An extremely rare Michael Jordan autograph card has hit the auction block at Lelands, attracting bids of more than $100,000, with more than two weeks remaining at auction.
Jordan's 1997 SP Authentic Sign of the Times Stars & Rookies Autograph card is one of an estimated 50 copies that were included in the set as a redemption, according to Beckett.
In total, 12 players were featured in the die-cut Sign of the Time Stars and Rookies series, which were inserted into 1997-98 SP Authentic Basketball packs at a rate of 1:113.
Lelands notes in its lot description the card, which is one of just seven graded by PSA (population of five, with just one higher) and was held by the consigner’s father for 20 years before gifting it to his son.
Sales of the card in public auction records are shockingly few and far between.
In addition to the seven graded by PSA, BGS has graded 13. The most expensive public sale of the card, per CardLadder, is $48,153 paid for a BGS 6.5 copy in May 2021. That also appears to be the last time one of the rare Jordan autograph cards sold.
More recently, in 2023, an unredeemed “Trade Card,” which acted as a reservation for one of the coveted Jordan autos if submitted and postmarked by May 1999, sold for $4,500.
With the popularity of late ‘90s Jordan inserts and parallels surging in recent years, including for his iconic 1997 Metal Universe PMG, the rabid bidding for this card, which Beckett said is “widely considered to be one of the top Michael Jordan autograph cards ever produced,” shouldn’t come as a shock. However, bidding for the card has already doubled the previous record sale.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.