A mysterious and secretive autograph signing was held in Florida last year.
Michael Jordan added his signature to nine copies of his 1986 Fleer rookie card, adding hundreds of thousands — and in some cases, millions — of dollars in value with the stroke of a pen.
Now, for the first time since the signing, one of the cards has hit the auction block at Sotheby’s, beginning Friday.
The card in question is graded a PSA 9 with a 10 autograph grade.
PSA has graded 92 autographed copies of Jordan’s rookie card, including six PSA/DNA 10s and five PSA/DNA 9s.
There are no records of a comparable PSA 9/10 copy selling at public auction, with the most expensive autographed Jordan rookie, a PSA 9/8 example, selling for $205,000 in March 2024.
A source with knowledge of the signing told cllct last year Jordan was not paid for the signing, and the identity of the card’s owner is not known, nor is their connection to Jordan.
Jordan used a blue sharpie to sign the cards, which Sotheby’s claims includes eight of “the best-conditioned rookie cards the world has ever seen.”
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.