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Dan Hajducky
A sports-related trading card, autographed and showcasing Michael Jordan alongside Kobe Bryant, commanded a staggering $12.932 million during a Saturday night sale, thereby setting a new benchmark for the highest price ever attained by a sports card.
The particular piece, identified as the 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs Jordan & Bryant card, bearing the unique designation of 1-of-1, outstripped the previous record held by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card. The Mantle card had been sold for $12.6 million around the end of August 2022. The Jordan/Bryant acquisition was facilitated through Heritage Auctions, but the identity of the individual who made the purchase has not been disclosed.
The Jordan/Bryant collectible now holds the distinction of being the second-most valuable sports memorabilia item of all time. It is second only to Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series “called shot” jersey, which was purchased for $24.12 million almost exactly one year ago.
Chris Ivy, who serves as the director of sports auctions at Heritage, recounted the initial launch of Upper Deck’s Exquisite series. He remembered that Upper Deck charged $500 for a single pack/box containing five cards from the 2003-04 release. This very set was the origin of a LeBron James rookie card that commanded $5.2 million, previously holding the record for the most expensive basketball card until this past Saturday.
“There was a degree of mockery initially, but it successfully engaged with a segment of the market that wasn’t looking for trivial novelties; they simply sought out the absolute best,” Ivy stated. “They were incorporating patches and signatures, Logomen — this marked one of the initial instances of using jersey logos in this fashion.”
In subsequent years, Panini’s National Treasures & Flawless collections have emerged as the gold standard for basketball cards, each box retailing for over $3,000 upon release.
“Nevertheless, Exquisite pioneered the way,” Ivy emphasized. “It represents the pinnacle from the perspective of modern card collectors. This particular card uniquely features Jordan and Kobe autographed Logomans, an unrepeatable combination. Modern basketball collectors have always considered it a prized treasure.”
The card’s extraordinary rarity elucidates its lofty price, regardless of its receiving a grade of only 6 from Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA).
“A 1986 Fleer Jordan card graded at 6 fetches a couple of thousand dollars, while a card graded at 10 currently commands almost $200,000,” Ivy clarified. “Grading significantly affects pricing for standard-issue cards, but in the case of a 1-of-1 item, the grade is less crucial in determining its overall value.”
Ivy mentioned that the process of consigning the card had been ongoing since February. The prior owner had possessed the card for over a decade, rejecting private offers in the “high seven-figure” range in favor of an open auction where Heritage believed it would safely surpass $5 million.
“The pre-auction estimate was $6 million-plus, so sometimes, if an item is as uniquely special as this one, it can be advantageous to let it have its moment,” Ivy remarked. “This allows new collectors to emerge or encourages people to participate and bid higher.”
Ivy further emphasized that, given the ongoing scandal involving fraudulent memorabilia perpetrated by Brett Lemieux, the authenticity of the Bryant and Jordan autographs on this card is “unquestionably verified.” Lemieux had allegedly saturated the market with counterfeit Kobe memorabilia following Bryant’s death in 2020. The assistant chief of police in Westfield, Indiana, informed ESPN on Friday that there were no new updates on the case.
“[The scandal] elevates the desirability of items like this: Upper Deck maintains a contract with Jordan; they have been associated for decades. Kobe was with Upper Deck until 2009,” Ivy explained. “They directly collaborated with these athletes to secure the autographs on this item. The authenticity is assured both by them and by PSA. This is why items with verified provenance and authentication command a premium.”
This month has proven to be quite remarkable for Kobe Bryant cards. Matt Allen, a prominent high-end collector known as Shyne on social media, revealed that he privately spent $4 million on Bryant 1-of-1 signed Panini Flawless Logoman cards: $1.7 million for one from 2017-18 and $2.3 million for another from 2015-16. The latter was the record price paid for a Bryant card until Saturday night’s auction.
Saturday marked what would have been Bryant’s 47th birthday.
