Wow !
At least 200 people came to the Comfort Inn hotel to bid and check out the items, many of which were of a more personal nature: Harwell's drivers license sold for $650, his travel trunk sold for $750 and his death certificate sold for $60, Paul said. Photos of Harwell and his wife Lulu went for $20
What better way to preserve the memory of a cherished family member than to sell his drivers license, and personal photos of he and his wife Lulu, and his death certificate !
Sold everything but the lint that was in his pockets.
Thanks for the link to the story and while indeed it appears the ball sold for the amount mentioned there is nothing in the story that says the ball actually came from his estate. I have a collector friend that knew Ernie personally and collects Ty Cobb. I'll ask him about it. In the meantime this thread has taught me a few important lessons
1) Never go to an auction where Denny McLain greets me at the door
2) Never go to an auction with 12K in my pocket after I have been drinking