A Bull(s) Market
Michael Jordan autographed rookie cards don’t come up for auction too often, so when one did, it caught Scott Mahlum’s eye.
A 1984-85 Star Company card No. 101 signed Jordan with a dual grade from Beckett Grading Service (BGS) -- a near-mint 8.5 card with a 9 autograph -- was on the clock at SCP Auctions in late April/early May. Mahlum, who owns Mill Creek Sports in Mill Creek, Wash., was confident he could nab the card for $25,000.
Mahlum has been in the card, memorabilia and autograph business for over 30 years. Even with all that knowledge and background, Mahlum’s estimate wasn’t close to the final cost.
“I was actively bidding on that the last day and I woke up Saturday morning (May 2) and I was outbid on it,” Mahlum said. “I watched it throughout and it closed down and it was just a couple bucks under $43,000.”
The final figure was an eye-popping $42,955 after the buyer’s premium. That’s a new record for a signed Star Co. Jordan card.
“That just tells me there’s a new level,” Mahlum said. “You could have had that card for $12,000 to $15,000 a couple months ago. That’s what we’re seeing, we’re seeing stuff like that.”
Jordan cards and memorabilia have exploded in price since mid-April. A huge reason is the exposure of Jordan on ESPN’s 10-part documentary series “The Last Dance,” which chronicles Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ dynasty, and their run to a sixth NBA championship in 1997-98. The first two episodes aired on April 19 and averaged 6.1 million viewers.
“We’re all longing for sports and this `The Last Dance’ thing just came at the right time, it really did,” said
