Programs and scorecards have long been called collectibles, but aside from a select few, they haven't exactly appreciated much over the years.
This weekend, a scorecard is expected to be added to the upper eschelon: one from Jackie Robinson's debut in 1947. The lightly scored, folded piece of history is already at $16,470 at Heritage Auctions, way past the auction house's estimate of at least $5,000.
A scorecard from Robinson's debut previously sold, but it was in 2015, and the $15,535 that was paid included a ticket to that game, which based on the authentic grade, is worth more than $100,000 today alone.
Strangely, the highest price paid for scorecards all involve the Boston Red Stockings or Red Sox. At least three scorecards from the 1903 World Series, including the scorecard from the clinching Game 8 ($144,000), have sold for at least $90,000.
Then there are scorecards from the 1880s, which involve the Boston team, that have sold for as much as $84,000.
The oldest known World Series scorecard, from 1886, sold at Lelands for $34,598.
Scorecards from moments sometimes have done well. The scorecard from Ted Williams risking his .400 average on the last day of the 1941 season sold for $8,700 in 2020.