With the card market at an all-time high, people are flocking to eBay and other auction houses to get their hands on expensive pieces of cardboard with their favorite players printed. One card that stands out from the rest is the ever-popular Michael Jordan rookie card.
There’s no shocker there, but which Michael Jordan cards should you target? There are several to choose from. Purchasing any of the following Jordan cards will cost you a pretty penny. But if you’ve got the money to spend (or are just interested in learning more about MJ rookie cards), here’s a list of your options.
1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card #57
What else were we going to start with? Regarding Michael Jordan’s rookie cards, none are more recognized than his 1986 Fleer card. It’s not exactly a short-print card, with over 19,000 being graded by PSA and another 11,600 by Beckett Grading Service. However, high-grade versions of the no are in rather short supply. 57 card.
As of March 2021, there were only 316 gem-mint PSA tens, and another 2,775 were graded a nine. As for BGS submissions, They’ve given out just six(!!!) gem-mint tens, as well as 526 grades of 9.5. And if you’re one of the lucky few to own one of these mint-conditioned cards, you could be in for a six-figure payday.
The last ’86 Fleer PSA 10 Michael Jordan rookie cards sold on PWCC auctions on March 20 for a whopping $456,455 USD. And two sold on Goldin Auctions a few months earlier for an insane $738,000 apiece. In July 2021, Jordan’s 1986 Fleer Rookie card PSA10 was sold at the then-record price of $840,000 at PWCC.
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The card is an absolute beauty, too, with MJ soaring through the air, tongue out, just like we all remember him. “Iconic” would be the best way to describe the image. This is the most coveted Jordan rookie card. So, if you’re starting a collection with a big enough bankroll, this is the number one card you should target.
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1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Sticker #8
Here’s another entry from Fleer. While it’s technically a sticker, not a card, it still makes our list. That’s because Fleer’s stickers were found in their ’86 card packs—at a rate of one per pack.
It’s also probably one of the most valuable stickers out there, with a price tag of $155,201 for a PSA 10 based on a March 20th sale on PWCC in 2021. And because it’s a sticker, the population reports are much more enticing, as most stickers back then were either peeled or significantly off-center.
Regarding PSA, there are only 120 perfect 10s out of the 9,200-plus graded. As for BGS, they haven’t given out a single 10. And only 32 of the over-6,000 that were graded received a 9.5. The card is pretty awesome, too, with a young Jordan blowing by a defender in his patented Nike kicks.
1984-85 Star Michael Jordan XRC #101
Did you ever wonder why everyone considers the 1986 Fleer no. 57 the first official Michael Jordan rookie card, even though His Airness broke into the league in 1984?
Well, here’s the thing: MJ’s first rookie card was produced by Star Co., but it has never been considered his true rookie card due to production and distribution problems. Star was the only officially licensed distributor of NBA cards then, which explains why brands like Topps and Fleer never released their own Jordan NBA card during his rookie season.
The problems with Star Co.’s cards vary. They include a limited print run (believed to be 5000 or less for most cards), counterfeit issues (PSA won’t even grade the cards anymore as a result), and ineffective distribution, which saw only 25% of the cards make it to market in the first place.
These issues explain why the “Extended Rookie Card” label (or XRC) has been given. But the payday is pretty exceptional if you own an authentic one with a decent grade. A BGS 8 sold on March 20 for a final price of $47,970 at Goldin Auctions. In May 2024, 1984-85 Jordan Star #101 Rookie Card PSA10 was sold for a record $925,000 for a rookie card.
And if you’re having a tough time finding the No. 101 card, there are also a couple of other Michael Jordan options in the set, including a Rookie of the Year card (#288) and a 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist card (#195).
1985 Nike Promo Michael Jordan Rookie Card
We’ve seen some iconic images of these Jordan rookies already, but none are more iconic than what Nike put on their promotional rookie card for the man who would eventually take their company to new heights.
Some might not consider this a Jordan rookie card because of its promotional use, but it’s hard not to fall in love with this card—it features MJ in his familiar “Jumpman” pose, with the Chicago skyline in the background.
The population reports are also pretty appealing, with only approximately 2,800 being graded by PSA and another 1,280 by BGS. Another appealing thing is the selling price, with a PSA 10 available for $29,999 on eBay. One downside to this card is that it’s very susceptible to counterfeits, much like the Star Co. card. So, buyer beware.
1985 Interlake Michael Jordan Rookie Card #1
Here’s an interesting card for you. It was released by the Boy Scouts of America as part of the Interlake Youth Incentive Program in Chicago. It’s a little larger than your typical card, at 5 inches by 7 inches. And its blank backside also differentiates it from your typical Jordan rookie card.
The number of these cards is limited, which makes sense, given their limited regional release. Between PSA and BGS, just over 300 had been graded as of March 2021. As for sales prices, eBay is selling a BGS 9 on August 12, 2024, for $29,999 USD.
Considering its rareness, it doesn’t hold the same value as some of the other cards we’ve already discussed. That probably has something to do with the card’s unorthodox size and design, although the patented tongue-out photo of Jordan does make this an intriguing piece to add to any MJ collection.
Also Read: Carmelo Anthony Shockingly Snubs Michael Jordan In His All-Time Team USA Starting 5
1985 Prism Jewel Michael Jordan Rookie Sticker
There is another sticker on our list, but this one is much rarer than the 1986 Fleer sticker. How rare, you ask? PSA has graded just 87 of these (with only one receiving a 10). And BGS has seen 88 without giving a grade of either 10 or 9.5.
Why is it so rare? For starters, there weren’t many printed to begin with. They were distributed via card vending machines, resulting in many of them getting significantly scratched and dinged. Add to that that most people preferred to peel and stick their stickers somewhere back in the day, and you have a recipe for one of the rarest Michael Jordan rookie cards (or stickers) on the market.
What kind of payout does such rarity get you? How does $59,999 sound? That’s how much a PSA 8 is listed on eBay as of August 2024. That’s quite the price tag for a Jordan cartoon sticker.
1985-86 Merchante Campeonato Baloncesto Liga #173
The final entry comes from overseas. It’s the Michael Jordan Merchante Campeonato rookie card from good ol’ Spain. Regarding eye appeal, this card is probably at the bottom of the Michael Jordan rookie card totem pole.
You can barely tell it’s MJ on the card, as they used a photo of Jordan’s backside. As for the border, those blue stars might work for some people and not so much for others. The card also had two advertisements on the back—both for yogurt companies.
The reason behind the Letona version with the blue back, which was meant to be a shorter print, is unknown. PSA has only graded 19 of them, compared to 68 of the red Clesa version. In June 2024, Goldin sold a red PSA 8 for $4,150, while the Red one was sold at $28,999 on eBay.
Michael Jordan Rookie Baseball Cards
Don’t sweat if Michael Jordan’s basketball rookie cards are out of your price range. You have a few other options, thanks to MJ’s short stint in Major League Baseball. Many options come via Upper Deck, beginning with their SP1 insert, found in the 1991 Upper Deck boxes. It’s not exactly in short supply, with Beckett and PSA having graded well over 10,000 copies combined.
Other options include his 1994 Upper Deck Fun Packs #170 RC, 1994 UD Collector’s Choice #661, 1994 UD Next Generation #8, and 1994 UD Star Rookies #19 (all pictured below).
Or, if you’re REALLY lucky, you might get your hands on Jordan’s 1995 SP Top Prospects Auto #14. It’s believed to be the first Michael Jordan autographed card (baseball OR basketball) ever produced and sold in packs. And although they aren’t numbered, it’s assumed that there are less than 25 copies in existence — with only 10 making it to BGS for grading.
However, some MJ baseball cards are not considered his official rookie. And they certainly don’t carry the same value as his basketball rookie cards. Keep that in mind if you decide to add some Michael Jordan rookie cards to your collection.
Other Michael Jordan Cards
MJ collectors looking to buy on eBay or other auction houses may want to consider some other non-rookie Michael Jordan cards. Trust me, the former Chicago Bulls star has many to choose from.
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1997-98 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems
One of the most popular Jordan sports cards of all time is still his 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems. When it comes to Michael Jordan cards, despite not being a rookie, this baby might still be his most coveted. That’s because the card is only numbered 100, with 90 of those coming in a red variety and the other 10 coming in green.
In February 2024, a red version of the card graded NM-MT 8 by PSA sold for a whopping $298,000 on Goldin Auctions. So, with that number in mind, one could only imagine what a green version of the card would sell for.
Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Number Pieces
Another desirable non-rookie MJ card is any one of his eye-appealing Exquisite Collection Number Pieces. Upper Deck started including these insert cards in the Exquisite boxes in 2003-04. They feature an on-card auto and a game-worn patch in the shape of Jordan’s iconic number 23. And to top it all off, the card is numbered 23 copies.
That would probably help explain their insane value on the open market. Speaking of which, their prices tend to vary. In the October 2022 auction on Goldin, a 2003-04 version of the card with a BGS 9 grade fetched $132,000.
1997-98 Fleer Ultra Star Power Supreme
And then there’s Fleer, who is mostly known for contributing MJ’s most famous rookie to the world of sports memorabilia. But it might interest you to know that they are also the manufacturers of another very popular Jordan card: his 1997-98 Ultra Star Power Supreme insert.
The card features one of the more wacky designs on a piece of MJ cardboard. It has a holofoil surface with a die-cut design and several atoms shining in the background. The grade 8 card featured in the image above is available on eBay at $2,500.
Conclusion
All in all, there are plenty of Michael Jordan cards for collectors. Whether you’re looking for something cheap or a little more high-end, a quick search on eBay will yield hundreds of results satisfying your wants and needs.
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