The first card ever produced for the biggest star in baseball history sold for $4,026,000 to lead Heritages Fall Sports Catalog Auction during the Oct. 24, 25, and 26 sale grossing $25,757,571. The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth Rookie SGC VG 3 in this auction captured Ruth before he became a star suiting up for the New York Yankees and before he threw his first strike as a lanky left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. This card shows Ruth where he started his professional career, as a member of his hometown Baltimore Orioles. Collectors often prioritize finding the first of anything, whether it is a card or a jersey or anything else, according to Chris Ivy, Heritages director of sports auctions. This is the first card ever produced for the games first genuine superstar and one of the finest of his rookie cards in existence. The card atop this auction is just the second time that a Baltimore News Ruth card has reached the auction block in the last decade. A photo-matched 1966 Sandy Koufax game-worn and signed Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey, SGC Superior, prompted 33 bids before it closed at $869,250, which is the highest price realized for any Koufax jersey outside of the $1.8 million that Heritage achieved at auction for Koufaxs rookie jersey in 2024. The jersey is photo-matched to the final season in the career of the Dodgers southpaw legend who is universally regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in the history of baseball. Forced to retire from the game at just 30 years old, Koufax was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame just six years later, becoming the youngest player ever enshrined. Demand for a signed 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144 PSA Good 2, Auto 7, soared like one of the Bambinos monstrous home runs, bringing 52 bids before closing at $585,600, a record for a signed version of the card. This card is one of just nine signed examples, and one of 29 from all four Ruth entries in the 1933 Goudey issue. A year after his final World Championship season, one best remembered for his legendary Called Shot home run that helped the Yankees cruise to a four-game Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs, he was the biggest star in the sport. Signed pre-war cards are scarce, which helps explain the interest. A signed 1984 Star Co. Michael Jordan Rookie #101 PSA EX-MT 6, PSA/DNA Auto 8, nearly tripled its pre-auction estimate bringing $439,200, also a record for a signed version of the card. Jordan is featured on this card, which is widely regarded as his true first NBA-licensed issue. The popularity of the card has surged over the past year, with demand reaching critical mass as collectors recognize its place as Jordans first true rookie. Originally distributed in team bags and regional channels rather than traditional packs, these cards were not available in standard retail outlets, which adds to their rarity. His autograph has also seen a remarkable rise in demand, with collectors increasingly chasing authenticated signatures as supply dwindles. Another Yankees great proved he still is a big hit at the auction block when a1956 Topps Mickey Mantle (Gray Back) #135 PSA Mint 9 achieved $414,800, smashing the previous record for a PSA 9 by nearly $200,000 and setting a record for the card in any grade. His 1952 rookie card is the most coveted card of the post-war era, but this 1956 model was more popular at the time of its original sale, and this is one of the finest known examples, with just four others earning higher grades. Cards from outside the sports world also fared well in the auction, as a1977 Topps Star Wars #1 Luke Skywalker #1 PSA Gem Mint 10 sparked 59 bids on its way to becoming the events third lot to end at a record $268,400. Topps recognized the cultural impact of the film that became one of the defining movies in the history of cinema and launched a series of collectible trading cards. This card is from one of the finest 1977 Topps Star Wars sets, ranked No. 4 on the PSA Set Registry. Out of more than 4,000 graded by PSA, just nine, including this example, have been graded Gem Mint. That Skywalker card was one of 379 Star Wars lots in the auction, other record-setting cards from the collection included, a1977 Topps Star Wars Princess Leia Organa #5 PSA Gem Mint 10 realizing $50,020, and a 1977 Topps Star Wars #8 Grand Moff Tarkin PSA Gem Mint 10 selling for $37,820. Among sets that sold, a Star Wars set sold for a total of $726,122, surpassing its pre-auction estimate of $290,000. A1967 Topps baseball set sold for $1,041,787, and the 1978 Topps basketball set dwarfed its pre-auction estimate of $42,000 when it sold for $94,269. There were 17 fresh-to-market 1968 Topps 3-D cards from a single consignor. Among those that stood out was one of just three known examples of a1968 Topps 3-D Prototype Brooks Robinson PSA Authentic. It realized $134,200. There is a surge in demand for tickets from the first games of sports legends. A1979 Wayne Gretzky NHL Debut Ticket Stub, PSA Mint 9, nearly doubled its pre-auction estimate when it closed at a record $158,600. The legend known simply as The Great One played for four NHL teams but is known best for his nine seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, the team he helped win four Stanley Cups. His NHL career began in the game that produced this ticket, an Oct. 10, 1979, a visit to Chicago, a game in which he helped set up a first-period power play goal with the first of his NHL-record 1,963 career assists and 2,857 points. A1984 Michael Jordan NBA Debut Chicago Bulls Ticket Stub, PSA VG-EX 4, sold for $109,800, a record for the grade. One of the most captivating items in the entire auction was the star of one of the most memorable of all sports marketing campaigns, a1995-97 Lil Penny Ad Campaign Production Puppet that reached $64,050. Launched in 1994 by Nike, the campaign featured a miniature puppet of NBA star (and current University of Memphis head coach) Anfernee Penny Hardaway in a series of commercials in which the character was voiced by comedian Chris Rock. For complete results, visit www.HA.com/50080.