It’s impossible to overstate Michael Jordan’s importance to the hobby.
His 1986 Fleer rookie has become a true bellwether for the card market, sales of his game-worn jerseys and sneakers sit atop the leaderboards for the most valuable in history, and his cultural impact remains unmatched even though he retired 21 years ago.
The cllct Portfolio will be a regular feature that looks at the top collectible items — and the more attainable and economical ones — in various categories for legendary athletes.
Of course, we choose to start with a look at His Airness' Portfolio:
Jersey
Record item: Game-worn 1998 NBA Finals "Last Dance" jersey
Becoming the most valuable piece of sports memorabilia ever sold at the time of sale in September 2022, the jersey worn by Jordan in Game 1 of his last NBA Finals sold for $10.091 million at Sotheby’s. Just the second Jordan NBA Finals jersey to ever appear at auction, its association with the ESPN docuseries "The Last Dance" propelled additional interest.
Attainable item
Signed examples of Michael Jordan Jerseys, authenticated by Upper Deck, can be found on eBay for less than $7,000.
Cards
Most Iconic: 1986 Fleer rookie
Despite lacking the comparative rarity of fellow "grail" cards, such as the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle or the 1909 T206 Honus Wagner, Jordan’s most widely recognized rookie card is also one of the world’s most valuable — despite there being 44,335 authenticated examples across PSA, BGS, SGC and CGC.
PSA 10 examples (population: 324) have seen an extraordinary climb from pre-pandemic sales of less than $33,000 (October 2019) to as high as $840,000 in July 2021. Though this peak was followed by a precipitous drop-off, the price currently hovers around $180,000. There is no arguing its status as a must-have piece for any Jordan collector.
Most Valuable: 1997-98 Upper Deck game jersey Jordan autograph
Marking the first-ever instance of an autographed game-worn jersey Michael Jordan card, this hand-numbered card (out of 23) fetched a record $2.7 million via a private sale at Goldin Auctions in 2021. Unlike many modern memorabilia cards, this set proudly states the origins or its jersey swatch as hailing from “an authentic piece of game-worn jersey from a jersey worn by Michael Jordan in the 1992 NBA All-Star Game.”
Attainable: 1986 Fleer rookie in mid-grade
Michael Jordan Rookie Cards can be found in mid-grade (PSA 5) for ~$3,000.
Tickets
Debut ticket
The sole known example of a full Jordan debut ticket (as opposed to stubs, used to enter the arena) sold for $468,000 in February 2022.
Attainable ticket
Stubs from other iconic MJ games, like this ticket from the "Shrug Game" in the 1992 NBA Finals against the Blazers, can be found on eBay for a few hundred bucks. Why so cheap? The score of the game qualified for both redemptions on the back — a free lottery ticket and free pizza. Somehow that kept more of these tickets out there.
Type 1 Image
Record Type 1 photo
In an August 2023 private sale, a 1984 Type 1 photo of Jordan sold for $175,000.
Attainable Type 1 photo
Other type 1 photos of Jordan can be found on eBay for less than $1,000.
Magazine Cover
Record item: First Sports Illustrated appearance as NBA player, Nov. 28, 1983
In August 2023, a copy of MJ's 1983 Sports Illustrated cover, "A Star is Born," graded CGC 9.8, sold for $126,000 at Heritage.
Attainable item
Mid-grade copies can be found on eBay for less than $500.
##Autographs
Signed Basketball
In October 2017, Julien's sold a basketball signed by Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson for $304,000. The ball was used in the "Jam" video.
Attainable item
Signed basketballs can be found on eBay for under $5,000.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct. You can follow him on X at @Will__Stern.