Bidding has started in two auctions covering a range of sports and music history. Heritage Auctions is hosting the Beatles' "Coming to America" 60th Anniversary Auction and Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction.
This month marks 60 years since the Beatles flew to New York to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show. Among the items in the auction are a menu from the flight signed by all members of the group, John Lennon's wife, a newspaper reporter, the Beatles' manager, and the captain of the Pan Am flight.
"On that plane, they were all together in a tin can over the ocean as happy as they could be thinking about the possibilities that lie ahead," says Heritage Auctions' Robert Wilonsky.
People can also bid on unused tickets for the Beatles' shows in Washington D.C. and Shea Stadium in New York.
"I see these unused tickets from Shea Stadium, and I'm like, 'What were you thinking? Why didn't you use these? How did these wind up in an auction house?'" Wilonsky says. "Seats one and two on the field level for God's sake, and you didn't use them."
Also up for bid is the last contract the group signed after breaking up.
"That's an extraordinary story that lies within the 11 years between those two pieces of paper," Wilonsky says.
A copy of The White Album owned by John Lennon has a starting bid of $50,000.
"John Lennon gifted it to his chauffeur and bodyguard. This guy John Lennon trusted with his life, he trusted him with all his secrets," Wilonsky says. "I think that's an extraordinarily beautiful thing."
Bidding has also started on the Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction. Among items there are Super Bowl and World Series rings.
A 2022 Houston Astros World Series ring is expected to sell for at least $30,000.
The glove Babe Ruth wore when he pitched 14 innings in Game Two of the 1916 World Series is expected to sell for at least a million dollars. The glove was signed twice by Ruth.
"Ruth later said after he retired this was the greatest moment of his career. It wasn't a home run he hit or a record he set," says Heritage Director of Sports Auctions Chris Ivy.
A sealed box of O-Pee-Chee hockey cards from Wayne Gretzky's rookie season is expected to sell for $2 million; by Tuesday afternoon, the box was already up to $1.7 million.
Ivy says since the box from the 1979-1980 season is sealed and contains 48 packs of cards, it would likely contain at least 27 Gretzky rookie cards.
"I'm sure it's going to be tempting for the winning bidder, but I certainly wouldn't recommend [opening it]," Ivy says. "This has more value as a sealed case than, most likely, if you opened it."
Bidding for a 1952 Mickey Mantle baseball card has already topped $1 million. A bat used and signed by Roberto Clemente is also available as well as shoes worn by Michael Jordan during a game in 1998.
The Beatles "Coming to America" 60th Anniversary Music Memorabilia Signature® Auction runs through Feb. 24. The Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction runs through Feb. 25.
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