iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

This Rocket-Firing Boba Fett prototype (the T206 Wagner of action figures) sold for $185,850 in 2019. It's the single-highest graded of its kind. Now it's coming to auction at Goldin. Last year another prototype sold for a record $1.34 million.

000

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

Today in 1977, Apple was incorporated. The previous July, the company's first product, the Apple-1, went on sale at $666.66. Polaroids from Jobs's pitch deck for the 1976 Apple-1 demo given to Byte Shop's Paul Terrell, who ordered 50 computers (their 1st big sale).

000

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

A promotional copy of “All Tomorrow’s Parties” by the Velvet Underground sold for $30k this year, the most expensive sale in the history of @discogsofficial.bsky.social. Less than 10 copies of the single, released a year prior to 1967's "The Velvet Underground & Nico," are believed to exist.

030

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 20/12/2024

Stories drive prices in the collectible world. So when I saw this seemingly plain Lincoln autograph fetch double its estimate, I knew there had to be a reason. The man who originally owned it saw Lincoln die. www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

021

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

Same card. 3 sales. 13 years. $22,325 in 2011. $422,400 in 2023. $793,006 in 2024.

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

This card is the first to include Walt Disney & Mickey Mouse together. There are 4 PSA 9s. The top price for a copy was $40k+ in 2023.

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 19/12/2024

John Lennon signed a copy of the "Double Fantasy" album Mark David Chapman hours before he was murdered. in 2020, it sold for $922,500. It was the second most expensive album ever sold (behind the Wu-Tang Clan - Shkreli album).

030

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art are greeted by the likes of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and Egyptian tombs. And one of the greatest collections of baseball cards in history, including a T206 Honus Wagner. My story on the father of card collecting: www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

031

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Can’t put a price on health!

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

In 2020, a Lou Gehrig jersey sold for $870k. Now, thanks to photo-matching connecting it to the 1937 World Series, it could become the most expensive Gehrig jersey ever sold this month. www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

032

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Yesterday a sealed copy of the Beatles' "Butcher Album" sold for $35k at Heritage Auctions. Here's my piece on the story behind the band's most controversial album cover ... and why it was pulled. www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

30 years ago today, the PlayStation was released in Japan. But did you know it was almost a collaboration between Sony and Nintendo? They produced around 200 prototypes in the ‘90s. It’s believed all but one were destroyed, with the remaining example selling for a record $360k in 2020.

031

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 26/11/2024

This $10 gold coin from 1850 sold for $1.26M this week. One of around 20 believed to exist. Known as the Cowboy Coin, it was inspired by a famous depiction of cowboys in Mexican California.

030

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

The rarest N64 game in the world, "Clay Fighter: Sculptor's Cut," sold for $175k at @heritageauction.bsky.social. The game is so insanely rare that the manual alone has sold for as much as $3,800. Here's why: www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

050

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The most relatable historical letter ever: In a letter to his son, William Henry Harrison wrote “I left my sword at your house” and asked if he could find someone to bring it to New York for him.

030

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

Signed photos of the Beatles on stage are extremely scarce. This one, of the Beatles performing in Liverpool in 1963, just sold for $83k+. A signed photo from the same year *off stage* sold in the same auction for $26,575.

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Nobody knew Cox had it… he kept it a secret till 2017. He listed it for auction & it fetched a record (at the time) $17.8M. One more thing: It’s inscribed “Drive Carefully, Me” A gift from his wife, it was meant as a reminder for Newman as he was a fanatical racecar driver.

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

It would become the most significant watch in history: A "Paul Newman" Rolex Daytona Ref. 6239 Newman Daytonas are especially valuable due to their rarity, unique dials, & association w/ the legendary actor. But this was on another level... It came from Newman himself.

120

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

James Cox was dating Paul Newman’s daughter when he was 18. Newman asked him if he knew the time & Cox said no because he didn’t have a watch… As he handed Cox the watch off his wrist he said: “If you remember to wind this it tells pretty good time"

110

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

How a Summer job building a treehouse earned one man $17.8M... (his boss was Paul Newman) 👇

120

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

A “Star Wars” figure featuring Vlix, a character even the most die-hard fans have likely never heard of, sold for an eye-popping $44,261.80 Wednesday night at Hake's. www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Kurt Cobain's smashed guitar sells for nearly $160k. www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

A newly discovered carton of T206-era cigarette packs has surfaced for the first time. The story: www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

021

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

After sending it to be authenticated at @psacard.bsky.social, it hit the auction block @heritageauction.bsky.social. It would have been the most expensive ticket ever sold... Except for the fact that a Jackie Robinson Debut Stub sold in the same auction for $480K.

030

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Waking up from a nap, a headline flashed on the TV: “Michael Jordan’s 1984 Debut Ticket Sells for a Record $264,000 at Auction” Cole wiped the sleep out of his eyes and ran downstairs. In a box filled with mementos was a full ticket from MJ’s debut. The only one on Earth.

120

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Years went by. Old tickets were hardly front of mind. Then one day that all changed.

120

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

Mike Cole was a freshman at Northwestern when he saw that the Washington Bullets would be in town for a game. He nabbed 2 tickets from a family friend who worked for the Bullets… but none of his buddies wanted to tag along. So he used 1 for admission & kept the other.

120

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

In 1984, a college kid bought two tickets to a basketball game. None of his friends wanted to come. So he went to Michael Jordan's NBA Debut Game alone. It cost him $8.50. in 2022, he sold that ticket for $468K. 👇

130

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

This painting of Christy Mathewson by @graigkreindler.bsky.social is up for auction. Here’s my piece from earlier this year on Kreindler and his incredible body of work. www.cllct.com/sports-colle...

020

Will Stern @will-stern.bsky.social · 20/11/2024

This work by Ed Ruscha sold for over $68M yesterday at auction. It’s called “Standard Station, Ten-Cent Western Being Torn in Half.”

030