VALUE OF MICHAEL JORDAN BASEBALL CARDS

Michael Jordan is considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Many people may not realize that for a short period in the early 1990s, Jordan also pursued a career in professional baseball. His attempt to make the switch from basketball to baseball was one of the more intriguing sports stories of that era. While Jordan’s baseball career was ultimately unsuccessful on the field, the baseball cards produced during this time have taken on considerable value in the years since for collectors.

In the summer of 1993, Jordan shockingly announced his retirement from basketball at the height of his career with the Chicago Bulls. At the time, speculation ran rampant about his reasons for leaving the NBA, with some questioning whether he was truly retiring or taking time away from the game. After about a year and a half away from basketball, Jordan decided to embark on a new path and joined the Chicago White Sox organization to try out for their Double-A minor league team, the Birmingham Barons. Jordan spent the entire 1994 season playing in the minors as he attempted this career change into professional baseball.

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During Jordan’s time pursuing baseball, card manufacturers like Fleer, Topps, and Upper Deck released sets that included cards featuring Jordan in a White Sox or Barons uniform. These sets released in 1994 and 1995 contain the only basketball cards in existence that show Jordan wearing anything other than a Bulls uniform. At the time, the inclusion of Jordan in baseball card sets generated excitement, but there was no guarantee his baseball career attempt would be successful or that the cards would maintain significant collector value long-term. Now, almost 30 years later, Jordan’s rare baseball cards from this period can be highly coveted by collectors and fetch tremendous prices at auction.

One of the key Jordan baseball cards that retains huge value is the 1994 Upper Deck SP Authentic #47 card. This card features a cleanly photographed image of Jordan in a White Sox batting stance. What makes the card so rare and desirable to collectors is that it carries Jordan’s actual autograph on the front of the card. At the time, Upper Deck produced cards with blank space on the front specifically for autograph opportunities. Only about 100 of these Jordan autograph cards are believed to exist in collectors’ hands today in gem mint condition. In recent years, mint condition copies of this elusive autograph card have sold at auction for over $100,000.

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Another hugely valuable Jordan baseball issue is the 1994 Collector’s Choice Gold Signature rookie card #274. Similar to the Upper Deck autograph card, this Collector’s Choice issue contained blank space on the front for an autograph, but Jordan autographed far fewer of these rookie cards compared to Upper Deck at the time. Extremely few mint Collector’s Choice Gold Signatures with Jordan’s auto believed to remain, and one in pristine condition achieved an eye-popping $273,500 at auction in 2021. While not autographed, even the standard Collector’s Choice #274 rookie tops out at over $3,000 today for top grades.

Beyond the ultra-rare autographed parallels, many of Jordan’s mainstream baseball card issues from 1994 and 1995 have appreciated significantly as well. The 1994 Fleer MetalUniverse Advance Photo #249 shows a headshot of Jordan and graded mint examples can reach over $10,000. The 1995 Upper Deck #57 portrays Jordan batting and consistently clears $2,000 for perfect status. And his 1995 Finest #91 rookie that features crisp photography sells graded pristinely for $1,500 on average. Even Jordan’s common cards from this era in high grades are valuable and coveted, unlike his plentiful basketball cards.

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The overall scarcity of Michael Jordan’s baseball cards makes them immensely more desirable and valuable compared to his basketball issues. Only a fraction as many sets were produced featuring Jordan donning a White Sox or Barons cap versus his many basketball releases over a Hall of Fame career. The novelty of the Great One stepping outside his element added to the intrigue and increased demand for these unique issues at the time. Now, as we look back on Jordan’s fascinating attempt to play pro baseball nearly 3 decades ago, his rarified cards from that period retain a mystique and are among the most prized possessions in collecting. True mint condition specimens can rival or surpass even Jordan’s rarest basketball rookies in price. The monetary worth may come as no surprise, but the baseball card values trulysymbolize Jordan’s unparalleled popularity that continued even during his brief baseball interlude.

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