fever87
Sr. Member
- Aug 16, 2009
- 303
- 146
- Detector(s) used
- Minelab X-Terra 705, Equinox 600, GPX 4500
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
Lombardi's West Point Sweater Brings Thrift Shop Owners $43,020 At Auction
Lombardi's West Point Sweater Brings Thrift Shop Owners $43,020 At Auction
Feb. 21, 2015 Discovered at a North Carolina Goodwill for 58 cents, auction house donates entire Seller's Commission to charity
Legendary Green Bay Packer's Coach Vince Lombardi's sweater from his coaching days at West Point, found at Goodwill outlet for just 58 cents, sold for $43,020 at Heritage Auctions' Sports Platinum Night. The black and gold tone sweater had been donated by the widow of Bill Wannamaker, who coached at West Point with Lombardi during the 1940s and early 1950s.
It was purchased by an anonymous collector on the phone.
In a stunning turn of events, it was found by Sean and Rikki McEvoy and destined for their vintage clothing store in Knoxville, Tennessee, before the two discovered the sweater was owned by the football legend and could be worth thousands. In honor of Wannamaker's contribution to football history, Heritage Auctions has decided to donate its seller's Commission to Goodwill to fulfil his family's original wish that the sweater generate funds for the charity.
"We knew collectors were going to be happy to see this sweater and Heritage is happy to donate its full commission to Goodwill," said Chris Nerat, a Consignment Director at Heritage Auctions. "It's a great piece of sports history and it certainly went on an amazing journey before ending up at auction."
Lombardi is shown in period photos wearing the sweater as he served as assistant to head coach of the U.S. Army Black Knights at West Point. It was Lombardi's final stop before making his NFL debut with the 1954 New York Giants. The words "Lombardi 46" appear handwritten on a white cotton swatch sewn inside the sweater, clearly identifying the wrap as belonging to one of the winningest coaches in NFL history.
The McEvoy's purchased the sweater last summer at a Goodwill Outlet in Asheville, North Carolina, where goods are sold for 58 cents per pound. A few months later, the two were watching a television documentary on Lombardi when they noticed an image of him wearing an identical sweater. A quick look at the tag confirmed their suspicions
Lombardi's West Point Sweater Brings Thrift Shop Owners $43,020 At Auction
Feb. 21, 2015 Discovered at a North Carolina Goodwill for 58 cents, auction house donates entire Seller's Commission to charity
Legendary Green Bay Packer's Coach Vince Lombardi's sweater from his coaching days at West Point, found at Goodwill outlet for just 58 cents, sold for $43,020 at Heritage Auctions' Sports Platinum Night. The black and gold tone sweater had been donated by the widow of Bill Wannamaker, who coached at West Point with Lombardi during the 1940s and early 1950s.
It was purchased by an anonymous collector on the phone.
In a stunning turn of events, it was found by Sean and Rikki McEvoy and destined for their vintage clothing store in Knoxville, Tennessee, before the two discovered the sweater was owned by the football legend and could be worth thousands. In honor of Wannamaker's contribution to football history, Heritage Auctions has decided to donate its seller's Commission to Goodwill to fulfil his family's original wish that the sweater generate funds for the charity.
"We knew collectors were going to be happy to see this sweater and Heritage is happy to donate its full commission to Goodwill," said Chris Nerat, a Consignment Director at Heritage Auctions. "It's a great piece of sports history and it certainly went on an amazing journey before ending up at auction."
Lombardi is shown in period photos wearing the sweater as he served as assistant to head coach of the U.S. Army Black Knights at West Point. It was Lombardi's final stop before making his NFL debut with the 1954 New York Giants. The words "Lombardi 46" appear handwritten on a white cotton swatch sewn inside the sweater, clearly identifying the wrap as belonging to one of the winningest coaches in NFL history.
The McEvoy's purchased the sweater last summer at a Goodwill Outlet in Asheville, North Carolina, where goods are sold for 58 cents per pound. A few months later, the two were watching a television documentary on Lombardi when they noticed an image of him wearing an identical sweater. A quick look at the tag confirmed their suspicions
