Michael Jordan rookie card sets new record, gets sold for whopping $12,500

As a direct result of the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance releasing, sales for the 1986-87 Fleer rookies Michael Jordan card has reached its peak. While not rare, the Michael Jordan rookie card is considered the most popular basketball card. Reports compared the card to Babe Ruth-signed baseballs – though plenty are available, there aren’t enough to satisfy demands. The Michael Jordan documentary which premiered on April 19 brought in an average of 6.1 million viewers on an average. 

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Sales for the Michael Jordan rookie card continue to rise due to Michael Jordan The Last Dance

In the past few days, sales for every level card authenticated by the Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) have reportedly gone up. PSA takes a card, authenticates it and grades it from level one to ten. While the 1986-87 Fleer rookies Michael Jordan No. 57 card wasn’t a hit at the time, it gained value as Jordan’s popularity rose. The price of the card, which can range from $2,000 to even $50,000, depends on the condition of the card.

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Michael Jordan rookie card value

PSA stated that they have graded 18,859 pieces of the Michael Jordan rookie card, out of which 312 are graded at 10 and are selling between $40,000 to $50,000. On Sunday (Monday IST), Robert Edward Auctions broke the record by selling a mint card for $51,600. Cards that sold at $5,000 in 2005 are reportedly returning ten times their investment.

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However, the Michael Jordan graded nine card has been reported to show better growth in demand. Struggling to fetch $2,000 half a decade ago, a card was recently sold for $12,500. As per PSA’s report, there are 2,702 grade nine Michael Jordan rookie cards. In February, they were sold reportedly sold at an average of $7,460 on eBay. The price increased to $7,515 in March, though two of them sold for more than $10,000 for the first time since their production. This month, the price of the cards increased to $9,669, which included four cards being sold for over $10,000. Before the $12,500 sale, a PSA grade nine Michael Jordan card was sold at $11,285.

Other sources who have graded the Michael Jordan rookie card

Apart from PSA, Beckett Grading has graded around 10,000 Michael Jordan rookie cards, where 1,540 are rated mint, 9,514 at 9.5 and six at 10. Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC) has graded 171 cards at Mint 9 and 18 and Mint 10. They have graded a total of 1,798 cards.

Also read | Michael Jordan The Last Dance: Michael Jordan documentary brought in an average of 6.1 million viewers