Will Seippel, CEO of WorthPoint, enjoys watching the items sold at auctions held by our WorthPoint Industry Partners. We thought it would be a great idea for him to select some of his favorite sold items and explain why those sales stood out to him. Gaining insights from Will is an excellent way to learn about buying and selling trends in our industry. We want to empower you to buy and sell with confidence. Take a look at his thoughts on a few of our partners’ recent sales.
On May 25th, WorthPoint added 452,546 items to its Price Guide, totaling $35,024,827 and an average lot value of $77.38.
A True Stunner
In an “oh my gosh” moment for the sports collectibles world, Robert Edward Auctions kicked off the year with a true stunner: a 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie card, graded PSA GEM MINT 10, sold for a jaw-dropping $150,000. Yes, you read that right—for a 1980 baseball card. While the 1980 Topps basketball triple-threat of Bird, Magic, and Dr. J has long held legendary status, it’s a bit more surprising to see Henderson in that rarified air. But with only 25 PSA 10s out of nearly 40,000 submitted, this card is essentially a unicorn, and its condition—flawless centering, razor-sharp corners, and pristine gloss—sealed the deal.
To underscore how rare this result is, Heritage has surpassed the $150,000 mark three times for this same card, most recently in December 2024. That’s a far cry from 2016, when a lot of 100 PSA 9 Henderson rookies sold for just $54,970—roughly $550 apiece. The difference between a nine and a ten isn’t just a grading decimal; it’s a financial chasm. So if you’re feeling lucky and thinking of dropping $50,000+ on an unopened box of 1980 Topps baseball, you’d better be praying to the hobby gods for a perfectly centered, razor-cornered Rickey.
It’s a Wiggler!
In the “dad’s tackle box” corner of the collecting world, few lures generate more buzz—or more bucks—than the elusive Elwood Wiggler. Go ahead and chuckle at the name, but a Wiggler new in its original box is no laughing matter. Morphy’s made this point loud and clear in December 2024 when a brown-spotted Elwood Wiggler, complete with its ultra-rare Wilcox box, sold for a staggering $39,600—shattering WorthPoint’s previous wiggling record. With gleaming hardware, untouched paint, glass eyes, and a distinctive double-prop design, this little 3 1⁄2-inch gem likely never even met a fish. Only a few of these in this color are known to exist, and even fewer are still in this kind of near-excellent condition, with the original insert still tucked under the lid.
While it’s hard to steal the spotlight from the Elwood Wiggler, another historic lure made a serious splash in the same sale. A rare early-model Pflueger Trory Minnow—dating back to 1900 or 1901—reeled in an impressive $23,370, setting a new record for a Pflueger lure in WorthPoint’s database. This underwater minnow, crafted by Enterprise Manufacturing Co. of Akron, Ohio, boasted its original hardware, untouched finish, and stunning hand-painted details, including gold perch bars and delicate gill marks. Discovered in a tackle box near Canton, Ohio, it was as if time had left it untouched—its large glass eyes still clear and spinners gleaming. The top five lots brought in a combined $121,395, contributing to the auction’s total haul of $862,104 across 664 lots. The world of antique fishing lures is no small pond.
A Steal
In a surprisingly quiet MaxSold auction, a listily titled “painting on canvas” caught my eye when it hammered for a surprisingly lofty $2,832. That’s a hefty sum for something so nonchalantly described, but opening the listing revealed an artist with exceptional talent, both in style and color choices. The paintilf is quite large—roughly forty-six by twenty-six inches according to a piece of painter’s tape stuck to the canvas (ugh)—and depicts a gripping scene of a mother wading through water with a toddler on her back and another child holding her hand. The listing didn’t mention much beyond that, but a photo of the artist, Wai Ming, explained the price: she’s quite well regarded in the art world.
Despite the modest presentation and minimal description, this evocative and skillful work deserved far more attention—and arguably could have brought over $10,000 with proper marketing and photography. The muted auction approach made this a real victory for the lucky buyer who snagged such a beautiful piece at a relative bargain. It’s a reminder that sometimes the true value is hidden beneath a lackluster title and sparse details, waiting for a discerning eye to appreciate.
A Vintage Gem
In closing, let me shine a light on Public Sale Auctions of Hudson, NY, whose motto—“when in doubt, don’t throw it out”—is a solid rule of thumb for any collector or seller. A perfect example came in the form of a striking five-piece art deco wicker porch set, painted emerald green with black trim, that sold for $3,000. While not spectacular in rarity, the set was undeniably killer looking, featuring a three-seat sofa, small chair, armchair with ottoman, and stand, all complemented by freshly reupholstered multicolor floral cushions. Its condition was good, with only some loose binding here and there, but the plush cushions added to the appeal. This sale made me wonder: why would anyone bother buying new when vintage gems like this, rich with character and style, are out there waiting to be snapped up?
Will Seippel is the founder, president, and CEO of WorthPoint. Will has been an avid collector since 1974 and dealer of just about all things antique—with an emphasis on ephemera— since 1984. He is also the creator and founder of HIP, a website devoted to recording the best of the world’s history that has been saved on film.
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