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Heritage Auctions: the Hand of God ball, Luke Skywalker's saber and other icons up for auction

Heritage Auctions (ha.com) concentrates two star blocks in July 2026: the photo-matched ball from the Argentina-England 1986 (opening 2.5 M$) and a Hollywood Signature Auction (July 13-17) with Mark Hamill's lightsaber, a Wonka Golden Ticket and commemorative slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

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Ball from the Argentina-England 1986 match auctioned by Heritage Auctions — context of the Hand of God and Diego Maradona's Goal of the Century
The ball from the Argentina-England 1986 quarter-final, up for auction by Heritage during the 2026 World Cup. Source: Reuters via CNA

If you collect high-voltage cinema, sports or pop culture, Heritage Auctions concentrates in July 2026 several lots that rarely come on the market: from the match ball in which Diego Maradona scored the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century to the lightsaber wielded by Mark Hamill in The Empire Strikes Back, a Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka and a Jim Thorpe card in PSA Mint 9 grade.

What is Heritage Auctions (ha.com)

Heritage Auctions operates in-person and online auctions from Dallas (Texas) in categories such as sports (sports.ha.com), entertainment (entertainment.ha.com), coins, comics and art. Its July 2026 catalog mixes museum objects with pieces accessible to advanced collectors — always with the buyer's premium, taxes and shipping aside, as in any great house.

Hand of God Ball and Goal of the Century (1986)

The most media lot of the sports block is the ball from the quarter-final of the 1986 Mexico World Cup between Argentina and England. Heritage describes it as photo-matched to the match in which Maradona scored with his hand and, minutes later, the goal that many consider the best in history.

According to Reuters, the opening bid is 2.5 million dollars and the house does not rule out a final price comparable to 9.2 M$that reached in 2022 the shirt that Maradona wore in that same match. Heritage specialist Mike Provenzale described it to the agency as a «true one-of-one item» — «arguably the most significant soccer item that exists».

The timing is not coincidental: the football memorabilia boom coincides with the 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. To follow the lot live: Heritage — Maradona ball 1986.

Mural and context of Diego Maradona's Hand of God goal — ball up for auction by Heritage Auctions
Context of the Maradona myth: the same match that concentrated the record bid for the ball at Heritage. Source: Reuters via CNA

Video: Maradona's Goal of the Century (Mexico 86)

The same Argentina-England match whose Heritage ball auction included the Hand of God and this goal. Source: YouTube — Maradona Goal of the Century vs England 1986

Hollywood Signature Auction #7332 (July 13-17)

In parallel, Heritage celebrates five days of Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction. The AP picked up the ad on July 8: props for Star Wars, The Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka, Back to the Future II, The Big Lebowski, Rocky III and more (Associated Press).

Luke Skywalker: lightsaber + severed hand

The queen piece of the catalog is the lightsaber screen-used by Mark Hamill in the Battle of Cloud City from Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), with the severed hand effects rig from the duel in which Vader pronounces "I am your father." Heritage and media such as AP indicate that it had never been put up for auction and that the initial bid is around million dollars (Collector's Hype).

Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket (1971)

Among the classic movie lots is a Golden Ticket screen-used by Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Paramount, 1971): the gold paper printed with the text «Wonka's Golden Ticket… Present this ticket at the factory gates…». It is cult memorabilia among fans of the Gene Wilder musical; It is advisable to check condition, origin and comparables in Heritage's own listing before bidding.

Commemorative Ruby Slippers (1989) — not the screen ones

The lot Western Costume Company 50th Anniversary Commemorative Ruby Slippers requires clarification: they are not the slippers that Judy Garland wore on set (those have exceeded 32 M$ in other auctions). They are official replicas that Western Costume manufactured in 1989 for the 50th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, with molds derived from the originals; Very few commercial units were produced (the series stopped after selling just a dozen pairs, according to market histories collected by cllct and houses such as Bonhams).

Still, similar pairs have topped $100,000 in recent auctions, demonstrating the strength of the Dorothy icon outside of the “screen-used hero” prop circle.

Jim Thorpe — 1933 Goudey Sport Kings PSA Mint 9

In the sports vertical, Heritage also lists a 1933 Goudey Sport Kings #6 Jim Thorpe graded PSA Mint 9. According to the population report cited on the market, there are only four copies in PSA 9 and none higher — a key asset for collectors of vintage football/baseball cards. Heritage's listing puts the estimate at around $200,000 or more based on bidding activity in event #50086.

How to follow the auctions

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