Inside the Greatest Jordan Card Collection Ever

In the basketball card hobby, there are serious collectors, there are whale collectors, and then there is Konner — president of PSC and the man behind what many consider the single most comprehensive Michael Jordan card collection ever assembled. This isn't someone who got lucky at a few auctions. This is a decades-long, methodical pursuit of the rarest, most significant Jordan cards ever produced, and the results are staggering.

We recently got an inside look at the entire collection, card by card. What follows is a breakdown of the highlights — from six-figure PMG gems to one-of-one parallels that have never appeared publicly, to the card that set the all-time Jordan auction record at $2.7 million.

The Crown Jewels: 1997 PMG Red and Green Sets

If you know anything about high-end 90s basketball cards, you know that PMG — Precious Metal Gems — sits at the absolute top. Produced by Skybox in 1997, the set was limited to just 100 copies per card. The first 10 were printed in green; the last 90 in red. The green variant's distinctive emerald coloring was reportedly inspired by the designer's engagement ring — a detail that only adds to the mystique.

Konner owns a complete PMG Red set. Let that sink in. Not just the Jordan. Not just the marquee names. Every single card in the red parallel, assembled over years of patient hunting. He also owns a nearly complete Green set, missing only three cards — an accomplishment that, given the extreme rarity, borders on the impossible.

The Jordan cards from this set are monsters in their own right. The Red sold for $298,900, while the Green — with only 10 copies in existence — sold for $350,100 in 2019, setting the auction record for any non-rookie Jordan card at the time. These are the kind of cards that define a collection.

1986 Jordan Rookie Sticker — PSA 10

Before Fleer, before Chrome refractors, before any of the modern inserts that dominate today's hobby, there was the 1986 Jordan rookie sticker. Konner's copy grades PSA 10 — a gem mint example that sold for $192,000 in 2021. While the 1986 Fleer rookie card gets most of the mainstream attention, the sticker is arguably rarer in high grade and carries its own dedicated following among serious Jordan collectors.

The First Pack-Pullable Jordan Autograph

This is a card that most collectors don't even know exists. Jordan's first pack-pullable autograph card was obtained via a redemption program. Here's the catch: Upper Deck didn't have the USA Basketball license at the time, so the jersey in the photo was blacked out — literally airbrushed to remove the team branding. It's one of the strangest-looking premium cards in basketball history, and that's part of its appeal.

Konner estimates fewer than 20 copies survive. When two appeared at auction in 2023, they sold for $210,000 and $110,000 respectively. The price gap likely reflects condition differences, but even the "cheap" one commands six figures.

Jordan's Earliest Handwritten Autograph Cards

Before the well-known holographic SPS autograph series, Upper Deck produced Jordan's earliest autograph cards with handwritten serial numbering, limited to /100. These are the precursors to everything that followed — the template for what premium autograph cards would become. The SPS series that came later is more widely recognized with its distinctive holographic finish, but these handwritten-numbered originals are the true genesis of Jordan's autograph card legacy.

1997 SP Authentic Redemption Cards

Redemption cards are one of the hobby's great gambles. You pull the redemption from a pack, mail it in, and receive the actual card later. But not everyone redeems. Not everyone mails them in. And over decades, the unredeemed ones become collectibles in their own right.

The 1997 SP Authentic Jordan redemption is a perfect example. Unredeemed copies — still in their original form — sell for around $4,500. Konner believes the surviving supply is under 25 cards. For a card that was never even meant to be kept in this form, that's a remarkable market.

PMG Circles and Metal Universe Champions

The PMG Circles (known in collecting circles as the "circle fold") came from the Metal Universe Champions set, limited to just /50. But the really interesting wrinkle is that card numbers 46 through 50 weren't standard pulls — they were redemptions for a complete 50-card PMG set. That means pulling one of those five cards gave you the entire PMG run. Konner's collection includes these, naturally.

1997 Ultra Star and the Birth of the 1/1

The 1997 Ultra Star — known in the hobby as the "Big Gold Star" — carries no serial number, but its pack ratio tells the story: 1:1,440 packs. That's roughly one in every 60 boxes. Konner owns the complete set.

But the real historical significance comes from the 1997 Ultra Platinum Medallion parallel, numbered to /100, which included a 1/1 parallel — the first one-of-one card in basketball card history. This is the card that started it all. Every modern 1/1 card, every "superfractor," every single-copy parallel in today's hobby traces its lineage back to this moment. Konner owns both the 1997 and 1998 Ultra Jordan 1/1 cards.

1997 Star Rubies and Skybox E-X

The 1997 Star Rubies — affectionately known as "amoeba cards" for their distinctive organic-shaped design — were limited to /50 in their inaugural year. Konner owns what he considers the best-conditioned copy of the 50 from the 1998 version.

The 1997 Skybox E-X series introduced a creative serial numbering system tied to the player's position within the 81-card set. Jordan was card #72, which meant the "forward" version was numbered /72 and the "reverse" version was numbered /9 (81 minus 72). It's a small detail, but it's the kind of clever design that made 90s cards special.

The Holy Grail: 1997 Showcase Row 0 Purple 1/1 Autograph

If you asked Konner which single card in his collection he values most — above even the Green PMG — the answer is the 1997 Showcase Row 0 purple 1/1 autograph.

The Showcase set used a "Row" system to denote rarity, with Row 0 through Row 3 representing different "Slide" levels. Row 0 was the rarest tier. Within Row 0, there was a 100-copy blue parallel and a one-of-one purple. Konner owns three of the four purple 1/1 cards from this year. Three out of four. For single-copy cards from a 1997 product, that level of concentration is almost unheard of. Understanding the nuances of card grading becomes critical when evaluating cards of this caliber.

The $2.7 Million Card: 1997 Game Jersey Auto /23

This is the card that needs no introduction to anyone who follows auction records. The 1997 Game Jersey autograph, numbered to just /23, is the first signed game-used relic card in basketball history. With a pack ratio of 1:2,500, these were almost mythically rare even when the product was new. And here's the kicker — only Jordan had signed versions. No other player in the set received autographed relics.

This card set the all-time Jordan auction record at $2.7 million. It's the intersection of everything that makes a card valuable: historical significance (the first of its kind), extreme rarity (/23), game-used material, an on-card autograph, and the greatest basketball player of all time. Konner's collection includes this card.

Platinum Portraits, Century Legends, and Last Shot Floor Pieces

The collection doesn't stop at the seven-figure cards. The Platinum Portrait — a stunning die-cut design — includes a Gold parallel limited to /40, with a copy selling for $220,000 in 2023.

The 1999 Century Legends autograph is numbered to just /23 — while most players in the set received /100, Jordan's allocation matched his jersey number. It's a small touch that makes the card feel intentional and personal.

Then there are the floor-piece cards — actual pieces of the hardwood from the 1998 NBA Finals, the game where Jordan hit the legendary "Last Shot" against the Jazz. Konner owns both the /23 autograph version and the 1/1. These aren't just trading cards; they're pieces of basketball history with Jordan's signature attached.

Logo Patches and the Flawless Finale

Jordan's first logo patch card comes from his Wizards era and sold for $360,000 in 2022. Logo patches — cards containing the actual team logo cut from a game-worn jersey — are the pinnacle of relic cards, and Jordan's are among the most valuable in any sport.

But the true capstone of this collection is something that sounds almost impossible: Konner owns all three inaugural Flawless dual logo patch cards. These are Jordan-Kobe, Jordan-LeBron, and Kobe-LeBron — the three most significant player pairings in basketball history, each featuring dual logo patches from Panini's Flawless series, widely regarded as the finest product line in card history. For broader context on premium basketball cards, our guide to the best Kobe Bryant cards covers another legend featured in these dual patches.

Owning one of these would be a career achievement for most collectors. Owning all three is the kind of thing that makes other collectors stop and just shake their heads.

What Makes This Collection Different

There are plenty of wealthy collectors who buy expensive cards. What separates Konner's collection is the completeness and intentionality. This isn't a random assortment of high-dollar purchases. It's a curated, historically significant archive that tells the story of Jordan's card legacy from beginning to end — from 1986 rookie stickers to modern Flawless patches, from the first autograph card to the first 1/1, from the first game-used relic auto to the record-setting $2.7 million sale.

Whether you're a seasoned collector or someone just learning about the hobby through resources like our trading card price guide, this collection represents the absolute ceiling of what's possible. It's not just the greatest Jordan collection ever assembled — it may be the greatest single-player collection in the history of the trading card hobby.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most expensive Michael Jordan card ever sold?

The all-time Jordan auction record is $2.7 million, set by the 1997 Game Jersey autograph card numbered /23. This card is the first signed game-used relic card in basketball history and combines extreme rarity, historical significance, and an on-card Jordan autograph.

How rare are 1997 PMG (Precious Metal Gems) Jordan cards?

PMG cards were limited to 100 total copies per player — the first 10 in green and the last 90 in red. The Green PMG Jordan sold for $350,100 in 2019, while the Red sold for $298,900. A complete PMG Red set, like the one in Konner's collection, is extraordinarily rare and likely one of only a few in existence.

What was the first 1/1 card in basketball history?

The first one-of-one card in basketball card history was the 1997 Ultra Platinum Medallion 1/1 parallel. This card established the concept of single-copy parallels that is now standard across every major card brand. Konner owns both the 1997 and 1998 Ultra Jordan 1/1 cards.

What makes Panini Flawless dual logo patches so valuable?

Flawless is considered the premier product line in basketball cards, and dual logo patches combine game-worn jersey logo pieces from two players on a single card. The Jordan-Kobe, Jordan-LeBron, and Kobe-LeBron pairings represent the three most iconic players in modern basketball history, making these among the most coveted cards in the entire hobby.

How many Jordan autograph cards exist from his first pack-pullable auto?

Konner estimates fewer than 20 copies survive. The card was obtained via a redemption program, and Upper Deck had to black out the jersey because they lacked the USA Basketball license. When two copies appeared at auction in 2023, they sold for $210,000 and $110,000.