During the hobby's COVID surge, no sports card was talked about more than the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card.
Yet, over the past few months, the Fleer Jordan has not only lost its title as the most expensive MJ card, it’s no longer even the most buzz-worthy Jordan rookie card.
If it seems like the card is setting records on a near-daily basis, that’s because it is.
In September alone, there have been new high watermarks set for Star Jordan cards in the following PSA grades:
- PSA 9 ($1,000,000+)
- PSA 8 ($244,000)
- PSA 7 ($55,498)
- PSA 6.5 ($52,460)
- PSA 6 ($55,498)
Considering the Star card’s extreme rarity, with 359 total graded by PSA and 1,213 by BGS, supply has suddenly appeared to be no issue, with sellers clearly looking to capitalize on the market.
Still, the records keep coming as demand has kept up with the influx of supply.
Even among Star Jordans, there are levels to the rarity, not merely based on condition, but also in the extremely limited quantities of autographed examples.
One copy signed by Jordan and graded a BGS 7.5/Auto 9 sold Thursday night at Goldin for $183,610, the highest price ever paid for a signed Star Jordan.
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The true population of the Star Jordan is difficult to ascertain for a number of reasons.
PSA refused to grade the card for decades, making Beckett the only game in town until PSA resumed grading the card in 2022.
Since PSA slabs sell for a hefty premium over BGS — particularly in this card’s market — it’s highly likely many collectors have submitted Star cards previously graded by BGS to PSA, which adds to PSA’s population report but does not change the data listed in the BGS census.
Additionally, when it comes to autographed examples, Beckett doesn’t allow for a clear population report differentiating from non-signed cards.
Limited information comes from a dedicated group of Star card collectors who have tracked sales over the years, with an estimated 40 autographed Star No. 101 Jordans authenticated by Beckett in January 2022, right around the time PSA began grading the card again.
PSA has authenticated 12 autographed examples.
In a post to twitter Friday, Goldin Auctions announced it would be selling a PSA 7/Auto 9 example in its upcoming September Elite auction. That card was recently graded by PSA, and a close comparison appears to reveal it’s the same card previously in a Beckett slab graded a BGS 8/Auto 9.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct.