Jordan fever is alive and well in the sports memorabilia world, as evidenced by the recent Goldin Elite Auction in August. The star of the show was none other than a PSA 8 1984-85 Star Company Michael Jordan rookie card, which fetched a jaw-dropping $244,000, setting a new record for that grade. This hefty price tag comes on the heels of a PSA 7 Jordan Star Company rookie card that recently sold for $62,000 on eBay, showing that the market for Jordan’s first NBA licensed trading card is hotter than ever. Additionally, a PSA 6.5 version of the card went for $52,460, further solidifying Jordan’s enduring popularity among collectors.
Not to be outdone, MLB superstar Mike Trout also made a splash at the auction with a 1-of-1 2009 Bowman Sterling Red Refractor Autograph card, graded PSA 9, fetching an impressive $192,030. Despite facing injury challenges in recent years, Trout’s collectible value remains sky-high. Two more modern baseball cards that set new records were a 2011 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Bryce Harper #5/5, graded PSA 9, which sold for $184,720, and a 2014 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Mookie Betts #3/5, graded PSA 10, earning $123,220.
The auction also featured some standout 1-of-1 SuperFractor cards, including the 2024 Topps Chrome Autographed SuperFractor Elly De La Cruz PSA 10, which fetched $116,534, and the Jackson Holliday SuperFractor PSA 10, selling for $68,527, both setting new high prices for these players. A dual autograph Ronaldo/Messi SuperFractor from 2023-24 Topps UEFA also commanded attention, selling for $67,100 with a PSA 9 grade, originating from a breaker in England and consigned to Goldin at the London Card Show.
Shifting gears to memorabilia, Travis Kelce’s 2020-21 Super Bowl LV jersey, photomatched to the Kansas City Chiefs’ unfortunate 31-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, stole the spotlight with a winning bid of $52,460. Adding to Kelce’s auction success, his AFC Championship ring from the same season fetched $34,404. Notable memorabilia sales continued with an Aaron Judge 2017 rookie season jersey, photomatched to one of his impressive 52 home runs, selling for $51,240.
Rounding out the top sales at the auction were a few more impressive items, including a 2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes RPA #77/99 selling for $95,770, a 2018 Bowman Orange Refractor Shohei Ohtani #22/75 graded PSA 9 going for $74,450, a 1996 Mariano Rivera game-used jersey photomatched to eight trading cards selling for $51,240, and 1969 Topps Football Series 1 and Series 2 wax boxes fetching $32,940 and $31,721 respectively.
The August Elite Auction at Goldin once again demonstrated the enduring appeal of both vintage and modern sports collectibles, with record-breaking sales confirming that the demand for prized items in the sports world shows no signs of slowing down.
