A live auction of Willie Mays memorabilia generated millions of dollars for the late baseball legend's Say Hey Foundation in San Francisco on Saturday
A 1962 San Francisco Giants uniform, autographed by Mays and matched to the All-Star Game that season, topped all sales for Hunt Auctions, at $634,500.
Then came the rings: Mays' 1954 World Series ring, tied to his famous basket catch at the Polo Grounds, sold for $458,250 and his Baseball Hall of Fame Induction ring sold for $446,500.
The awards also pulled in big numbers. His 1954 National League MVP trophy sold for $458,250, while the award he won 12 years later, in 1965, sold for $387,750. His 1954 Silver Bat sold for $246,750.
Perhaps the most unique item was Mays' Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to him by President Barack Obama in 2015, for $64,625. The award is highly coveted by collectors. In 2012, Buzz Aldrin's sold for $277,200.
Mays, who died in June 2024, worked with Hunt Auctions before his death to arrange for the estate sale with the goal of raising money to help children through his foundation.
Hunt Auctions noted many of the high-priced items were bought by Ron Firman, a commercial real estate investor who grew up in New York. Firman will be displaying the items in and around Oracle Park.
"Willie Mays was a great player with a down-to-earth personality who I admired," Firman said in a statement. "I wanted to keep together the nice part of Mays' historical collection so that everyone would be able to enjoy viewing it in a museum for years to come."
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectibles market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.