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Robert Kraft Buys 6-Figure Tom Brady Card as Shohei Ohtani Sets New Record at ‘Holy Grails’ Auction

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Shohei Ohtani's legendary status continues to rise—not just on the field, but also in the world of collectibles. On Tuesday night in Harlem, Ohtani’s rookie card shattered auction records at the “Holy Grails” auction, a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Fanatics Collect, the collectibles division of sports giant Fanatics, and Sotheby’s.

The highlight of the evening was the sale of Ohtani’s one-of-a-kind 2018 Topps Chrome Sapphire Autographs Superfractor rookie card, which sold for an impressive $336,000. This sale eclipsed the previous Ohtani card record of $312,000, set in December 2021. The same card has seen a meteoric rise in value, previously selling for $62,730 in October 2021 and just $4,800 in May 2019. Sotheby’s had initially estimated the card’s value between $80,000 and $120,000, but Ohtani's on-field achievements, including becoming the first MLB player to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, helped drive the card’s final price far beyond expectations.

“I think my favorite thing in the sale was, in a way, the Ohtani card,” said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby’s head of collectibles. “That’s why I put it in lot one.”

The event, held at Harlem Parish, a former church converted into an event space, was attended by high-profile figures such as NFL legend Tom Brady, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, YouTube star Logan Paul, and rapper Meek Mill.

In a memorable moment, Kraft—seated next to Brady in the front row—made headlines by purchasing a Tom Brady 2000 Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket Autograph card for $120,000.

The night featured several other major sales, including a 2022 Bowman Chrome 1st Bowman Prospect Autograph Superfractor card of rising MLB star Elly De La Cruz, which fetched $360,000, surpassing Ohtani’s record-setting sale.

The highest bid of the evening came for a 2005-06 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs card featuring NBA legends Michael Jordan and Julius Erving. This one-of-a-kind card, which includes game-used NBA logo patches from both players’ jerseys, sold for a staggering $780,000.

The “Holy Grails” auction brought together some of the rarest and most coveted sports memorabilia, with Ohtani's record-breaking sale serving as the perfect kickoff to a night filled with jaw-dropping bids and iconic items.