Latest news with #HuntAuctions
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hunt's live MLB All-Star Auction remains unique midsummer experience
During the 1996 MLB All-Star Game, Hunt Auctions ran its standard vendor playbook used at card shows, including The National, by setting up a booth and offering the chance to interact with and purchase vintage baseball items. The game was in Philadelphia, just an hour drive from Hunt's headquarters in Exton, so the auction house worked with the Phillies to set up during the weekend. That arrangement carried over to subsequent games until Hunt eventually approached MLB to be its official Auction House of the All-Star Game. Advertisement That was in 2005. More than 20 years later, the partnership is still running strong, with this year's live auction highlighted by a post-career Jackie Robinson jersey and one of the finest playing days autographed Babe Ruth baseballs in the hobby. When Hunt Auctions founder David Hunt first approached MLB about the partnership, he remembered the league being receptive. 'They have done a really good job at celebrating and recognizing their past is unequaled by any other American sport,' Hunt told cllct. This recognition allowed Hunt to find its footing during the All-Star festivities. Hunt Auctions, which is primarily known for vintage baseball, stays true to itself in its offerings, but also adapts to the locales of each year's game. Advertisement When the game came to Yankee Stadium in 2008, Hunt sold the Whitey Ford Collection. This year, the auction on July 15 consists of a number of large private Braves collections. One of the other unique aspects of the event is the appraisal fair, which allows fans to bring items to the experts at Hunt to get an idea of the value. It's also key for the relationship with MLB to keep the auctions tightly curated and not allow any items that might shine a poor light on the league. 'You know, you don't enjoy a two decade-plus relationship with the league by doing things the wrong way,' Hunt said. 'So we've always been very, very, very strict about what can be sold and only selling things that are appropriate to sell. And guaranteeing everything we sell, because those values clearly align with the way that Major League Baseball conducts themselves, and that's something that they rightfully demanded from Day 1.' Advertisement Hunt Auctions has always been known for its live auction events, a rarity in today's online world. While phone and internet bidders are allowed at the yearly event, Hunt sees the live aspect as invaluable. 'One thing that we've been known for for the entire 35 years of our company is physical live auctions, a true live auction with bidding paddles and excitement and adrenaline and, you know, the whole nine yards,' Hunt said. 'And we believe in it. I mean, it's sort of the foundation of our company.' Especially in the context of the MLB All-Star Game live auction, which sees plenty of fans without specific interest in collecting watching the event for a few minutes before carrying on, the live aspect can act as a tool in recruiting new collectors. Then, of course, there is the ability to hold the memorabilia in your hands. 'Physically handling a piece and seeing it in front of you, there is no technology that will match that,' Hunt said. 'There just isn't. It's not possible. So I think that's a really valuable piece, and if that costs us a bit more to bring that to collectors, we're happy to do it.' Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible content.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Hobby says hello to Sophie Cunningham, while Funko says goodbye to CEO
Good morning, Collectors, Special thanks to Mike Metzler for covering for me these last Above the Mantel issues, as my wife and I welcomed our first child, Lucy. Since we've been settling into life as a family of 3, I haven't been able to do much collecting… except for dirty diapers, that is! Advertisement (OK… so my Dad Jokes need refining, but come on, I'm just a week into this thing… Let's get back to the headlines…). Willie Mays' custom-made 1977 Stutz Blackhawk VI will be made available via Hunt Auctions in September. (Hunt Auctions) The personal collection of Willie Mays, who died last June at 93, is heading to the auction block Sept. 27–28 via Hunt Auctions, with proceeds benefiting his Say Hey! Foundation. The lineup includes heavy hitters: his 1954 World Series ring, two MVP awards, Hall of Fame induction ring, and a photo-matched 1962 Giants uniform worn during that year's All-Star Game. Also up for grabs: a custom 1977 Stutz Blackhawk VI and his Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. Advertisement PSA is officially entering the comic and magazine grading arena, with submissions opening July 14. Modern-era items (1975 and up) will start at $25.99 with a 20-day turnaround, and optional pressing services begin at $11.99, though adding pressing will roughly double the turnaround time. Long dominated by CGC, the comic grading space now faces serious competition, with PSA pricing its services to undercut the incumbent in key spots. Their entry was teased at 2024's San Diego Comic-Con via a Kith x Marvel collab, where a Venom-Spider-Man 1/1 PSA-holdered sketch variant later fetched $30,000 on eBay. Sophie Cunningham is having a moment, per Mantel's J.R. Fickle, and collectors are paying attention. From viral outfits and 'enforcer' energy to her front-row seat next to Caitlin Clark in Indiana, she's become one of the most visible and talked-about players in the WNBA. That visibility is translating into hobby heat: autographed Prizm cards are hovering above $120, and despite no official jersey on for sale from Fanatics, Cunningham has three of the top six Fever merch items. Media savvy, meme-ready, and in the spotlight every game, her cardboard stock might just be climbing still. Advertisement Funko is shaking up its leadership again, replacing CEO Cynthia Williams after just 14 months. The move follows a rough Q1 showing, with the company posting a $27.6M net loss and citing macroeconomic pressures like tariffs. Board member Michael Lunsford steps in as interim CEO, tasked with guiding a transition that includes finding new leadership, jumpstarting organic growth, and evaluating financial and strategic paths forward. Investors responded swiftly, with shares falling from $4.94 to $4.35 on the day of the announcement. Another twist in the ongoing saga of a collectibles titan under pressure. eBay is quietly testing a new 'extended bidding' feature for trading card auctions on its mobile app, giving sellers the option to add time to the clock if a bid comes in during the final two minutes. The test is limited, only visible to users with the latest app version, and doesn't apply to all listings. No details yet on whether bidding can keep rolling with additional last-minute bids. This shift nudges eBay closer to formats used by live auction platforms and major memorabilia houses, where extended bidding keeps the action alive, and snipe bids sweating. A one-of-one Bronny James 2024-25 Panini Select Jumbo Patch Black Finite card sold for $1,802 on eBay, featuring a patch that unintentionally reads 'LEAVE,' a cropped snippet of the Lakers' 'leave a legacy' tribute to Kobe Bryant. Out of context, it's… well, poetic? The card joins a long tradition of unflattering or bizarre sports cards, from Billy Ripken's infamous bat knob profanity to a Tobias Harris 'BUM' patch masterpiece. Even LeBron's 2024-25 Prizm card raised eyebrows for emphasizing hair loss over heroics. Whether by accident or design, these awkward cardboard relics are a reminder: the hobby has a long memory, and a wicked sense of humor. Advertisement Your collection deserves a community. Download Mantel today.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Willie Mays auction to feature MVP awards, championship ring
Treasures from the life and career of Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays will be sold at Hunt Auctions this fall, highlighted by his championship ring, MVP awards and Presidential Medal of Freedom. All proceeds will go to education, training and health services for youth via the Say Hey! Foundation. Advertisement Mays, who left an indelible mark on the game of baseball and American history writ large over his illustrious career, died at age 93 last June. Hunt Auctions, which has long led the industry as the top auction house for player collections, previously handling the estates and collections from greats including Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams, was chosen by Mays to sell his collection. According to Say Hey! Foundation chair and friend of Mays, Jeff Bleich, Mays' one instruction to Hunt Auctions founder David Hunt was 'make this the best auction ever to help those kids.' "For all of his extraordinary achievements as a baseball player, Willie Mays wanted his enduring legacy to be helping children," Bleich said in a statement. "He preserved his most treasured awards so that one day he could pay it forward. He wanted to share these items with his fans so that together they could raise as much as possible to support other kids starting out in life the way he had." Advertisement Among those items Mays preserved that will now find new homes are his 1954 Giants World Series ring (est. $500,00-$1,000,000), both of his MVP Awards (est. $250,000-$500,000 each) and his Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he was awarded in 2015 (est. $50,000-$100,000). Nearly all of the items in the auction have never before been sold publicly, with a handful of exceptions, which Mays re-acquired form the public market. 'We are deeply humbled and grateful to Willie Mays for having been selected to represent this important offering of his personal collection,' David Hunt said in a statement. 'Willie has ensured his generosity will continue long into the future with the wonderful work that his Say Hey! Foundation has accomplished with the proceeds of this auction going to help further that good work. "This auction will undoubtedly stand the test of time as one of the most important player collections ever to be publicly offered and may well become yet another 'greatest all-around' event befitting of the iconic legacy of the Say Hey Kid.' Advertisement The live auction will be held Sept. 27 at the King Street Warehouse event space near Oracle Park in San Francisco. Following the auction, an online sale of additional items from the collection will be held Sept. 28. The collection will be displayed publicly for the first time at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago on July 30 to Aug. 3. Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible content.
San Francisco Chronicle
08-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Giants legend Willie Mays' personal collection to be auctioned off in S.F.
Baseball history heads to San Francisco this September as the personal collection of Hall of Famer Willie Mays — from his 1954 World Series ring to his Presidential Medal of Freedom — goes up for bid at Hunt Auctions. One of the greatest players in baseball history, Mays was a 24-time All-Star and stands alone as the only player in MLB history to retire with at least 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, 300 stolen bases and a .300 career batting average. Mays died just over a year ago at age 93. Honoring Mays' wishes, all proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Say Hey! Foundation, which he founded in 2000. The foundation provides athletic training, education, health services and other support to underprivileged youth. 'For all of his extraordinary achievements, as a baseball player, Willie Mays wanted his enduring legacy to be helping children,' said Jeff Bleich, Mays' friend and chair of the Say Hey! Foundation. 'Willie believed that every child deserves the chance to make the most of their talents.' More For You Giants blend Roupp's start and a small-ball attack to beat Phillies in series opener Giants welcome Casey Schmitt back from IL, option Tyler Fitzgerald to Triple-A Among the most illustrious items from Mays' personal collection that will hit Hunt Auctions are his 1954 New York Giants championship ring, National League MVP awards from 1954 and 1965, his 1979 National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ring and his Presidential Medal of Freedom, which he was honored with in 2015 by President Barack Obama. With exception to a few items that Mays re-acquired from the public market, almost every item in the auction will make its debut for public purchase. Bleich said that Mays had one piece of instruction to Hunt Auctions president David Hunt: 'Make this the best auction ever to help those kids.' The auction will take place on Sept. 27 at the King Street Warehouse event space, which sits adjacent to Oracle Park. Following the auction, hundreds of additional items from the collection will be sold exclusively online on Sept. 28. The National Sports Collectors Convention will feature the first public display of the collection in Chicago between July 30 and Aug. 3.
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Bill Walton's Auction Is A Long, Strange Trip Through His Life
Former basketball player and sportscaster Bill Walton, who passed away last year, gestures after ... More throwing the first pitch at a San Diego Padres game in 2019. The Walton family is auctioning his possessions and donating a portion of the funds to the UC San Diego Health Center. (AP Photo/Orlando Ramirez, File) The auction of Bill Walton's personal memorabilia is nearing its end and in the words of the basketball great, if you have a bid, throw it down. Artifacts from Walton's days as one of the game's all-time best players, mementos from his road to greatness and, of course, treats from his long, strange trip following the Grateful Dead, are among the nearly 300 items being presented by Hunt Auctions. Walton, who won two titles in the NBA and at UCLA, passed away last year after a battle with cancer. Bill Walton (5) of the Boston Celtics goes up to block the shot of Paul Pressey (25) of the ... More Milwaukee Bucks during an 1986 game. Walton won the NBA title that season with the Celtics. (Photo by Focus) "On behalf of the entire Walton family, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Hunt Auctions for its meticulous care in organizing Bill's possessions,'' said Lori Walton, his widow. The treasure drove of Walton items is just that. Everything from the first rim he aimed for at his La Mesa, Calif., home to his Helix High School letterman's jacket. Many items from Bill Walton's run to the NBA title with the Portland Trail Blazers, are available ... More through his auction of personal items. From his UCLA stint as the leader of the Walton Gang, there are his NCAA champion rings, watches, awards, game-worn jerseys and shoes. Walton also won NBA championships with the Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics and both of those title runs are well-represented. Among the momentos are his uniforms, signed basketballs and even the Wallace Park shirt Walton made famous when wearing it during the Trail Blazers' 1977 championship parade. Walton, a prolific reader and letter-writer, has signed replies and notes from the likes of John Wooden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Cousy and Rick Barry. Music was among the things Walton embraced with the same zest as he did sports and literture. A son of a trumpet player, Walton's love of the Grateful Dead, and others, is found with his various souvenirs. Bill Walton attends the Grateful Dead concert at California State University at Dominguez Hills in ... More 1990 in Carson, Calif. (Photo by) Bids are open on the iconic Father Time outfits he wore at the Grateful Dead's New Year Eve's shows, his collection of tie-dyed T-shirts, a framed collage collection of backstage passes, jackets, signed photos, posters and two custom-made, Grateful Dead-theme bikes. Other groups that Walton obtained autographed items from include Fleetwood Mac, Chicago and Pearl Jam. Among the auction's benefactors is the University of California San Diego Health Center. It was there that Walton had an operation that allowed him to regain his mobility. 'In 2008, Bill underwent life-saving back surgery at UC San Diego Health, and he credits his surgeon, Dr. Steven Garfin, for his remarkable recovery,'' Lori Walton said. "In honor of Dr. Garfin, we are donating a portion of the auction proceeds to UC San Diego Health.'' Bids remain open through Thursday at 'The items in the auction held immense sentimental value for Bill,'' Lori Walton said. 'We are hopeful that they find loving homes where they will be cherished just as much as Bill did.
