1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph Michael Jordan Nets $840,000
When it comes to Michael Jordan cards, there are lots of iconic options out there. From his first Star cards to his 1986-87 Fleer Rookie Card and dozens of inserts, they cover a lot of ground. But even within that amount of hobby history, there are only a select few that rank as the best of the best Michael Jordan cards. The 1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph is one of them.
One of the industry’s earliest memorabilia cards, a copy sold for $840,000 on Thursday, January 19 through the PWCC January Premier Auction.
Graded a BGS 8 with a 10 autograph, there’s significant history behind both the card and the swatch. 1997-98 Upper Deck Game Jerseys marked the first memorabilia cards in an NBA card set. Twenty-two different standard jersey cards were scarce pulls in 1997-98 Upper Deck Series 1 packs, landing 1:2,500 packs. While Jordan is part of that checklist, the 23 autographed versions were part of Series 2. He’s the only autographed jersey in the set.
As for the jersey piece, it’s not from a typical Chicago game. In fact, it’s not from a Bulls jersey at all. Rather, it comes from Jordan’s 1992 NBA All-Star Game jersey.
This isn’t the highest a copy of the card has ever sold for. In February, 2021, around the peak of the latest card boom, one reached $1.44 million at Heritage Auctions. In the process, it became the first million-dollar Michael Jordan card.
It might not be the record setter, but it was still a big payday for the seller, who bought the same card in November, 2018 for $94,630.
