Michael Jordan Cards: The Most Expensive of All Time

Air Jordan was drafted in 1984, yet it wasn’t until 1997 before he had a pack-issued autographed card.  This game jersey auto from 1997 Upper Deck is limited to only 23 copies.  Each copy also includes a patch from his 1992 NBA All-Star Game uniform, a game famous for being Magic Johnson’s farewell from basketball. The perforated design and rounded edges were incredibly unique at the time, but they also made the card a notoriously tough grade.

In a PSA 8 grade, the card sold for nearly $2.1 million in May 2021. However, it was a private sale in October 2021 that makes this the most expensive of all the Michael Jordan cards to date. The colors on the patch are key for this card. If another three-color jersey auto comes up for sale, there is no telling how high the bids could go.

If you ask for a top 10 list from a basketball fan, it’s likely that all three of these players will be on it.  The card above is the only triple logoman of Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron to ever hit an auction, and it is a stunner.  While many were awing over the infamous LeBron Triple Logoman, it seemed as if this one flew under the radar.  This trio hasn’t appeared on cardboard together since the 2000s, and rare memorabilia like this almost never surfaces.

Nevertheless, this PSA-graded copy sold during an August auction at Goldin for $1.68 million.  All three logoman patches are game-worn, and it is unlikely that a card like this will be made ever again.

Number three includes one of the most heralded sets in all of card collecting: Precious Metal Gems.  1997 Fleer Metal Universe, a 123-card set, included a PMG parallel that was limited to 100 copies.  The first 10 of those copies were green, and the other 90 were red. That immense rarity and unparalleled eye appeal have made the PMGs a grail for many Jordan collectors.

The shiny green foil made these cards increasingly hard to grade over time.  This PSA Authentic MJ sold for $915,000 in 2020.

Forget Michael Jordan cards, there are few trading cards more recognizable than Jordan’s ‘86 Fleer rookie.  Tongue out, a high-flying dunk, that cursive “Chicago” lettering – this card has everything.  It encapsulated the playstyle of the Bulls’ budding star incredibly well.  So, it’s no surprise why this card is so sought after 36 years later.

As a PSA 10, this slab currently sits as a POP 322.  At its peak in 2021, it sold for $840,000 in a PWCC Premier auction.

You won’t find a game-worn patch auto that looks much better than this.  With a stunning PSA 9 grade and MBA certification, this 2003 Exquisite Michael Jordan deserves to be in a museum.  Surprisingly enough, this is only the 18th biggest sale to come from a 2003-04 UD Exquisite Box.  The other 17 feature a young rookie phenom named LeBron.
This card also features a perfect 10 autograph grade, and it last sold for $780,000 in 2021.

While the aforementioned green PMG may be rarer, you cannot go wrong with the sheer eye appeal of the red parallel.  The colors are sharp, and they contrast against that iconic Bulls uniform perfectly.  

These cards only come up for sale about once a year, so there is typically a good premium paid by avid collectors.  Case in point, this beautiful BGS 8.5 copy sold for $564,000 earlier this year.  

At seven we have a classic patch auto of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.  This is the first set where the pair have dual autographs, so it is still widely collected to this day.  For us, it symbolizes a passing-of-the-torch for two of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history.  

The card contains two game-worn patches and on-card autos of Air Jordan and The Black Mamba.  It last sold at a Heritage auction for $516,000 in 2021.

The next three entries on the list all stem from the coveted 2003-04 Exquisite set.  The first of three is an “Emblems of Endorsement” auto, and it’s limited to just 15 copies. It features a two-color patch and a sweet on-card signature of His Airness.

It is always rare to see a thicker patch auto receive a BGS 9.5 grade, which may be why this stunner sold for $511,200 in August 2021.  

We have another striking BGS 9.5 patch auto at the number nine spot.  This one shows Jordan making an acrobatic move during one of his six Finals appearances.  It also has a nice two-color patch and an on-card autograph.

Numbered cleverly to 23, this card last sold for $456,000 in September 2022, making it the most recent entry to the list.

Rounding off the series of Exquisite patch autos is this horizontal copy that was awarded a PSA 10/10 grade and a gold MBA sticker.  It’s pretty much impossible to have a card in better condition than that.  And it just so happens that this one has a three-color patch and auto of one of the greatest to ever do it.

This card, numbered to 25, also sold last for $456,000 during a September PWCC auction.

Earlier this year, Collectors CEO Nat Turner announced that PSA would begin grading Star basketball cards.  He even went as far as to pin the ‘84 Star as “MJ’s true rookie card.”  While that may still be up for debate, the card is still Jordan’s first in a Bulls uniform.  It features action from his rookie campaign, a season where Mike averaged 28.3 PPG.

This card currently stands as a POP 1, and none have been graded higher.  The Star set was often handed out as a promotional tool during Bulls games, so a PSA 10 grade will be hard to come by.  Even still, this mint copy sold for $444,000 in September 2022, which is more than any 1986 Fleer sale this year.

Much like the triple logoman of these three, this card is also not one you see very often.  And even if they all are on an autographed card together, it probably won’t be accompanied by a BGS 10 grade.  Jordan, Kobe, and LeBron are woven into the fabric of basketball’s lore.  Each has inspired millions, and we’ve all spent hours trying to emulate their moves in the driveway.  This incredible gem last sold for $387,600 during a Goldin auction.

Which of these Michael Jordan cards is your grail? Let us know @CardTalkPod on Instagram and Twitter!