The Three Most Expensive Sports Collectible Jerseys Ever Sold
Sports memorabilia collectors are famous for paying millions of dollars for authentic items from their favorite players or teams, especially game-worn jerseys. Benzinga looks at the three most expensive game-worn sports memorabilia jerseys of all time.
No. 3: Babe Ruth, 1928-1930 New York Yankees
George Herman "Babe" Ruth is perhaps America's most iconic, sports hero. Although he entered the game as a two-way player who could field and hit at a high level, the Babe rocketed to superstardom when he was traded from the Boston Braves to the New York Yankees. Once Ruth arrived in New York, he became as famous for his prodigious home-run power as he was for his flamboyant lifestyle off the field.
In his 15 years wearing the Yankee uniform, Ruth powered the Bronx Bombers to seven World Series titles while hitting .349 and pounding out 659 of his 714 career home runs. Ruth's 714 home runs made him baseball's home run king — a record that stood for decades.
At the peak of his fame, he was more recognizable than the president of the United States or any movie star. Perhaps that's why his 1928-1930 Yankees jersey sold for $5.64 million at auction in 2019.
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No. 2: Diego Maradona, 1986 World Cup
When it comes to soccer, better known as football outside the United States, few names capture the imagination like Diego Maradona. The diminutive Argentine embodied soccer's reputation as "the beautiful game" throughout his playing career. Although his club career at Napoli of the Italian Serie A soccer league was brilliant, Maradona's star never shined brighter than it did at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
The most memorable — and controversial — moment of the tournament took place when Argentina played England in the quarterfinals. In a game fraught with tension because of the recently concluded Falkland Islands war between England and Argentina, Maradona scored the famous "hand of God" goal where he appeared to score a goal with his hand (which is prohibited in soccer) while contesting an aerial ball versus the England goalkeeper.
There was no video replay at the time, and the referees ruled that Maradona had scored a legal goal. After the game, journalists confronted Maradona with photos that looked like he scored an illegal goal, to which Maradona glibly replied, "It was the hand of God." It would forever be known as the "hand of God" game, and the jersey Maradona wore that day sold for a then-record $9.28 million by Sotheby's London in 2022.
The irony of ironies is that the winning bidder was reportedly an Englishman.
No. 1: Michael Jordan, 1998 NBA Finals
In many ways, Michael Jordan was the Babe Ruth of basketball. Yes, the game had players like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson who were established stars when he came to the league, but Jordan captured the public's imagination like very few players before or since. Jordan was not only a prolific scorer; he was blessed with athletic ability that allowed him to almost fly through the air.
The slam dunk was his signature move, and his aerial prowess earned him the nickname Air Jordan. By the time Jordan's career was over, he was almost universally hailed as the greatest NBA player of all time and the greatest clutch player basketball had ever known. He also made hundreds of millions of dollars off the court as a pitchman for products like Nike and Gatorade.
Jordan won the last of his six NBA titles in 1998. Sotheby's auction house sold the jersey Jordan wore during game one of Chicago's best-of-seven series versus the Utah Jazz for a record $10.1 million in January 2023.
Sports Collectibles Are Big Business
The popularity of sports memorabilia like game-worn jerseys extends beyond hardcore collectors. These days, investors are just as likely to be in on the bidding for high-end sports memorabilia as they are for the next big startup or cryptocurrency opportunity. These items are rare, irreplaceable and highly sought after. This is big business now.
Historically, that combination makes for great investments that have strong appreciation potential. Sports memorabilia like game-worn jerseys or fine art can also be good long-term hedges against inflation. With eight-figure prices rolling in, it's only a matter of time before another collectible breaks Jordan's record. The only question is, what will it be, and how much it will sell for?
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