According to the auctioneers, “prices achieved reflected both the fame of the individual and, more importantly, the rarity of the signature”.
A signed card for Prince Ranjitsinhji, the batsman who played 15 tests for England from 1896-1902, sold for Aus$550 (£310).
A card for another famous batsman, Victor Trumper, who played 48 tests for Australia between 1899-1912 realised Aus$600 (£340), as did a card for South African cricketer Jimmy Sinclair who scored South Africa’s first three test centuries.
Two studio portrait cards for Australian cricketers Harry Graham and Clem Hill, the former playing six tests for Australia and the latter 40, eclipsed their modest Aus$150 guides, selling for Aus$1300 (£735) and Aus$1200 (£680) respectively.
The most unexpected result, however, was paid for a photograph depicting the cricketer Charles Eady, who played just two tests for Australia in 1896 and 1902, which had an autograph dedication dated 1944. The photograph showed Eady in his role as President of the Legislative Council of Tasmania (1944-45).
Apparently, Eady rarely signed anything, which was enough to generate very keen interest – taking the photo way past its Aus$100 guide to a final hammer price of Aus$1700 (£960).
The photograph signed by the ‘Invincibles’ team of 1946 pictured in ATG No 2349 failed to find a buyer, however.
£1 = Aus$1.77
