Fanatics Collect’s September Premier Auction kicked off last night, and in less than 24 hours, there are already some clear favorites to make a significant impact on the Hobby overall.
The auction features multiple historic cards, including the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, the 2005 Upper Deck Sidney Crosby RPA, and the ever-iconic 2018 Topps Shohei Ohtani RC Auto.
It’s still very early in the bidding phase, and most of these cards currently sit at values way under what the final number will be, but with that said, let’s take a look at some of the early frontrunners from Fanatics Collect’s latest auction.
1997 Skybox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future Michael Jordan /72 BGS 8.5
The SkyBox E-X sets are all legendary pieces of basketball card history, and if you couple that level of prestige with one of the greatest athletes that ever lived, Michael Jordan, you get a collectible that can only be described as an absolute grail.
The Michael Jordan E-X2001 Essential Credentials Future parallel is an incredible piece whose value is driven by the set’s allure, the player on the card, and the limited number of copies ever produced in the world.
As of writing, it’s the fifth-most expensive lot in the Fanatics Collect September Premier Auction at $260,000 with 31 bids.
2025 Topps Chrome Superfractor LeBron James 1/1
This is a card where the saying “what you see is what you get” applies, since there’s no other factor that comes into play (apart from CGC authentication) besides the piece itself. No number from a 1-10 scale added by a dedicated grading company or even a signature from The King himself, just the 1/1 SuperFractor in all its glory.
The 2025-26 Topps Chrome LeBron James SuperFractor is his last as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and it only makes sense that an already desirable card just got even more chase-worthy following his move in free agency to the Philadelphia 76ers.
As of writing, the 1/1 LeBron James SuperFractor is at $280,000 with 21 bids.
2025 Topps Chrome Update Dylan Harper NBA Debut RPA 1/1 PSA 9 AUTO 10
Outside of Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper was the San Antonio Spurs’ best and most consistent contributor throughout their playoff run to the 2026 NBA Finals. He played so well that you’d forget it was his first year of professional basketball altogether, which is why it makes sense that his NBA Debut Patch card is up on this list right now.
At $380,000, it is already the most expensive Dylan Harper card of all time and the auction is still far from over. He’s going to be the next big thing for the Spurs, and his card market is currently reflecting that on a 1:1 ratio.
2018 Bowman Chrome Orange Refractor Shohei Ohtani RC Auto /25 MBA SILVER BGS 9.5 AUTO 10
There really isn’t anything more that needs to be said about this card. Even if you’ve never looked at a baseball card in your life before, you would instantly know that this piece is a massive deal.
At this point in time, any and all Shohei Ohtani rookie cards cost a decent chunk of money. Then there’s a BGS 9.5 AUTO 10 MBA Silver Diamond of his Orange Refractor RC Auto /25. The description alone really sells the card to anyone.
This is currently the second-most expensive card in the September Premier Auction at $600,000 from 21 bids.
2025 Topps Chrome Update Cooper Flagg NBA Debut RPA 1/1 PSA 10 AUTO 10
Without a doubt, the biggest card in this entire collection and the single biggest card in basketball collectibles over the past few months is the 2025 Topps Chrome Update Cooper Flagg Debut Patch RPA. Pulled through a break and later receiving dual 10 grades from PSA, it’s currently considered the greatest Cooper Flagg card of all time and is on track to reach a historic number.
The patch, taken from Flagg’s jersey after his debut game on October 22, 2025, was the #1 chase card of the 2025 Topps Chrome Update set for multiple athletes. Cooper Flagg, being the reigning Rookie of the Year and the future of the Dallas Mavericks, was the player everyone was hoping to see in their packs for days.
At $1,700,000, it is the most expensive card in the entire auction, the first to hit seven figures, and the most valuable Cooper Flagg collectible in history. All that with more than 13 days to go.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/collectibles as NBA Debut Patch Trio, Vintage Grails Headline Fanatics’ September Premier Auction.
