Michael Jackson dead at age 50

TMZ is reporting that “The King of Pop” Michael Jackson has died at age 50 of an apparent heart attack.

While he has obviously been remembered for his eccentric exploits the last decade or so, there’s no doubting his place in music history — from The Jackson Five to the Thriller days to Bad and beyond.

There will surely be a groundswell of interest in his memorabilia — despite all of the negative things that popped up regarding him away from the stage.

Jackson appeared on his own trading card set made by Topps in 1984 — a 132-card set issued in two series, 33 cards and 33 stickers apiece.

They’re plentiful, so they’re not all that valuable. Some dealers want less than $20 — but most no more than $50 — for an unopened box on eBay.

Topps also produced an oversized sticker set — 13 cards that are roughly 5x7s.

Jackson’s autographs are relatively pricey, with most dealers wanting $500 or so for a signed 8×10 photo — and upwards of $1,500 for those that are PSA/DNA certified. You can expect those types of items to be the most in demand in the future and those prices to rise, while his other memorabilia will generally see an increase in the volume of items sold as well.

Evening update: The Topps cards are seeing a ton of action, so that price range is now moot. And autograph photos are topping out at $2,000 and more.

Chris Olds has collected sports cards and memorabilia since 1987. Before coming to Beckett Media, he wrote about the hobby for the Orlando Sentinel on his blog, SportsStuff, and for the San Antonio Express-News and The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News. Do you have a comment, question or idea? Send e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.