Michael Jordan Baseball Autograph Card Sells for $625,250 as Heritage Sports Card Auction Reaches $19.76 Million

A Michael Jordan baseball card from one of the most unusual chapters of his career sold for $625,250 at Heritage Auctions, leading a two-day sports card sale that finished at nearly $19.76 million. The 1995 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects Michael Jordan autograph card is graded PSA EX-MT 6 with a PSA/DNA Auto 10 signature and an MBA Gold designation. It topped Heritage Auctions‘ September 18-19 Fall Sports Card Catalog Auction, which generated $19,758,916.

The card dates to Jordan’s brief move from basketball to professional baseball, when he played in the Chicago White Sox organization during 1994 and 1995. That period has produced a distinctive group of Jordan collectibles. While signed basketball cards span much of his career, important autographed cards connected directly to his time in professional baseball are considerably less common.

“Michael Jordan’s baseball career represents such a unique chapter in the story of one of the greatest athletes of all time, and this card captures that moment in a way very few collectibles can,” says Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage. “Jordan signed countless basketball items during his career, but there are far fewer significant cards that combine his autograph with his time as a professional baseball player. The $625,250 result shows how much collectors value important cards that tell a story beyond the statistics and championships.”

The Jordan autograph was the auction’s top lot, but complete vintage sets accounted for several of the next-highest prices. A 1953 Topps Baseball complete set ranked No. 11 on the PSA Set Registry sold for $549,000. The 274-card set carried an 8.0 GPA, with 272 cards graded PSA 8 and only the Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays cards graded PSA 7.

A complete 407-card 1952 Topps set followed at $463,600. The landmark issue includes Mickey Mantle #311, Willie Mays #261, Jackie Robinson #312, Yogi Berra #191 and Eddie Mathews’ rookie card. Another complete set, 1955 Topps Baseball, brought $451,400. All 206 cards in that set are graded PSA 8 with no qualifiers. The checklist includes Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron along with rookie cards of Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax, Harmon Killebrew and Ken Boyer.

Jordan also accounted for one of the auction’s biggest basketball results. A 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie #57 graded PSA Gem Mint 10 sold for $402,600, while a 2009 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Jordan Rookie Patch-Flashback #78A, numbered 11/23 and graded BGS 6.5 with an MBA Gold Diamond designation, reached $378,200.

Shohei Ohtani was another major presence in the sale. A 2018 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autographs Blue Refractor #BCRA-SO numbered 121/150 and graded PSA 10 with a PSA/DNA Auto 10 sold for $390,400. A second PSA 10 Blue Refractor Ohtani autograph, numbered 044/150, brought $268,400.

Other notable vintage results included a 1955 Topps Jackie Robinson #50 graded PSA 9 at $292,800 and a 1951 Bowman Willie Mays rookie #305 graded PSA 8 at $268,400. A 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson rookie #482 graded PSA 10 also sold for $268,400. Heritage noted that only 25 examples have received the Gem Mint grade.

The auction also showed continued demand for high-grade complete sets beyond the early 1950s. A near-complete 1986 Fleer basketball set containing 131 of the 132 cards, all graded PSA 10 and missing only the Michael Jordan rookie, sold for $341,600. A 1967 Topps Baseball complete set ranked No. 3 on the PSA Set Registry, with a 9.34 GPA, reached the same $341,600 price.

Heritage’s Fall Sports Card Catalog Auction closed with $19,758,916 in total sales across the September 18-19 event.