Collectible Jesse Owens Sports Memorabilia

American track and field athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980) will forever be remembered for his stunning performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games.It was here where Owens won international acclaim, taking home four gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters, the long jump and the 4x100 meter relay race – all to the displeasure of German chancellor Adolf Hitler.

Here are ten valuable Jesse Owens sports memorabilia artifacts that many sports collectibles buffs would truly love to own.Now taking the victory stand once more, the great Jesse Owens...

Jesse Owens Ohio State Track Jersey

Jesse Owens attended Ohio State University where he was known as the "Buckeye Bullet," winning eight individual NCAA track championships in 1935 and 1936.A 1935 Ohio State track jersey worn by Jesse Owens and made by Spalding sprinted to a top bid of $53,775 at auction.

Jesse Owens Signed 1967 Drake Relays Baton

Jesse Owens autographs are always in demand by collectors.A shot put participant in the 1967 Drake Relays at Des Moines, Iowa, had Jesse sign a relay baton, which later sold at auction for $334.60.

Jesse Owens Signed Index Card

Collectors love to acquire autographs on blank index cards.An index card signed by the hero of the 1936 Berlin Olympics – "My Best Always Jesse Owens" – brought $215.10 at auction.

Jesse Owens Autographed Photo

An autographed 8x10 black-and-white photo picturing Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games sold at auction for $418.25.

Jesse Owens 1939 W.A.

& A.C.Churchman's Cigarettes Card

In 1939 British cigarette maker Churchman's released its Kings of Speed card series.Card #45 Jesse Owens in graded/certified PSA near mint 7 condition brought $65 at auction.

Jesse Owens Signed John Raitt Artwork

Autograph collector John Raitt drew a number of his own sketches of famous people which he then sent through the mail for his subjects to autograph.Raitt began his hobby in the 1930s and after 70+ years had amassed quite a collection.One of Raitt's drawings measuring 5x8-inches and inscribed/autographed by Jesse Owens sold for $262.90 at auction.

Jesse Owens Autographed 1969 Postcard

An autographed color postcard picturing Jesse Owens with a 1969 Lincoln-Mercury automobile brought $95.60 at auction.

Jesse Owens Signed 1936 Government Postcard

Autographed government postcards are big with collectors.A 1936 government postcard signed by Jesse Owens and graded/certified PSA-DNA near mint-mint 8 condition fetched $262.90 at auction.

Jesse Owens Negro League Baseball Broadside

A 1942 Negro League baseball broadside promoting a game between the Philadelphia Daisies and the Baltimore Grays at Old Hilldale Park in Darby, Pennsylvania, promised big things."Jesse Owens, World's Fastest Human Will Toss The First Ball," reads the ad copy.This item, framed to perfection, sold at auction for $588.

Jesse Owens 1951 Harlem Globetrotters Basketball Poster

Jesse Owens played for the Harlem Globetrotters? In 1951 Owens joined the Globetrotters as a special guest, flying in for a game in the Allied section of Berlin at Olympic Stadium where 75,000 fans watched the contest.Owens had arrived by helicopter prior to the game, receiving a 15-minute ovation.A rare poster from that historic basketball game brought $805 at auction.

Credits

Copyright © 2012 William J.Felchner.All rights reserved.
 

Article Written by William J. Felchner

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from Illinois State University. My many print and online articles have appeared in True West, Hot Rod, Frontier Times, Factoidz/Knoji, Persimmon Hill, Sportales, Goldmine, Socyberty, Corvette Quarterly, Sports Collectors Digest, Bukisa, Movie Collector’s World, Cinemaroll, Beckett Baseball Card Monthly, Sports Card Trader, Old West, Storyboard, Antiques & Auction News, Illinois, The Paper & Advertising Collectors’ Marketplace, Television History, Tuff Stuff, Pennsylvania, Military Trader and a number of other venues…


Post Your Comment

Related Articles

  • The Great Escape (1963) Movie Poster Values

    United Artists’ The Great Escape is one of Hollywood’s top World War II films. Directed by John Sturges and starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James Donald, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence, James Coburn and David McCallum, The Great Escape features McQueen and his fellow Allied POWs plotting a mass escape from a Luft Stalag deep inside Nazi Germany. Made for $4 million, The Great Escape premiered in London on June 20, 1963, mining box-office gold and earning a single Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing.

  • Ricky Nelson Memorabilia Values

    Ricky Nelson reigned as one of the hottest teen idols of the 1950s and ’60s. Born Eric Hilliard Nelson in Teaneck, New Jersey, on May 8, 1940, Nelson died in a plane crash on December 31, 1985. His many hits include such rock ‘n’ roll standards as "Poor Little Fool," "Stood Up," "Lonesome Town" and "Teenage Idol."

    Here are ten valuable Ricky Nelson music, movie and TV collectibles that are sure to interest pop culture memorabilia collectors. Now taking the stage once again the incomparable Ricky Nelson…

  • Julia Roberts Stars In Sleeping With The Enemy (1991): Ultimate Movie Trivia & Interesting Facts

    Twentieth Century Fox's taut thriller Sleeping with the Enemy was released to movie theaters in 1991. Julia Roberts stars as Laura Burney, an abused wife who fakes her death and begins a new life in Iowa. Here are 21 Sleeping with the Enemy ultimate movie trivia items and interesting facts...

  • Collectible Fran Tarkenton Football Memorabilia

    Richmond, Virginia-born Fran Tarkenton (1940-) rates as one of football's greatest scrambling quarterbacks. A third round pick in the 1961 NFL draft out of the University of Georgia, Tarkenton played his 1961-1978 pro football career with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, amassing 47,003 passing yards, 3,674 rushing yards and 374 total touchdowns. The 1975 NFL's Most Valuable Player and a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Fran Tarkenton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.

  • Collectible Pistol Pete Maravich Basketball Memorabilia

  • Collectible Celebrity Autographs: My Top Ten Signed Photo Favorites

    Collecting autographs can be interesting, fun and profitable. Autographs can be obtained either in person or through the mail. Being a writer does have its advantages, as one enjoys certain perks in the field, such as meeting celebrities in person for an interview or knowing who to contact in order to obtain that special access.

  • Collectible Sandy Koufax Baseball Memorabilia

  • Collectible Ty Cobb Baseball Memorabilia

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb (1886-1961) played most of his professional baseball career for the Detroit Tigers from 1905-1926, finishing with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1928. Winner of 12 batting titles and the 1911 American League Most Valuable Player award, Cobb was a fierce, spikes-in-your-face competitor, amassing a .367 career batting average and 4,191 hits. Known as the "Georgia Peach," Ty Cobb was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, in 1936.

  • Collectible Muhammad Ali Boxing Memorabilia

  • Collectible Montreal Expos Baseball Memorabilia

    The Montreal Expos began their baseball life as a National League expansion team in 1969. Named in honor of the Expo 67 World’s Fair, the Expos debuted on April 8, 1969, where they beat the hometown New York Mets at Shea Stadium by the score of 11-10. The Expos played in Montreal from 1969 to 2004, eventually moving south where they became the Washington Nationals. The Montreal Expos captured no National League pennants or World Series titles during their existence, but did win a divisional crown in 1981.