A copy of Michael Jordan’s iconic 1986 Fleer rookie with an “aftermarket” signature sold for a record $2.7 million via Goldin Auctions. Jordan has an exclusive partnership with Upper Deck for signed memorabilia, which makes a signed version of his Chicago Bulls rookie out of Fleer a sought-after commodity.
Upper Deck had Jordan sign 23 copies in 2006 for a 20th anniversary buyback promotion. And now, Jordan started signing copies of the 1986 card outside of Upper Deck.
According to Goldin Auctions, the $2.7 million sale was for a graded PSA Mint 9 with a 10 autograph grade — reportedly one of the nine signed by Jordan “in private with witnesses” at a 2024 event.
“Signed rookie cards of greatest-of-all-time athletes, like Michael Jordan, represent the pinnacle of sports collectibles,” Goldin Auctions founder and CEO Ken Goldin said in a statement. “This record-breaking sale is a testament not only to Jordan’s enduring legacy but also to the recognition of aftermarket-signed cards”
Earlier this year, a Jordan-Kobe Bryant dual auto card from Upper Deck hit $12.9 million at auction. The 1-of-1 logo man card out of Exquisite features two NBA logos, faces of Bryant and Jordan and on-card autographs from two of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
The auction ended for the card, graded a PSA 6, ended in August through Heritage Auctions’ special “Summer Platinum Night Sports Auction” and the buyer’s identity was not immediately revealed.
“The demand for this card is astronomical, which makes sense, because it has everything, including photos, jersey patches and signatures from two of the greatest players who ever stepped on the court,” Chris Ivy, Heritage’s director of sports auctions, said in a statement. “The Dual Logoman card offered in this auction is the only example created that includes only Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant – making it the most sought-after example of the incredible Upper Deck Logoman series, and because of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in 2020, it always will be the only one.”
The pre-auction estimate for the card was $6 million, but that was eclipsed early during the listing with multiple bids exceeding that number. Per CNN, the previous sports card high was $12.6 million in 2022 for a mint condition 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card.
