My first $1,000 sports item was this original 1936 Summer Olympics poster, found in an antique poster shop back in 1990. The image itself is approximately 25" x 39".
The first baseball item I ever paid $1,000 for was this 1935 Dizzy Dean Winners Club store standee. It stands about 40" tall and is 26" wide. I bought it in 1994 when a group of store displays was discovered.