines like this, authentic sports memorabilia from legendary sports figures is reaching unprecedented levels of demand and value.

A prime example is a collection of Air Jordans dubbed The Dynasty Collection, featuring six pairs of Jordans worn and signed by Michael Jordan himself during his six NBA championship victories. This collection is expected to attract over $7 million at a Sotheby’s auction beginning on February 2nd 2024, according to Footwear News.

Consider the current precedent: In 2023, a pair of Air Jordan 13s, autographed and worn by Jordan in Game 2 of the 1998 NBA Finals aka “The Last Dance”, sold for $2.2 million. This set a new record for the most expensive sneakers ever sold.

This prized collection of Jordans about to go up to auction isn’t an isolated case; authentic sports items are seeing a surge in value across the board.

Goldin is a key player in this market and has been instrumental in driving up these values.

Founded by Ken Goldin, a renowned collector and expert in the sports memorabilia field, the New Jersey-based collectable company claims to have facilitated over $1.5 billion in sports memorabilia transactions – roughly the equivalent in cost as the new MLB stadium about to be constructed in Las Vegas.

I met Ken last spring before a private, invite-only auction in Los Angeles while he was promoting his new-at-the-time Netflix series, The King Of Collectibles. We discussed the unique stories behind remarkable sports history artifacts on display that evening, including Jordan’s Dream Team jersey and signed Flu Game shoes, a Jackie Robinson baseball bat, and a Kobe Bryant jersey from the 2010 NBA Finals, Black Mamba’s last appearance in the Finals.

Goldin has a distinguished history of record-breaking sales over the years. For instance, in October 2022, a 1909-11 T206 White Border Honus Wagner that sold for $3.7m. It didn’t surpass the record at the time, however. That distinction belongs to a Mickey Mantle card sold for $12.6 million in August 2022.

Still, that’s some serious cash for a prized piece of ink and cardboard.

In addition to trading cards, Goldin Auctions has handled some remarkable sales of other prized sports memorabilia. Notable artifacts they’ve sold include Michael Jordan’s 1992 Olympic ‘Dream Team’ Jersey, which sold for $1.5 million on December 2022, and his 1997 NBA Finals ‘Flu Game’ Sneakers, which fetched $1.38 million on June 2022.

Other significant sales include Joe Montana’s 1985 and 1989 San Francisco 49ers Jerseys, sold for $1.212 million, and Jackie Robinson’s 1949 All-Star Game Bat, which went for $1.08 million.

I recently reached out to the company via email and asked them about some of their biggest ticket items over the years that weren’t trading cards. They gladly replied. Here are the 20 top sports memorabilia items Goldin sold, broken out by the highest bid, since November 2021, all of which are non-trading cards:

I also have a list of trading cards. I’ll post that down the road here. Maybe subscribe ad follow the BroBible newsletter for an update?

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Michael Jordan 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” Jersey

via Goldin Auctions, with permission

Sale Price: $3,030,000
Sale Date: May 23, 2023

Game-used, photo-matched, signed, and inscribed Michael Jordan jersey from the original 1992 Dream Team. In my original conversation with Goldin last April, he explained how this jersey ended up in the sports memorabilia world:

“This is the only known existing photo-match jersey of Michael Jordan from the Dream Team,” says Goldin.

“He took it off and he gave it to Karl Malone right after the game. We got it from Karl, that’s where all these come from. This is a photo-match Dream Team jersey. This is from the semi-final game against Lithuania, so this is the medal round, and those are the sneakers he wore in the game. And this is the exact same thing with Magic Johnson,” he adds, pointing to a USA Basketball number 15 jersey.

I ask him if he knows why Karl jersey-swapped with Michael… If you can even call it a jersey swap. “He said that his wife told him he should get these jerseys and that he and she walked around to every single player after Lithuania and said, ‘Do you mind if we keep your jersey?’ And they all gave it to him,” Goldin explains. “He wasn’t even giving his own, he would just say, ‘Can I keep it?’” Just another anecdotal tidbit that adds to the Dream Team lure, over three decades later.

Aaron Judge 62nd Home Run Baseball

via Goldin Auctions, with permission

Sale Price: $1,500,000
Sale Date: December 17, 2022

The historic baseball from Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62nd home run, breaking Roger Maris’ 61-year-old record. MLB Authenticated with Youmans Letter of Provenance.

Michael Jordan 1997 NBA Finals “Flu Game” Sneakers

via Goldin Auctions, with permission

Sale Price: $1,380,000
Sale Date: June 14, 2022

Game-used, signed Air Jordan sneakers from the famous “Flu Game.” Ken Goldin previously told BroBible about how the flu game shoes were originally acquired:

It’s the actual shoes Jordan wore during the famous The Flu Game, which Goldin explains were acquired from the ball boy in the game.

“He provided Jordan with applesauce after every game,” Goldin tells me. “He gave Jordan the applesauce, and Jordan said, ‘Here.’ In 1997, 26 years ago, he had the thoughtfulness to take a picture of Jordan signing the shoes and handing it to him.”