A jersey attributed to use by Michael Jordan during Game 3 of the 1997 NBA Eastern Conference Finals sold for $264,000 over the weekend.
The jersey, which was signed by Jordan, was dated to a 98-74 win over the Miami Heat on May 24 of that year when he scored 34 pounds en route to what would be his fifth NBA title. According to Infinite Auctions, it was photo/video matched as being one of two jerseys he wore in the game.
Infinite Auctions planned to donate a portion of the proceeds to Chicago area homeless centers.
A Dallas Cowboys jersey worn by Emmitt Smith during a Christmas Day 2000 game sold for 31,200 in the same auction.
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A new raw card authentication service has launched through Mike Baker Authenticated.
Cards submitted to the service are reviewed, and – if certified as authentic – are identified by title, serial numbered, placed in a custom top loader, and sealed with a tamper-proof label.
Each authenticated card also receives a custom “CardFax report” detailing any significant wear and/or manufacturing defects.
The new service will launch at the National Sports Collectors Convention for $6 per card with PWCC as a vaulting and marketplace partner. If submitted cards are submitted to auction within 60 days, a $3 return credit is issued.
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Whatnot, the live online shopping platform, has just raised $50 million in Series B funding to continue its expansion.
The company is now the largest online independent shopping platform in the U.S. It now offers sellers in 15 different collectible categories the opportunity to sell on its streams, but sports cards are the most popular items.
The latest fundraise brings the company’s valuation to $3.7B, a 2.5x increase since its $1.5 billion valuation in September, 2021.
Last year, the company grew sales over 20 times year-over-year and more than tripled its monthly sales so far in 2022.
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Sports cards aren’t just a hot commodity in North America. eBay Australia says sales of sports cards on its platform are up 649%.
Their trading card expert, Alaister Low, says, “The majority of cards sold on eBay are Pokémon, followed by sports cards, influenced by a growing NBA obsession. This is reflected in a 1,050% increase in NBA trading card sales.”
From March 2021-22, Devin Booker cards increased in value by 500% and Ja Morant by 350%. Since the Golden State Warriors’ victory in June – the team’s fourth NBA championship – eBay sales of Stephen Curry trading cards increased by 170% in Australia.
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