Bidding for Glory: Rare Olympics Collectibles at RR Auction

Now that the 2024 Summer Olympics are underway, Olympics collectibles are getting more attention. A recent Olympics sale at RR Auction, taking place from June 18 to July 18, captured this year’s excitement with a wide selection of relay torches, medals, badges, autographs, posters, souvenirs, and more dating from the 19th century to today. In fact, one of this year’s relay torches, the first to come to auction, sold along with a torchbearer’s uniform for $44,549.

Paris 2024 relay torch and torchbearer’s uniform sold together.

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The auction’s top lot by price was a gold medal for rope climbing from the St. Louis Olympics in 1904, complete with its red, white, and blue ribbon and golden badge. It sold for $80,163. Its age makes it an especially rare item—1904 was the first year the Olympics awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals—and the remarkable story of its winner only adds to its appeal. It was one of the six medals American gymnast George Eyser won that day. Eyser was born in Germany in 1870, immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1884, and settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where he found a job as a bookkeeper. He had lost his left leg in a train accident as a child and wore a wooden prosthetic. This did nothing to dampen his skills and passion for athletics. He joined the Concordia Turners, a gymnastics club in St. Louis (“Turner” came from “Turnverein,” German for “gymnast”) and competed with them in the 1904 Olympics, making him the only Olympic competitor with an artificial leg before 2008.

Gymnast George Eyser was the first person to compete in the Olympics with an artificial leg. In 1904, he won a gold medal for rope climbing.

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Gymnast George Eyser, the first person to compete in the Olympics with an artificial leg, won this gold medal for rope climbing in 1904. It took the top spot at RR Auction’s Olympics auction, selling for $80,163.

The daily official program for the World’s Fair or Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis on July 19, 1904, which played host to that year’s Olympic Games.

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In 1904, St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair and the Olympics. A program from the World’s Fair, listing the “Olympic Games” among the day’s attractions, sold for $273.

This is an exceedingly rare original color 31.25 x 46.5 lithographic poster designed by French artist Jean Droit for the Paris 1924 Summer Olympics.

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This year’s Summer Olympics are held in Paris, France, as they were in 1924. This likely influenced buyers’ interest in artifacts from the 1924 Summer Olympics. An original 1924 poster by Jean Droit sold for $8,043. The design of semi-nude athletes performing a salute with palm leaves, a symbol of victory, in the foreground, and the national flag in the background recalls depictions of heroes in ancient Greek art, referencing the origins of the Olympic games. A story on LiveAuctioneers.com quotes Bobby Eaton, RR Auction’s chief operating officer and Olympics specialist, stating, “This piece links history with the present in a truly unique way.”

Other items from the 1924 Paris Olympics sold at the auction.

An example of a participation medal issued for the Paris 1924 Summer Olympics.

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A participation medal is a very high honor when it’s from the Olympics—and sells for a high value, too. This one from the Paris 1924 Summer Olympics, cast in bronze and designed by Raul Bernard, sold for $1,059.

This winner’s medal was issued to American featherweight boxer Jackie Fields at the Paris 1924 Summer Olympics.

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American featherweight boxer Jackie Fields won the gold medal at just 16 years old. He went on to a career as a professional boxer, becoming one of the sport’s greatest welterweight champions. His gold medal sold with a selection of related newspaper clippings for $21,588.

The ‘first place’ Olympic trials certificate from the American Olympic Committee was issued to famed Tarzan actor and Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Johnny Weissmuller.

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Swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won three gold medals, set multiple world records during his career and is still considered one of the greatest swimmers of all time. Movie fans might know him better as Tarzan the Ape Man from the eponymous 1932 film and its many sequels. His official certificate from the American Olympic Committee tryouts, where he won first place, sold for $688.

Opening ceremony badge for the Paris 1900 Exposition Universelle.

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Paris had previously hosted the Olympics in 1900. They were part of the World’s Fair. An Opening Ceremony badge given to the event staff sold for $125.

Plenty of items from more recent Olympics sold, too.

Scarce ‘Tokyo 2020’ Gel-Quantum 360 TYO running sneakers by Asics, produced as part of the ‘Multi Crossing Pack’ released by Asics for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.

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A colorful pair of Asics Gel-Quantum 360 TYO sneakers, designed for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics and never worn, sold for $303.

Group lot of four plush souvenirs of Athena and Phevos, the official mascots of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics.

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Olympic mascots are often a highlight of the games for collectors. A group of four Athena and Phevos plush toys, mascots of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, sold for $250.

An identification pass issued to American manager George Otott for the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

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An ID card issued to an American manager at the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City was a relative bargain at $94.

For many, Olympics collectibles are a testament to the legacy and allure of the Games. These collectibles are not just a piece of sports history but a tangible connection to the moments of triumph, passion, and unity that bring together individuals, teams, countries, and spectators alike. These memorabilia auctions are not just a marketplace but a celebration of the Olympic spirit that unites us all.

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