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Robert PlancichIn the recently completed "Important Baseball Memorabilia" auction that was hosted by Sotheby's and Sports Cards Plus there was A Sandy Koufax 1963 Game-Used Glove that sold for $126,500.00 (including Buyer's Premium) - Lot #108. According to the lot description "The glove is a Spalding Frank Bolling model 42-212. Koufax's uniform number "32" is written on the thumb and pinky in vintage marker. A faint Koufax signature is also visible on the pinky, covered by a clear protective coating. Its impeccable provenance includes numerous photographs, including one of Koufax on the mound during the May 11, 1963 no-hitter, showing him wearing this very glove with the scoreboard visible in the background. A separate posed photograph of Koufax wearing the glove is detailed enough to match the model number and markings in the palm." The glove was authenticated By Messrs. Bushing & Knoll/SCDA as being authentic.
After reading the above description and hearing about all of this photographic evidence one would think that this glove is, in fact, authentic. The fact of the matter is that this is a real Koufax glove but the glove that sold for over $125,000.00 was never used in the no-hitter game or any other game for that matter. If you go to Sotheby's website you can view the pictures of this glove and easily tell that the glove has never been used. I consulted several glove experts and they agree that the glove is a real Koufax glove but was never used. It is my understanding that Mr. Bushing owned this glove (as well as the Seaver glove also in the same auction)which would explain why it was authenticated by SCDA. At least, this is a real Koufax glove but it would have never gone for the type of money that this glove realized without being linked to the no-hitter.