An incredibly rare autographed LeBron James rookie card is expected to break modern-day auction records when it’s all said and done. A bid submitted this week has already confirmed as much.
What’s more, there’s 23 days left in the auction, meaning that it’s certain that the item — touted as “arguably the most desirable and valuable card in the world” — will fetch well over $1 million at auction.
Part of the “2003-2004 Upper Deck Exquisite” series, the limited-edition James rookie card — only 23 were produced — netted a bid of $960,000, which shatters the recently set modern-day auction record when a Mike Trout rookie card sold for $922,000 in May.
Goldin Auctions has indicated the James rookie card — grades out at 9.5/10, which designates it as in “gem mint” condition. Not only is the card signed by James, it also features a patch from a Cleveland Cavaliers jersey worn by the superstar during his Rookie of the Year-winning 2003-04 season.
Twenty-one bids have been submitted since the card went up for auction on June 22. The auction closes on July 18, so there’s no doubt the bidding process will get much more competitive and involve an obscene amount of money in a sports memorabilia auction market that has already been operating at an outrageously frenetic pace of late.
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