Mickey Mantle was joined by LeBron James on Monday…as the highest-priced sports trading card ever sold.
PWCC said it privately sold a 2003 signed LeBron James Exquisite Collection patch card for $5.2 million. That matches the $5.2 million record for a 1952 Mickey Mantle card sold by PWCC for the same amount in January.
JUST IN: @PWCCmarketplace says it has sold a LeBron James signed rookie card for $5.2 million, ties sale of 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle for most paid for a trading card https://t.co/a4iDpcWOuE pic.twitter.com/5pPWA8Wmqe
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) April 26, 2021
“This was actually in the works for a while,” said Jesse Craig, PWCC’s director of business development. “The demand for rare cards, especially basketball right now, is just like the demand for fine art.”
_BookPromo=821
Craig said that while recent sales have been down in the mass market, the high-end cards are still setting records.
The James card is out of a limited edition of 23. Craig said that of those that have been graded by Beckett Grading Services, this is the third-best by subgrades.
A similar card, out of 99, was sold on Goldin Auctions on Saturday night for $1.72 million. That auction also set a record for the most a Wilt Chamberlain card has sold for — $461,250 for his 1961 Fleer Rookie in a PSA 9.
Check out our Los Angeles Lakers odds and NBA MVP odds for insights and updates during the 2021-22 NBA season.