David Kohler Discusses Treasured Sports Artifacts

Paul Steinbach Headshot

Since founding SCP Auctions in 1979, David Kohler has had his hands on some of the most treasured artifacts in all of American sports history.

Oneon One 608 Ab David Kohler covets Lakers memorabilia and little else. His collection, which he describes as the most comprehensive anywhere, spans the NBA franchise's move from Minneapolis to Los Angeles, and highlights its greatest players, from George Mikan to Magic Johnson. Yet, since founding SCP Auctions in 1979, Kohler has literally had his hands on some of the most treasured artifacts in all of American sports history - the bat Babe Ruth used to hit the first home run in Yankee Stadium among them. For a six-month period last year, he even owned a minority interest in the Holy Grail of sports collectibles, a 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card, which sold in September (through Kohler's firm) for $2.8 million. On April 12, SCP's online auction of Barry Bonds' 762nd career home run ball drew a winning bid of $376,612, roughly half that fetched by the Bonds ball that broke Hank Aaron's 32-year-old home run record. Days removed from the sale, Paul Steinbach asked Kohler to take stock of his business.

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