For 25 years, they sat in a closet in the Lavi family home in the Tel Aviv area alongside blankets, old books and a suitcase – two valuable collector’s items: an original Air Jordan 1 sneaker and a baseball mitt, both belonging to basketball legend Michael Jordan. On Monday, they sold at public auction in the U.S.: $31,000 for the sneaker and $21,000 for the mitt.
The Lavi family told Haaretz sports writer Elad Zeevi about the items for the first time in May, recounting how they had originally acquired them, back in late 1994. Juanita Jordan, who had wanted to surprise her megastar husband for his 32nd birthday, got in touch with the Lavis – whose business was known for producing silver-plated, 3-D reproductions of items – about reproducing the sneaker and baseball glove as a gift. Ten silver-plated copies were eventually produced and sold at auction but the originals remained in the hands of the Israelis.
“My father was a partner in a factory that made things using electroform silver in the 1980s and 1990s,” explained Dan Lavi, current owner of the Rashbel company, which sells equipment and materials for making jewelry. At the time Rashbel’s technology to reproduce three-dimensional objects in silver was unique. “One day we received an order by fax to make a shoe and baseball mitt in silver. They didn’t say who it was for. My father asked them to send a sample, saying he would see what could be done. If it were possible, we’d quote a price, he told the sender.”
Lavi and his mother Zehava also told Haaretz about the connection between the new Netflix documentary about the Chicago Bulls superstar, “The Last Dance,” and the items that had been gathering dust in their closet.
Michael Jordan's sneaker and baseball mitt which were hidden away in a closet in Israel for 25 years. With Netflix's 'The Last Dance,' memories resurfaced. Credit: Nir Keidar
“My father died a few years ago, and now the series had started,” Lavi said. “My mother read a story about Jordan in Haaretz and suddenly asked me if I remembered the sneaker and glove that were waiting for me in the closet.”
According to Zehava Lavi, it was more or less by chance that the two precious items had survived. “Once in a while I had this fantasy about cleaning out the closet and getting rid of everything. Over the years, house cleaners would ask whether they could throw those things in the garbage,” she said. But Lavi never acted on that fantasy and recalled that her husband always said that one day the items might be worth something. He was right.
The closet in which the items were kept. Michael Jordan’s original shoes can auction for serious money.Credit: Nir Keidar
Jonathan Scheier, senior consignment and cataloger of sports memorabilia at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, told Haaretz last month that thanks to the popularity of the Netflix show, the market for Jordan’s memorabilia had skyrocketed. Scheier added that several factors determine the value of such items – for example, whether Jordan actually wore them in a game. It was clear that the glove and sneaker the Lavis had had belonged to the star, and the fact that they were used for making rare silver reproductions, Scheier predicted, would definitely interest serious collectors.
It was clear that the glove and sneaker the Lavis had had belonged to the star.Credit: Brian Drake / NBAE / Getty Image
"sold" - Google News
June 16, 2020 at 01:24PM
https://ift.tt/2C3SHUC
The Israeli who unearthed Michael Jordan's personal shoe and mitt just sold them. For this much - Haaretz
"sold" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3d9iyrC
https://ift.tt/3b37xGF
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "The Israeli who unearthed Michael Jordan's personal shoe and mitt just sold them. For this much - Haaretz"
Post a Comment