Historic Sale of Michael Jordan Rookie Card
In a remarkable development for sports memorabilia, a Michael Jordan rookie card from the 1986-87 Fleer collection, which bears the basketball legend’s autograph, fetched a staggering $2.5 million at an auction held by Joopiter, the house owned by musician Pharrell Williams. This sale marks a significant moment in the world of collectible trading cards as it not only establishes the card as the most expensive Jordan rookie card ever sold, but also positions it as the third-highest price ever recorded for a Jordan card overall.
Auction Details
The bidding for this prized item started at $2 million, but it only attracted a single bid, resulting in the final sale amount being elevated by the 25 percent buyer’s premium imposed by Joopiter. Prior to this auction, the record for the most costly sale of a Jordan card belonged to a unique 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Logoman card, which was sold for $2.928 million in June 2024, as documented by Card Ladder—a platform that monitors trading card transactions.
Quality and Rarity
Interestingly, this particular 1986-87 Fleer Jordan card was distinctive in quality; it received a mint card grade of 9 and a gem mint grade of 10 for the autograph from the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), a feat that had not been achieved by any autographed Jordan rookie card sold publicly before this auction.
The card previously holding the title of the most expensive autographed Fleer Jordan card was sold for $205,000 in March 2024, illustrating the significant jump in value seen in this latest auction. Notably, this event also serves as Joopiter’s inaugural foray into the sports card auction scene since its establishment in 2022.
Signing Event and Authentication
The newly sold card was among only nine that were signed by Jordan during a discreet signing event organized over a five-year period with a private collector. This signing took place at The Grove XXIII, a highly exclusive golf club in Hobe Sound, Florida, which accommodates fewer than 100 members. A representative from PSA was present to oversee and authenticate the signing process. During this event, Jordan signed these cards with a blue Sharpie, adding inscriptions reflecting his career accomplishments on some.
Reports indicate that among the signed cards, the collector had previously secured at least six PSA 10 graded cards, each valued at around $180,000 prior to being taken out of their protective holders for the signing. While many of these vaulted cards were showcased by PSA at The National Sports Collectors Convention last summer, they have not yet been made available for sale.
Market Implications
Among the database of autographed 1986 Fleer Jordan cards, only six have achieved the coveted PSA 10 grade, and the rest exhibit slightly lower grades. The recent sale sets a possible baseline for future transactions of other high-grade Jordan cards, hinting that a PSA 10 autograph graded card could potentially shatter existing records if ever sold. Moreover, the auction results come amidst a broader trend where certain rare Jordan cards from the 1990s are currently experiencing a meteoric increase in value, further shaking up the collectibles market.
In contrast, the highest sale recorded for a non-autographed Fleer Jordan rookie card stands at $840,000 for a PSA 10 example sold in July 2021, while a recent transaction for a non-autographed version reached $204,000 in May. The fluctuation in prices signals changing dynamics in the collector’s market, especially concerning Jordan’s memorabilia.
