A rare Wilt Chamberlain jersey, a baseball autographed by both Joe DiMaggio
and Marilyn Monroe, a football helmet worn by Jim Thorpe and over 600 other
great collectibles are just part of the Heritage Sports Auction. Online bidding
is now open and scheduled to close May 6,2006 as the auction takes place in
Dallas, TX.

“Chamberlain is, literally, one of the giants in the field
of basketball,” said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Memorabilia Auctions for
Heritage Auction Galleries in a recent press release. “His game-worn uniforms,
like the one we’re offering in our upcoming auction, are the ultimate
collectibles for many fans.”

“Just a year after shocking the world with a
one hundred-point performance in Hershey, Wilt the Stilt suited up in this
heroic gamer during the Warriors’ first season in San Francisco,” Ivy said.
“Though never duplicating his triple-digit feat of March 2, 1962, the legendary
Hall of Fame center easily repeated as the league’s scoring leader in 1962-63,
netting an outrageous average of 44.8 points per game.”

“It’s clear from
the strong wear that characterizes this amazing jersey that hundred and hundreds
of the more than 3,000 points that Wilt scored that season came while wearing
it,” Ivy said. “Other chart-topping stats compiled in this wardrobe: minutes
played, field goals attempted, field goals made, field goal percentage, rebounds
(total and per game) and points.”

Speaking about the DiMaggio and Monroe
autographed baseball, Ivy said in a press release that “The ball is from the
estate of the late Associated Press photographer, Harry Harris. By a pure stroke
of luck, he obtained the signatures during the Yankees 1961 spring training in
Florida when DiMaggio and Monroe were attempting to reconcile after their
divorce.”

“DiMaggio and Monroe are among the most famous of all
celebrity couples, and this one-of-a-kind baseball is one the most exciting
autograph items in recent years. Their signatures are bold and clear, and on
the same panel of the ball, making this a truly spectacular item for
collectors,” said Ivy.

“This is the only known baseball autographed by
both DiMaggio and Monroe with her name as ‘Marilyn Monroe.’ One other
joint-autograph ball is known, but she signed it ‘Norma Jean DiMaggio.’ It sold
for about $50,000 seven years ago.”

Each of these items would make an
interesting story on their own. To have them part of such a great event makes
this one for the record books. Complete details on the event are available at
http://sports.heritageauctions.com/common/auction/catalog.php?SaleNo=704.