This isn’t my first post on the top 10 Michael Jordan cards of all time.
I originally titled an article that back in 2009 when I first returned to collecting Jordans. In hindsight it was a misnomer however - that article has been renamed my top ten sentimental favourite Michael Jordan cards as it more so reflected on my favourite styles of collecting in the 90’s.
TL;DR - what are the top 10 Michael Jordan cards of all time?
My top ten Michael Jordan cards of all time including buyback auto and retro release versions.
This article will represent what I think are the best Michael Jordan cards without constraint. It will also be the first in a series of top 10 Michael Jordan cards from a range of collectors - be sure to check back regularly or follow on Facebook to see more.
Matt Cassidy’s Top 10 Michael Jordan Cards of All Time
I’ve chosen cards that have a special place commemorating Jordan’s career as well as those commemorating key aspects of the history and evolution of trading cards.
You’ll see a lot of firsts and cards which have subsequently gained serious collector community appreciation. You’ll also primarily see cards from the 80’s and 90’s as Jordan’s Bulls playing era (and few years thereafter) is my personal favourite.
This won’t be a list of the top 10 most valuable Michael Jordan cards - though that would certainly make for a good read so I’ll save a post on that for another time.
Finally, as I always add when publishing a ranking list, these are my personal opinions - what I think are the best Michael Jordan cards - and I’m very keen to hear what other collectors would rank as their bests in the comments.
All discussions of recent sales are from early 2020.
Notable Mentions
I always like to include a list of notable mentions. There are just too many quality Jordans to leave without mentioning and the quality of this list will give you an idea of the quality to come!
Notable mention: 1985 Michael Jordan Prism Jewel Sticker
Stickers tend to become very rare due to the fact that their intended use is to be removed from their backing and stuck to something - in essence destroyed as a collectible.
The 1985 Prism Jewel Sticker is a very rare sticker which was available through vending machines. Presumably most were destroyed by being used and so what remains is an ultra rare and valuable collectible.
Recent sales include a BGS 8.5 for $8000 and a raw copy for $4400.
It is a card with excellent eye appeal and one of Jordan’s first appearances. Ahead of its time with dual images of Jordan, there is also the large and small block variations.
Notable mention: 1994-95 Michael Jordan Collector’s Choice Baseball Gold Signature
The 1994-95 Collector’s Choice Baseball Gold Signature makes the notable mentions list due to both it’s eye appeal and quirkiness.
While part of Collector’s Choice’s premier basketball set in 1994 the #23 card features Michael Jordan playing baseball. A perfect example of history on a card. Perhaps Upper Deck were so confident at the time they would be seeing Jordan back in their basketball series again they never bothered to remove him 🙂.
The Gold Signature series is a stunning parallel featuring heavy gold toned foil along with a gold stamp facsimile autograph (they don’t scan well and should be seen in person to be truly enjoyed).
Recent sales include a PSA 8 for $128.50 and a PSA 9 for $310.
Notable mention: 1996-97 Michael Jordan Flair Hot Shots
The Flair Hot Shots was part of an era of trading cards which embraced seriously intricate die-cut cards.
This card features no less than 14 die-cut points of a flame! Highly graded copies of the Hot Shots accordingly attract a high premium. There are few other Jordan cards that features such intricate die-cut points.
Recent sales include a BGS 9.5 for $4750, a BGS 9 for $2808 and a PSA 9 for $3701.23.
Notable mention: 1994-95 Michael Jordan N-Tense
In 1994 we started to get an introduction to what was to come in the late 90’s - bold, bright, embossed inserts that were stunning in hand.
The Michael Jordan N-Tense is perhaps one of the first to tick all these boxes. It feature’s a nicely embossed surface with a highly reflective, bold gold coating. The front copy has a very nice soap colour treatment that is beautiful in hand.
The N-Tense is also one of a handful of cards which feature Jordan wearing the #45 jersey which he donned upon his initial return to the NBA.
This card was also featured as part of the 13-14 Fleer Retro set - so you can line up Jordan wearing Bulls #45 and Jordan wearing North Carolina #23.
Recent sales include a PSA 9 $240, a PSA 10 for $750 and a BGS 10 for $1255.
