An autographed LeBron James rookie card sold for $1.845 million over the weekend at a Goldin Auctions sale.
It set a record for being the most expensive modern-era trading card – meaning anything from 1980 or newer. The previous record for a modern-era card was a 2009 card of MLB superstar Mike Trout that went for $922,500 this past May.
The James rookie card was from Upper Deck’s 2003-04 “Exquisite Collection” and received a 9.5 score on the Beckett Grading Scale (BGS) which is to say it’s considered to be a nearly flawless piece.
Here’s a detailed description of the card:
“The incomparable superstar has penned a vivid blue ink signature on the obverse of this ultra-premium collectible. Its cardfront presentation also incorporates an exceptional, tri-color James-worn jersey patch relic. The card’s BGS condition report: Centering: 9.5, Corners: 9, Edges: 9.5, Surface: 9.5. A congratulatory statement on the card’s back attests to the authenticity of the signature and genuineness of the patch component, and serves as Upper Deck’s COA. The limited-edition piece is serial-numbered ‘14/23.’ Gem Mint condition.”
There was a total of 34 bids in a 26-day span, according to Goldin Auctions, with the minimum bid set at $150,000.
The winning bid went to Leore Avidar, the CEO and cofounder of Lob.com who describes himself on his Twitter profile as a “professional collector, flipper and negotiator of random things.”
Believe it or not, this is doesn’t come close to the record for the most expensive trading card purchased.
In 2018, a mint-condition 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card sold for $2.88 million.
The most valuable trading card, though, is the infamous 1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner card that sold in 2016 for a world-record $3.12 million.
One of James’s high school jerseys was bought for $187,500 at a Goldin Auctions sale last October.
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