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What makes a baseball hat worth $300,000?

Posted at 2:34 PM, Dec 18, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-18 16:34:26-05

By Amanda Watts

CNN

(CNN) — A baseball hat Babe Ruth wore during his 1934 tour of Japan just sold for $303,277 on the site Grey Flannel Auctions.

The navy blue hat emblazoned with a “US” logo is believed to be the only hat the legendary slugger wore during the monthlong tour, according to Grey Flannel Auctions — except when he swapped the cap for a little leaguer’s hat, resulting in the classic photo of the Sultan of Swat with a tiny hat perched on his head.

Other big-ticket baseball memorabilia items that sold in Wednesday’s auction include a Joe DiMaggio 1937 baseball cap that fetched over $150,000 and a 1932 Yankees ball, signed by both Ruth and Lou Gehrig, which went for just over $115,000.

A pair of baby blue Converse shoes that basketball great Michael Jordan wore during his 1981-82 season at the University of North Carolina sold for just over $33,000. The leather high-tops are autographed and according to Grey Flannel Auctions are “the earliest known, fully documented pair of Jordan sneakers that exist.”

Don’t worry if you were left out of this auction — you’ve still got a chance to own sports history.

Gotta Have It is selling a 1914 Babe Ruth rookie baseball card for $695,000. Pete Siegel, president of Gotta Have It, says it’s “the rarest baseball card in the industry.” It last sold in 2013 for $450,300, according to Robert Edward Auctions.

“I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t know what it will go for, but there are two types of buyers — collectors and investors — and it would be great for either. It’s a great investment which will go up in value over the years,” Siegel said.

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