Asking price for Jackie Robinson rookie of the year award cut 95%

For sports memorabilia collectors looking for a last-minute Christmas gift suggestion, how about a treasured Jackie Robinson artifact?

Better yet: It’s marked down like an item at a Black Friday sale!

The Lelands auction house announced last week that Robinson’s rookie of the year award trophy is available for bidding. Robinson won the first such award for his historic 1947 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers; the award was renamed in his honor in 1987.

The award is accompanied by a letter of authentication from Robinson’s widow, Rachel. Catherine Mathis, a spokesman for Lelands, said the company first sold the award on Rachel Robinson’s behalf about 20 years ago and that the buyer then is the seller now. Mathis said she could not identify that person or say for how much the award previously sold.

The current auction sets a reserve amount -- a minimum sale price -- of $50,000. However, last summer, Lelands offered the Robinson award for $1 million.

Mathis confirmed the item offered for sale last summer is the same as the one up for auction now. She said she could not discuss any offers that might have been made last summer.

It appears, however, that slashing the asking price has generated interest among bidders. As of Monday morning, the Robinson award had generated four bids, with the current bid at $66,550.