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NYT: Ken Griffin Acquires Second Original Printing of the Constitution

Ken Griffin has acquired a second rare first printing of the U.S. Constitution, making him the owner of the only two surviving copies still in private hands (save some for the rest of us, Ken!). Griffin previously paid $43.2M for another copy in 2021, setting a record for any book or historical document sold at auction. The newly acquired “Van Sinderen copy” will go on display in New York later this month as part of a broader exhibition celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.

Mantel: Is a Met Gala Ticket Worth More Than These Athletes’ Best Cards?

The Met Gala’s $100,000 ticket price got Mantel’s Mike Metzler thinking of the card market (though most things remind Mike of cards, TBF). So he compared the price of the Met Gala ticket to a list of the best rookie cards. Steph Curry, Joe Burrow, Serena Williams, and Dwyane Wade all easily cleared the threshold with seven-figure grails. Meanwhile, stars like Justin Jefferson, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, Jimmy Butler, and Russell Wilson saw their top cards fall short of the Gala’s price of admission. This was a fun piece.

The Athletic: Home Installation of Boise State’s Blue Turf Sells for $25,000

Boise State is turning pieces of its iconic blue “Smurf Turf” into collectibles ahead of replacing the field this summer. In partnership with CollectU, the school sold everything from small turf swatches for $40 to a 400-square-foot section that fetched $25,000 at auction. Boise State officials framed the initiative as both a fan engagement opportunity and a new revenue stream as the program prepares for its move into the revamped Pac-12.

Mantel: Going Horizontal for Vertical Cards

A LeBron James vertical rookie auto Logoman 1/1, potentially worth more than $15M, sparked a debate over why vertical versions of identical 1/1 cards are valued more highly than horizontal ones (my random guess… most grading companies don’t have horizontal slabs, so the vertical cards look way better once graded). The piece also touched on rising soccer card sales ahead of the World Cup, Josh Donaldson claiming his card collection is worth $35M, a Yasiel Puig Topps Now card surging past $4,000 because of a Kobe Bryant image, and renewed interest in obscure or overlooked collectibles.