Upper Deck’s latest Michael Jordan auction made one thing clear: anything tied to No. 23 can still send collectors into a frenzy.
The headline item was the 1986-87 Fleer Basketball hobby box autographed and inscribed by Jordan, which sold for $1,488,100. Upper Deck included a Memorabilia case with the box to underscore how significant the piece was, and the result made it the centerpiece of a 10-item lot that pushed well past $1.5 million overall.
That box wasn’t the only Jordan item to draw serious money. The auction also featured game-era and limited-edition pieces ranging from jerseys to sneakers, with several finishing in the five-figure range. A limited-edition United Center floor piece, autographed and restricted to 23 copies, sold for $16,000 and stood as the second-biggest item in the sale.
The top sneaker result came from the UNC Air Jordan 1 Retro, limited to just 10 copies and autographed by Jordan, which brought $15,000. A Replica 1992 Team USA Jersey, limited to 109 copies and signed by Jordan, sold for $9,416.50.
Other highlights included a pair of autographed Nike Air Jordan Retro 12s, the model linked to “The Flu Game.” Though they were not game-worn, their connection to that performance and their 23-copy autograph run helped them reach $8,400.
A 1997-98 red away jersey autographed by Jordan also sold for $8,400, while a 1995 “I’m Back” game jersey featuring Jordan’s 45 sold for $7,300. Neither jersey was game-worn.
The 1986-87 Fleer box towered over everything else in the auction, and for good reason. A sealed 1986 Fleer box last sold for $146,400 last year, which puts the Jordan-signed version in a different universe. That kind of jump says plenty about the current Michael Jordan market.
The sale was part of Jordan’s legacy contract with Upper Deck, announced earlier this summer. Upper Deck also revealed last month that autographed packs of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball could be found as redemptions in 2026 Goodwin Champions, though none of those redemptions have surfaced in auction yet. When they do, the market will be watching closely.
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