Two game-worn jerseys from Hall of Fame big men, along with a couple incredible relics from 1970s rock 'n' roll highlight this week's top auctions.
As always, cllct previews the best items, with analysis from our Will Stern and Darren Rovell.
1968-69 Wilt Chamberlain game-used Lakers jersey
This Wilt Chamberlain jersey, matched to three games from his inaugural season in Los Angeles, is one of, if not the, earliest Chamberlain Lakers jerseys to surface publicly. In one of the games matched to the jersey, Chamberlain recorded a 60-point, 21-rebound performance against Oscar Robertson and the Cincinnati Royals.
Stern: Photo-matched examples from this period are few and far between. The record-setting $4.9 million sale of Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals jersey at Sotheby’s featured a MeiGray match. As did SCP’s $1.79 million 2023 sale of his rookie uniform, which includes two confirmed matches.
A non-photo-matched Lakers jersey from the same era sold for $108,000 at Goldin in December 2020. Considering how far the market has come in the years since, as well as the increasingly significant premium paid for photo-matched items, this could end closer to $500,000 than $100,000.
1984 Michael Jordan player-sample, prototype Jordan 1s
As we covered when these sneakers were first announced, this is the first time we’ve seen this pair at auction, and with bidding already into the six figures, it appears we might soon see another landmark sale of an early Jordan shoe.
Stern: When I realized these sneakers were not actually tied to the famous photoshoot (resolution from the original is too low quality to match), I felt like the air let out of its tires a bit.
However, the potential of these sneakers and where and when they could have been worn remains tantalizing. Given the promo stamp on the interior, we know it’s an early player sample.
There is a lot of nuance to wade through here as it doesn’t fall into the neat buckets of photo-matching or otherwise-detailed documentation we’re used to. That means the buyer is going to be making a massive bet the sneakers can be tied to historic events and raise the value.
Rovell: We know it’s a very early shoe. But the question is: What story can the new owner fairly tell? It’s not “these are the sneakers from the first photoshoot.” It’s not “Michael Jordan wore these in his first games.”
And the consignor’s story links them to his college coach, not Jordan at all — other than the sizing — so it’s more like “this is possibly one of the earliest Jordans made.“ That puts this into a Nike collectible in my opinion rather than a Jordan collectible. It’s a version of the Moon shoe story.
For that reason, I can’t see this going above $250,000. Still a big price, but not the $350,000 minimum of an early-worn Jordan.
1980s Bill Walton San Diego Clippers game-used and dual autographed jersey
Grey Flannel had already listed this Walton gamer prior to his death last week, telling cllct the Grey Flannel team offers their condolences and will proceed with the auction, which had started taking bids a week prior. The lot is accompanied by a match to an undated game from 1982.
Stern: I’m always uncomfortable when it comes to premiums paid for collectibles after a public figure’s death, but in this case, Grey Flannel did nothing wrong. I do anticipate this to attract a ton of attention, not just the kind typically associated with the memorabilia of recently deceased athletes, but also because of the outpouring of love and memories shared across social media in the past week, enhancing Walton’s legend.
The auction house sold another Walton jersey (sans photo-match) from the 1979-80 season in December 2023 for $7,788. This has already exceeded that mark with room to run.
Rovell: Love the San Diego Clippers, but for me, there are only two Walton gamers to get — a UCLA or a Trail Blazers jersey.
WWII German Enigma I Cipher Machine
While used by the Nazis in the middle of the war to transmit encrypted methods, the Enigma machine is a testament to the Allies’ victory, as it was codebreakers at Bletchley Park, most famously the brilliant Alan Turing, who deciphered the messages.
The codebreakers' work is credited with shortening the war by as much as two years.
Stern: RR has sold a few of these, with the machines selling for $212,500 and $206,253 in September and December 2023, respectively. I don’t see why this example would be an outlier, though it does come with great provenance.
Rovell: Relics like these are highly collectible. My concern is always how big the market is. With no big anniversary coming up, I worry about the liquidity.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin signed Presidential card
At the end of 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian Premier Joseph Stalin all met in Tehran at the Soviet embassy, marking the first time the “Big Three” allied leaders met for a conference.
It’s remembered as one of the first times major leaders met to discuss establishing the United Nations and, perhaps most importantly, spawned the commitment to open a second front against the Germans. All three signed this presidential card in fountain pens during the conference.
Stern: I am enamored with this piece. It’s three of the most influential men of the 21st century signing the same card during one of the most pivotal moments in the war. Another similar example is held in the Library of Congress — generally a solid indicator of the historical significance of an item.
Remarkable how a seemingly simple object — an old piece of paper with some ink on it — could be imbued with so much meaning. The estimate is $60,000 and up. If I were a betting man (which I am), I’d pick “up.”
Rovell: This item sold for $27,500 at Christie’s, unslabbed, in 2010. Given how the autograph market has grown since then, I will take the over on $100,000 here.
Led Zeppelin band-signed "Led Zeppelin I" debut album with John Bonham
Led Zeppelin’s debut album catapulted the group to stardom and laid the foundation for a decade of domination of the rock world. This copy is signed by all four band members: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones.
There are scant few copies with all four signatures on the cover and even fewer presenting in this condition. Gotta Have Rock and Roll’s estimate is $25,000 to $30,000.
Stern: The thing that really places this in context is that John Bonham died in 1980, making complete band-signed copies quite rare. There have been sales of more than $30,000 for band-signed examples previously, and given the excellent condition, I expect this to top estimates.
Eric Clapton’s “Wonderful Tonight” guitar
Bonham’s will sell the guitar Eric Clapton used to compose multiple songs, including “Wonderful Tonight,” throughout the late 1970s. After acquiring the guitar in the mid-1970s, Clapton became attached to it, calling it “[his] best friend at the time.”
Clapton not only recorded songs with the guitar, but also used it in concert, including during his European Tour in 1978. "That guitar went everywhere with me,” Clapton said.
Stern: This is definitely a great Clapton guitar, not just because of its ties to “Wonderful Tonight,” but also his obvious adoration for the instrument during a pivotal time in his career.
The record for a Clapton guitar is $1.27 million, which was set in November 2023 when Colts owner and super-collector Jim Irsay bought it for his collection. That guitar came from Clapton’s early days playing with the band Cream and is believed to be the instrument Clapton used to create his trademark “Woman Tone.”
The “Wonderful Tonight” guitar is not going to touch the record-holder as it pales in historic significance, however, given the popularity of “Wonderful Tonight” — I swear I heard it at a wedding two weeks ago — I think it merits Bonham’s $380,000 to $510,000 estimate.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.