Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt, Maradona and Pelé - unique pieces from great world athletes

For the second time this year, Germany's largest auction house Eppli is hosting an extraordinary special auction in the field of sports memorabilia: A total of 47 special items from outstanding athletes will be auctioned off at the Leinfelden-Echterdingen location on September 23, 2023, including a signed baseball cap from tennis phenomenon Roger Federer, a signed gold-colored running shoe from world record holder Usain Bolt and autographed jerseys from the late soccer legends Maradona and Pelé. The highlight will be a certified original Ferrari seat belt from Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, with which he won the world championship title in 2000. But it's not just the individual items in the auction that are top-class pieces - the stories of how they found their way to Eppli are also astonishing.

One of a kind Formula 1 legend.

Seven world championship titles, five of them in a row, 91 victories, 68 pole positions, 155 podium finishes - Michael Schumacher is still considered one of the greatest Formula 1 racing drivers of all time. The originally driven and signed seat belts from the manufacturer Sabelt are special simply because Schumacher became world champion for Ferrari for the first time in 2000 in Suzuka, Japan, and for the third time overall. Their authenticity is confirmed by an enclosed certificate from 2006 from "Rennstall Ferrari" with the original signature of sports management director Jean Todt.

Other auction items from many areas of sport.

In addition to the seat belt, there are many other first-class items in the pipeline, including various racing, soccer, boxing, darts, cycling and billiard items. They come from renowned sportsmen and sportswomen from the respective disciplines and feature special details. For example, the auction items include a small collection with original signatures from Efren Reyes, who is considered the best billiard player of all time. A jersey from football legend Joe Montana, who won the Super Bowl four times, will be auctioned off with lot number 38.

Uniques and originals.

Another rarity that is already highly traded before the auction is a hand-signed soccer with signatures from Angela Merkel, Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard and many other celebrities, which will be included in the auction as a unique item. "Objects of which there are few or no comparable examples are proven to be unique," explains René Waldrab, head of Eppli Auktionshalle and auctioneer of the sale. The situation is different with exhibits such as Bolt's running shoes or the jerseys of Maradona and Pelé, which are also genuine and with original signatures, but occur several times. They are also accompanied by sales certificates.

Careful examination before the starting signal.

When evaluating the items, Eppli's experts do not rely on certificates alone. To ensure that bidders can be certain that the items to be auctioned are genuine, the experts delve deep into the history and background of the objects. For example, the certificate for Michael Schumacher's seat belts had to be examined particularly carefully, as the race in Suzuka, the penultimate race of the season, was decisive for winning the world championship. This was done on the basis of critical questions: Are the signatures actually originals? What about the chronological classification? Was Michael Schumacher really Formula 1 World Champion that season and did he win the Japanese Grand Prix?

Curious consignments.

In addition to the objects themselves, their journey to Eppli also holds exciting stories. One memorable consignment of various objects by a soccer enthusiast was filmed for the 5-part SAT.1 GOLD report on Eppli "RAMSCH ODER RARES - DIE ANTIQUITÄTENPROFIS." and was included in the first episode on August 24, 2023 was included. He made his way to Eppli in a tracksuit on his bike to deliver lots 1 to 7. Among them, for example, is a replica of the 1982 World Cup trophy, on which the signatures of the winning team Italy were obtained by himself.

Sportauktion builds on previous success.

"For us, this special auction is the continuation of a very successful sports memorabilia auction that took place in March," says Waldrab. Another, even larger special auction with new highlights from the international world of sport is also planned for 2024.

Would you like to get an idea of the sports memorabilia auction? On the Eppli website, you can get an overview of all the items to be auctioned as well as starting prices and information, and you can bid live internationally: https://auktionen.eppli.com/de/2844_sportmemorabilia/a/1811

Contact Press
Eppli Auction House
Alina Romann
Marketplace 6
70173 Stuttgart
0711 997 008 100 141