TUSTIN, Calif. — Open his vault and follow sports collections dealer JP Cohen into what any collector would consider a chest of treasures.
“Every once in a while, we’re able to tell someone, ‘You had gold and you hit gold,'” Cohen said. “I always say there’s gold in those attics.”
Cohen is the President of Memory Lane Inc. in Orange County, a leader in the business of vintage sports cards and collectibles. He’s currently auctioning off what’s considered “a collection of a ‘lifetime.” And it’s no wonder: The “Magnificent 7,” as Cohen calls them, are all expected to fetch over $1 million apiece, with the entire collection valued at over $20 million.
The collection features roughly over 1,000 cards from various sports to pop culture and other memorabilia, but Cohen says the crown jewel is a one-of-a-kind 1933 Babe Ruth Goudey card that he expects to break the all-time record for a card, which is $5.2 million.
“They grade these cards on a 1-10 scale, and this one was awarded a ‘Mint 9’ condition,” Cohen said. “It’s the only one ever in the 30-plus years of authentication that’s been awarded that grade of a 9.”
The grade can make or break the card’s value. The same card three grades lower, in a “6” for instance, could be worth $80-$100,000 — still quite a pay day, but a far cry from $5 million.
“It’s never seen the light of day, so it’s the first time it’s ever been offered publicly through auction,” said Cohen. “So it’s a real special, one-of-a-kind offering.”
