A very quiet auction week doesn't mean there weren't some great items sold. We often recap the high-priced items, but we're using this week to go a little lower and hit some of the more unique pieces that sold and one that didn't sell that caught our eye.
Let's get to it ...
2003 Exquisite Collection Dwyane Wade Rookie Patch Auto /99 #74 PSA 9 Mint
Price: $24,000
Stern: Overshadowed by the iconic LeBron James rookie card from the same set, the Dwyane Wade 2003 Exquisite Collection rookie is an iconic card in its own right. At PSA 9 (limited to 99 copies), the RPA is a pop six with three higher in PSA pop.
This is just the fourth time the card has sold in 2024 in any grade, with a BGS 9 example selling for $16,807.94 in March.
Wade has got to be one of the most underrated modern players in the hobby. There's no reason this shouldn’t be double the price considering the rarity, legendary status of the set, and, of course, Wade’s Hall of Fame career.
Rovell: I didn't realize how much of a discount Wade sells to LeBron, and it's obviously the same draft class. There's no question Wade deserves more respect price wise, but, as an investor, you wonder if things will ever change. There's been plenty of time here.
First edition of "The Catcher in the Rye," signed signed by J.D. Salinger
Price: Did not sell
One of the most shocking results over the weekend was that a signed first edition of "The Catcher in the Rye" did not sell at Iconic after it failed to meet the reserve despite a top bid of $42,406.
Rovell: I'm going to leave the research to Will here, but $42K seems like a hefty price, although admittedly I know nothing about the rarity of a first edition or of Salinger's signature.
I do know that is considered one of the greatest books of all time. Time Magazine had it at No. 4 in American novels published from 1923 to 2005.
Stern: I was taken aback here when I saw it failed to sell with a $42k bid, considering that is more than double the price paid just last month for a high-quality example of a first edition at Sotheby’s.
But, when you dive into it, you see how shockingly rare signed examples are, with Sallinger signing a shockingly few examples. Rumor has it, Salinger was extremely hesitant to sign any copies as he didn’t want anyone profiting off of his work. As a result, we never see signed copies at auction. One sold for the first time publicly in 2010, fetching $65,000.
John Williams signed "Star Wars" theme opening notes
Price: $2,841
This is a stellar index card that sold at Iconic of composer John Williams signing his name and adding the first few notes of the "Star Wars" theme.
Rovell: As a music lover, I love these. I bought Bill Conti's signature with the beginning of "Eye of the Tiger," and this one is even better. A similar signature from Williams with the same stanza sold for $2,090 at RR in 2022 and $2,750 at Heritage in 2022.
"Star Wars" 1983 vintage Top Toys ROTJ Yoda MOC AFA 50
Price: $5,078.16
Top Toys was an Argentinian company given the license to produce a limited production of "Star Wars" toys in 1983.
Unlike most foreign licensers, which opted to use Kenner’s moulds, Top Toys used its own, resulting in a unique product — slightly smaller and less detailed than Kenner’s.
Stern: Only five of these super rare variants have been graded by AFA. I love seeing the label “El Regreso Del Jedi” and “El Maestro Jedi” on the front, it really makes the rarity of this niche — foreign-licensed “Star Wars” toys — pop. For reference, another Top Toys variant of Darth Vader, graded AFA 85, sold for a little more than $4,000 in 2022.
Rovell: In the toy market, it's "Star Wars" and everything else. I love the toy space and think there's a lot more room to grow.
Ticket stub from first matchup between Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky
Price: $2,004
On Oct. 22, 1978, Wayne Gretzky met Gordie Howe on the ice for the first time in a WHA game. It was Gretzky's fifth pro game with the Indianapolis Racers, and it came against Howe, who was 50 at the time.
Gretzky's Racers lost the game, but he'd get the last laugh. Some 16 years later, No. 99 would pass Howe as the NHL's all-time leading scorer.
Rovell: Such a small stub, but such a cool moment. Went for a bit higher than I imagined.
2018 Pokemon Japanese SM Munch A Retrospective Scream Pikachu BGS 10 Black Label
Price: $15,000
Stern: This is the story of how a BGS Black Label (perfect 10 sub-grades) can add a ton of value, even against PSA 10s. It appears this is most pronounced in TCG, where BGS has picked up some steam in the past year.
One of the few bright spots for the grading company in recent years, TCG Black Label cards are still holding a premium against PSA 10s, with this example fetching $15,000, the same day a PSA 10 example sold on eBay for $2,100.
Rovell: Just so everyone is clear, this is the same card, but it was just labeled by Beckett as a best in class. Is it really that "best in class" to get 7X. I'm not a card guy, but, to me, that seems absurd.
Pokemon Emerald and Sapphire games (ungraded))
Price: $2,000
Stern: These two games, both ungraded, sold together on eBay for $2,000. This seems like a solid bet for the buyer considering mid-grade copies of each can fetch more than $2,000 alone.
A Wata 8.5 A+ copy of Emerald sold for $3,323 last month, and a Wata 8.0 A copy of Sapphire sold for more than $1,000 in May. Worth noting, the listing says there is a small cut in the seal of Sapphire. Still, if the games grade well, this could be a strong profit for a risk-taking buyer.
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.