A rare Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant autographed sports card smashed the record for most expensive card to be sold.
On Saturday (Aug. 23), the card sold for $12.9 million at an auction, making it the highest price ever paid for a trading card. The card, a 2007-08 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs numbered 1-of-1, was sold through Heritage Auctions. The winning bidder’s identity has not been disclosed, but the price surpassed the previous record of $12.6 million set in 2022 by a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.
The Jordan-Bryant collectible is now the second-most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold, trailing only slightly behind Babe Ruth’s 1932 World Series “called shot” jersey, which went for $24.12 million last year. Chris Ivy, Heritage’s director of sports auctions, reflected on the card’s significance, noting how Exquisite transformed the hobby when Upper Deck first released the line in 2003-04 at $500 a box.
That same set produced a $5.2 million LeBron James rookie card, which until now had been the crown jewel of basketball collectibles. The card holds particular prestige because it’s the only Jordan-Bryant autographed Logoman ever produced.
“[They were] kind of mocked, but it tapped into a demographic that wasn’t interested in gimmicks: They just wanted the best of the best,” Ivy said. “They were adding patches and signatures, Logomen — this was [one of] the first times logos from the jersey were used in this manner.”
He added, “Exquisite was first, Exquisite paved the way. It’s the pinnacle as far as modern card collectors are concerned, and this is the only time there’s been Jordan and Kobe autographed Logomans. Another one can’t be created. It’s always been looked at by modern basketball collectors as a holy grail.”
Despite being graded just a 6 by Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), the rarity outweighed condition concerns. Ivy explained: “Grades matter as far as pricing goes for standard-issue cards, but this is a 1-of-1, so the grade is less important overall to how the card performed.”
According to Ivy, the previous owner had held the card for over a decade, turning down several “high seven-figure” private offers before sending it to auction. Heritage estimated it would top $6 million, but intense bidding pushed it more than double that mark.
The sale comes amid heightened scrutiny of the memorabilia industry in light of the Brett Lemieux fraudulent Kobe Bryant merchandise scandal. Ivy stressed that this piece’s authenticity is “ironclad.”
“[The scandal] makes items like this a little more desirable,” Ivy said. “Upper Deck has Jordan under contract; he’s been with them for decades. Kobe was with Upper Deck until 2009. They worked with these athletes directly to have this item signed. It’s guaranteed by them as well as PSA. That’s why you see a premium for items that have verified provenance and authentication.”
The auction also capped a big month for Kobe Bryant collectibles. High-end collector Matt Allen recently revealed he privately spent $4 million on two 1-of-1 Panini Flawless Logoman Kobe cards. Until Saturday, those purchases held the record for the most expensive Bryant cards ever sold.