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If a Flamin' Hot Cheeto in the shape of Michael Jordan's Jumpman logo can get sold for thousands, you know a limited edition autographed rookie card is bound to generate some buzz.
Through Pharell's auction house (Joopiter), an autographed 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card was sold at $2.5 million last June, becoming the third most expensive card sold in Jordan's long list of trading card memorabilia. The card also made history as the most expensive rookie card of Jordan.
What made the Michael Jordan rookie card so valuable?
Aside from Jordan personally signing the card, it was just one of nine trading cards that he signed back. Jordan signed the card in 2024 at his private golf course in Florida, and this was currently the first of nine cards made available to the public.
Another reason the card was so valuable was that Jordan signed it in secret for a private collector. As someone signed to Upper Deck, Jordan rarely signs cards that aren't affiliated with the brand he represents.
Here are some of the details of the card that further increased its value, as explained in Joopiter's Instagram post:
– Card Grade: PSA 9 Mint
– Autograph Grade: PSA/DNA 10 Gem Mint
The minimum bid for the card was set at $2 million. The card received one bid at that price, which the bidder eventually won. However, Joopiter charges a 25% buyer’s premium on its auctions, bringing the final sale price to $2.5 million.
The previous record for the most expensive rookie card sold of Jordan was $205,000 last March. Meanwhile, the biggest figure paid for an unsigned Fleer Jordan rookie was $840,000 in 2021.
For the all-time record, the most expensive Michael Jordan card sold was a 1-of-1 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection autographed Michael Jordan Logoman card, fetching a price tag of $2.928 million last June 2024.
Jordan's Fleer rookie has a chance to be the most expensive Jordan card
Six of the nine cards Jordan signed are still available with a rated PSA signature of 10. To make the cards even more sought after, Jordan added inscriptions to four of them, highlighting some of his career accolades. Some of the cards are rumored to have the inscriptions “5x NBA MVP,” “6x NBA CHAMP,” “84/85 ROY,” and “87/88 DPOY.”
Once the next card/s becomes available, expect it to garner even more interest.
The bar has been set. A few years from now, that $2.5M price tag is going to look like a huge discount.
