A buyer who paid $518,000 for Tom Brady’s last pass — only to have the quarterback retire a few hours later — will likely have to pay full price.
Analysts told that the listing was “100% correct and accurate at the time of sale,” which was completed less than 24 hours before Brady’s shocking announcement.
The identity of the buyer and seller Lelands auctioneers did not disclose.
But if the soccer ball went on sale now, it would cost only about $20,000, which is just four percent of what the buyer paid, Bradley Calleja, an appraiser at Altan Insights, told .
Brady threw the ball on January 23 during a home playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams to the Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Tom Brady has announced that he will return to the NFL just six weeks after announcing his retirement.
The legendary quarterback’s “last ball” was auctioned for $518,628 with taxes and fees just a day before he announced his return.
He announced his decision on Twitter and Instagram, saying he had “unfinished business”.
The quarterback completed a 55-yard touchdown pass with wide receiver Mike Evans, who threw him into the stands, where he was caught by a fan who put him up for auction.
A week later, Brady announced that he was retiring after 22 seasons in the NFL, during which he became arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.
The final bid of $432,190 for the soccer ball was placed at 10:39 pm on Saturday night. After taxes and fees, the final sale price was $518,628.
At 7:13 p.m. Sunday night – 21 hours later – Brady posted his tweet saying, “I realized my place is still on the field, not in the stands.”
He said he was returning to Tampa for another season, adding that he had “unfinished business” to attend to.
Calleja, who specializes in sports memorabilia, said: “Looking at the terms of auctions with Lelands, usually the buyer has to pay.
“At the end of the day, it wasn’t false advertising, it was his last pass and he still is. It was accurate at the time of sale.
“Hopefully it won’t go to trial. There is no item like “if something changes within 24 hours”.
“I have never seen anything so extreme. I have seen cards turn out to be fake, or a T-shirt turned out not to be worn at a certain event.
“In this case it was a half million dollar sale, but right now this ball is probably worth around $20,000-$25,000.
“It’s still valuable, but you’re talking about $20,000 instead of half a million, that’s the most drastic change you can get.”
Brady threw the ball on January 23 during a home playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Buccaneers playoffs at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Tom Brady Football Auction Lot #1: 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket #144 Autographed by rookie Tom Brady.
Calleja said it would be “tough” for both the buyer and the seller because “no matter what, someone is going to lose.”
He said, “A salesperson can make anywhere from $500,000 to about $20,000. For the buyer, you are stuck with a $20,000 soccer ball and you paid $500,000 for it.
“If someone can pay half a million for a soccer ball, you hope they have money to spend, but you hope Lelands can come up with something with the buyer, maybe a loan on their website.”
Brady’s decision to return to the Bucks just six weeks into retirement made the description of football grimly ironic.
It states, “If there is any sports collectible that doesn’t need embellishment, it’s a historic item: the last ball of Tom Brady’s career.”
The text adds that “one thing is certain: the opportunity to own a piece of football history on this scale may never come again.”
Analysts told that the listing was “100% correct and accurate at the time of the sale,” which was completed less than 24 hours before Brady’s shocking announcement.
The terms and conditions on the website of Lelands, a company based in Mathawane, New Jersey, state that payment for goods must be made within 14 days.
Failure to pay within 30 days will result in Lelands debiting any balance from the buyer’s credit card and/or reselling the item.
Buyers agree to pay all Lelands expenses, including attorneys’ fees and any fees incurred in collecting payment from the seller, the website states.
Calleja said that even if the case goes to court, he does not see that the buyer had serious arguments.
He said: “The description was 100% true and accurate at the time of sale and it still is. He hasn’t thrown another touchdown yet.
“This is the right ball, this is a photo taken by another company.
“It was interesting to watch the sale. When I saw that the auction was going on, I thought $500,000 was a really good price. I wondered if there were any big contenders holding back, thinking that Brady might be back in the game.
“I’ll be interested to see what the price of Brady’s next ‘final touchdown’ will be.”
Calleja said Brady himself could be involved in the matter, as he did to recover the ball he threw on his 600th NFL touchdown last year that was caught by a fan.
Brady made the announcement hours after he posed for a picture with Manchester United footballer Cristiano Ronaldo at the legendary Old Trafford stadium.
Brady said that after “long negotiations” he gave a fan one bitcoin currently worth $37,000, two autographed Brady t-shirts, an autographed Brady helmet and a $1,000 fan shop credit, as well as two season tickets to season 2022. .
has reached out to Lelands for comment.
Champion quarterback announces shock decision Twitter on Sunday: “For the last two months, I’ve realized that my place is still on the field, not in the stands.”
“That time will come. But it’s not now. I love my teammates and I love my supportive family. They make it all possible. I’m returning for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG.
Brady led the Pirates to a Super Bowl title following the 2020 season and the NFC South championship last season.
He spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, winning six Super Bowl titles before moving to Tampa Bay.
The iconic 44-year-old quarterback drew the curtain on his illustrious 22-year career by announcing his retirement on February 1st.
Brady announced his decision to retire last month, citing a desire to spend more time with his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, and three children. Brady posted the photo above on Instagram on Sunday when he announced his return to the game.
The quarterback stunned the world on Sunday when he confirmed he would rejoin the Pirates for a new campaign after 40 days in retirement.
However, his decision may not be all that surprising given that just a week later he “retired” as Brady said “never say never” about playing again.
He made the comeback announcement hours after he shared a photo of himself visiting Manchester United’s training ground at Old Trafford in England and meeting the iconic British striker Cristiano Ronaldo, himself a veteran athlete who , as many believe, is still at the top of his game.
The 44-year-old led the NFL in passing (5,316 yards), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719) in 2021, but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round.
Brady announced his decision to return to the Bucks the day before the start of the NFL free agent period.