In 2014, a Tennessee couple paid 58 cents for Vince Lombardi’s sweater; it later sold for $43,020 (Image Credit: Heritage Auctions)
A sweater picked up for just 58 cents at a North Carolina Goodwill turned out to have a remarkable connection to football history. Tennessee couple Sean and Rikki McEvoy bought the black-and-gold sweater in 2014, initially intending to take it to their vintage clothing store in Knoxville. The sweater was later sold at its Sports Platinum Night auction for $43,020 in February 2015, turning a tiny thrift-store purchase into a five-figure sports collectible, according to Heritage Auctions. He later made his NFL debut with the New York Giants in 1954 before becoming one of the most celebrated coaches in American football.
Inside the sweater was a white cotton swatch with the words “Lombardi 46” handwritten on it. Heritage Auctions said the marking clearly identified the garment as belonging to Lombardi. Heritage said the decision was made in recognition of Wannamaker’s contribution to football history and the family’s original wish that the sweater help raise money for the charity.
Months later, they realised it could have belonged to legendary coach Vince Lombardi. The coach wore the sweater during his years at West Point, where he served as an assistant to the head coach of the U.S. Army Black Knights. His time at the military academy came before he entered the NFL. Lombardi’s West Point years were an important part of his coaching career. Photographs from the period also showed Lombardi wearing the same distinctive black-and-gold sweater, giving the thrift-store discovery an additional connection to its original owner. The auction house also chose to donate its entire seller’s commission from the sale to Goodwill.