Signed memorabilia does and always will have value, so how about baseballs signed by multiple legends of the sport? A baseball signed by 11 members of MLB's inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 1939 set a record by being sold for $623,369, SCP Auctions confirmed on Monday.
The ball's chief signature came from Babe Ruth himself, who now has at least a hand in the balls that have fetched the top three prices.
Yes, @SCPAuctions is proud to set the new world record price for any autographed baseball. $623,369. Previous records were Babe Ruth single-signed for $388K followed by Ruth/Gehrig dual-signed for $343K. @MLB @BaseballHall #Cooperstown #WorldRecord https://t.co/I19Iqqwzrs
— SCP Auctions (@SCPAuctions) August 12, 2018
Other players on the ball include Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Connie Mack and Honus Wagner. The only inductee missing is Lou Gehrig, who couldn't attend the ceremony due to illness.
According to ESPN, the signatures were curated by former White Sox third baseman Marv Owen, who died in 1991.
The ball has obviously yellowed with age, but the signatures are still well intact.
Hold on to your hats...or baseball caps. A new record has been set. This PSA/DNA certified ball, signed by all 11 original #MLB Hall of Famers sold for $623,368 last night. It’s the highest price paid for ANY signed baseball: pic.twitter.com/htD7BUXpxy
— Joe Orlando (@JoeOrlandoPSA) August 12, 2018
It's an incredible amount of history in one ball, and it's not surprising to see it break the previous record by as much as it did. It's also completely understandable why Owen kept for as long as he did. That's the kind of thing that would be incredibly hard to part ways with.
With that being said, over half a million dollars is a pretty good consolation prize.
