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https://www.barrons.com/articles/brady-01640721698

Huddle up to own a piece of pro football legend. Part of a game-day uniform worn, autographed, and customized by star quarterback Tom Brady is on the block at Goldin Auctions, whose head anticipates the item to sell for seven figures.

“It would not shock me if the sale price hit US$1 million,” says Ken Goldin, founder and executive chairman of the marketplace specializing in collectibles and trading cards. “I'd be pleasantly surprised. But it wouldn’t shock me if it approached a million.” 

As of Tuesday afternoon and with nearly two weeks left to go, 13 bids had driven the price to US$280,000.

Helping to hike up the value of the jersey is its reported one-of-a-kind status. Brady wore the black Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey emblazoned with his iconic No. 12 when he led the team to a 44-27 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Jan. 3. The win came only a few weeks before Brady spearheaded the Bucs’ 31-9 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Florida. 

Brady personalized the Bucs shirt in unprecedented fashion, Goldin’s promotion materials note. He inscribed his game-day stats (26/41 for 399 yards and 4 TDs) as well as SB LV MVP, and then added G.O.A.T., a self-referential nod to his widely held status as the Greatest of All Time.

Goldin believes the size 44 Nike jersey, which, according to the auction house was “photo matched by Sports Investors Authentication,” represents the only time Brady has ever inscribed G.O.A.T. on a jersey he sweated up during a game. 

“Nobody's brought another game-used item to our attention where he wrote (G.O.A.T.) on it,” says Goldin. “It’s very unusual for an active player to declare himself the greatest of all time. It might be something Muhammad Ali would do. But not an active football player.”

The fact that any Brady jersey is up for sale is a rarity in its own sake, according to Goldin. “Brady publicly makes it known that he keeps all his stuff, so his stuff is not available,” he says. He especially keeps all of his key game items.” 

Fanatics, a leading player in licensed sports merchandise with headquarters in several cities including New York, had a role in the jersey landing at Goldin. “Brady did have a marketing agreement with Fanatics,” says Goldin, “and my client was able to acquire the jersey from Fanatics.” 

Goldin has sold “a decent amount of Brady items,” he says. “However, they’ve not been up in the past several years, not since the market has exploded.” Brady’s game-day jersey is part of a large holiday auction ending  Jan. 8.

Goldin doesn’t anticipate Brady’s item to be the G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of Auction Tackles) at this sale. “I actually expect this to be possibly the second- or third-highest priced item,” he says. “We have a LeBron James rookie card in here that could approach US$2 million. 

Listed as a 2003-04 UD “Exquisite Collection” Rookie Patch Autograph (RPA) card, the bid as of Tuesday afternoon was US$780,000.

Huddle up to own a piece of pro football legend.

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