A rare sports card featuring NBA legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant was sold for an astonishing $12.932 million on August 23, setting a new record for the most expensive sports card ever sold.
The card, part of the 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs series, is a unique 1-of-1 collectible.
It surpassed the previous record held by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, which sold for $12.6 million in 2022. The auction was hosted by Heritage Auctions, but the buyer has not been publicly revealed.
With this sale, the Jordan-Bryant card becomes the second-most expensive sports collectible, just behind Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series “called shot” jersey, which sold for $24.12 million last year.
Chris Ivy, Heritage Auctions’ director of sports sales, recalled when Upper Deck first launched the Exquisite Collection, selling packs for $500 back in 2003-04.
That collection previously produced a LeBron James rookie card worth $5.2 million, which held the basketball card record until this new sale.
Ivy explained that the set was groundbreaking, appealing to collectors who wanted the very best cards, complete with patches, autographs, and jersey logos.
The card’s rarity contributed significantly to its price, even though it received a PSA grade of only 6. Ivy compared this to regular cards, noting that a 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan graded 6 might sell for a few thousand dollars, while a perfect 10 could reach $200,000. For unique 1-of-1 cards, the grade is less critical.
The card was put up for auction in February. Its previous owner had held it for over ten years and had refused multiple private offers in the high seven-figure range before choosing a public sale.
Ivy mentioned that the card was expected to sell for over $6 million, but unique items like this often benefit from auctions, attracting new collectors willing to pay higher prices.
In light of recent fraudulent memorabilia scandals, Ivy reassured collectors about the card’s authenticity. He emphasized that Upper Deck worked directly with both Jordan and Bryant to produce this signed card, and it is verified by both the company and PSA, adding to its premium value.
The sale comes during a surge in high-value Kobe Bryant memorabilia. Collector Matt Allen, known as Shyne online, recently spent $4 million on two 1-of-1 Bryant Panini Flawless Logoman cards, which had previously set the record for the most expensive Bryant card.
Coincidentally, Kobe Bryant would have turned 47 on the day this historic sale took place.
