Collector Ken Goldin offered $28 million for collectible ‘everybody wants’ but still got turned down

When people think of collectibles, cars and watches immediately spring to mind, but there’s a lot more to it than that.

Ken Goldin is a veteran of the collectibles market – what he doesn’t know isn’t worth knowing.

As a collector himself, he’s seen it all, bought it all, and sold it all.

The collectibles market is packed with celebrities, valuable items, and stories, and Goldin shared some of those tales with Supercar Blondie, including one about a card that cost the same as a yacht.

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Goldin has sold the coveted 1909 T-206 Honus Wagner card, a trading card that – depending on condition – is worth seven or even eight figures.

The one sold by Goldin ended up fetching $7.25 million.

Speaking to Supercar Blondie, Goldin said this is not only the most valuable item ever sold at Goldin, it is the most valuable and historic baseball card of all time.

“When [Honus] Wagner decided he no longer wanted his card to be included in cigarette packs, production stopped which led to the card being incredibly scarce,” Goldin said.

“Just this past season on King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch we saw a new Wagner surface that had not been on anybody’s radar in the past.

“That means there could be more out there.

“No one really knows, that’s the excitement of it all.”

‘The one that got away’

Goldin used to own an uncut proof strip with the Wagner card, along with a few others, and he says this is possibly his biggest regret.

He’d bought it in 2000 at auction, and then sold it in 2008.

It seemed like a good deal at the time, but it ended up costing him millions.

“The strip is now worth $4 million, over 25x what it was in 2008” Goldin explained.

Watch Ken Goldin explain the story behind this $4 million card in the clip below

A collectible worth tens of millions

Aside from the Honus Wagner card, there’s also another card worth millions that collectors are after.

The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle Card is the modern baseball card that every collector wants to own.

Goldin spent his entire career looking for one, and when he finally found it, he was ready to break a sizeable piggy bank to own it, but it still wasn’t enough.

“I once offered $28 million for one and got turned down,” Goldin told us.

Imagine owning a card so valuable you’re in the position to say no to somebody offering $28 million.

The most ‘bankable’ celebrity

The collectibles market is bigger than most people think, and – as you can imagine – value is sometimes also derived from the celebrity whose name is attached to the item in question.

According to Goldin, there’s only one name at the top of this list, and that’s Michael Jordan.

“You can debate who’s the ‘GOAT’ on the court, but from a collectibles standpoint Michael Jordan is at the top of everyone’s list,” Goldin said.

“Everything associated with him is on another level.

His impact on the sport and pop culture ensures that anything connecting to him remains highly sought after by collectors.”

In 2023, Goldin co auctioned off a pair of game-worn, signed Nike Air Ships, and they ended up selling for $624,000.

For example, there’s a game-used Chicago Bulls uniform from the 1996-1997 season that’s currently available from Goldin.

The current bid is $240,000 with 23 days to go before the auction ends.

We wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up fetching seven figures.