Record Price Tags on Michael Jordan Cards

The sports cards renaissance continues to reach new heights – with the help of Michael Jordan.

Two 1986 Michael Jordan Fleer rookie cards sold for a record price of $738,000 each on Saturday. 

Their price was due in part to their PSA 10 status, the highest grading standard.

The market for Jordan rookie cards has fluctuated for years, and cards in this condition previously had prices ranging from $18,000 to $30,000. But valuations got a boost from the hype around ESPN’s “The Last Dance,” according to the Action Network’s Darren Rovell.

• At the time of the documentary’s premiere in April, record sales for the Jordan rookie card reached $48,000. 
• After the final episode aired in May, the record price jumped to $97,200. 
• Last month, the card had a price tag of $150,000.

Of the 20,281 graded Jordan cards, 316 of them are PSA 10s. After the record pair of sales, a PSA 9 sold for $66,123 on eBay. 

Saturday’s auction, held by Goldin Auctions, also included a 1925 Lou Gehrig rookie and Patrick Mahomes and Steph Curry cards. Each one sold for over $800,000. 

The sales follow an influx of action in the trading card space, including investment in new trading platforms like Rally and Loupe.