While Pokémon cards accounted for nearly half of the 6,451 items stolen from a FedEx truck carrying PSA-certified collectibles, the sports-card portion of the inventory included some familiar names.
Michael Jordan, Carlos Alcaraz, Cooper Flagg, and LeBron James account for the five most frequently listed sports-card rankings, with two versions of Alcaraz’s 2022 NetPro card tied for second place on the list. The cards also reveal the dramatic impact grading can have on value. Some sell for less than $10 ungraded but can command hundreds of dollars in PSA 10 condition.
Here’s a countdown of the five leading entries onPSA’s stolen-card list, along with recent Card Ladder sales to get a sense of the general value of the cards.
5. 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives LeBron James #1
Starting the countdown is a rookie-year card of LeBron James, with 12 copies in PSA’s stolen inventory. Unlike the modern Cooper Flagg releases on the list, this 2003 Upper Deck Rookie Exclusives card has more than two decades of collecting history.
Ungraded examples sell for approximately $49, while recent PSA 9 sales reached $185 and PSA 10 copies commanded $910. The PSA 10 premium underscores how condition becomes increasingly important for older cards—even those that aren’t particularly scarce.
4. 2025 Topps Now Cooper Flagg #207
Flagg makes his first appearance with 15 copies of his 2025 Topps Now #207 card. Recent Card Ladder sales show PSA 9 copies selling for around $26 and PSA 10 copies selling for $65.
The two Flagg entries also raise an interesting question about timing. With grading backlogs and lengthy turnaround times, collectors submitting cards of rising stars may not receive them until months after the initial excitement. For active NBA players, getting a card back during the season, when attention and demand may be higher, can make a big difference in potential resale opportunities.
3. 2025 Topps Cooper Flagg #201
Flagg appears again with 17 copies of this 2025 Topps card among the stolen inventory. The card sells for about $7.50 ungraded, while recent PSA 9 copies are selling for $17.50 and PSA 10 copies fetch $97.
The nearly 13-fold difference between raw and PSA 10 values illustrates why collectors continue submitting affordable cards for grading, even as fees and turnaround times can eat into potential profits.
2. 2022 NetPro Carlos Alcaraz #1 (Red and Green Shirts)
Tennis provides one of the biggest surprises in the stolen inventory, with two versions of Carlos Alcaraz’s 2022 NetPro card tied for second. PSA lists 20 copies of the Red Shirt version and another 20 of the Green Shirt variation.
Both command substantial premiums in top grades. The Red Shirt recently sold for $300 in PSA 9 and $1,402 in PSA 10, while the Green Shirt brought in $230 and $950, respectively. The strong prices reflect collector interest in early cards of one of tennis’s biggest stars.
1. 1990 Hoops Michael Jordan #65
Topping the list is a familiar Michael Jordan release from the Chicago Bulls legend’s playing days, with 51 copies reported stolen. Despite Jordan’s popularity, the card is part of the junk-wax era and is relatively inexpensive ungraded, typically selling for around $7.
Grading changes the equation dramatically. Recent Card Ladder sales show PSA 9 examples selling for approximately $65, while PSA 10 copies have reached $980. That’s 140 times the raw card price, showing just how much condition and grading can impact a card’s value.
A Reminder of What Grading Adds
Together, these six cards account for 135 stolen collectibles, ranging from inexpensive modern releases to rookie-year cards of established superstars. Their values also reveal why the theft presents a challenge for collectors. While PSA certification numbers can help identify stolen slabs, removing a card from its holder could make it considerably harder to distinguish from legitimate ungraded copies.
Ultimately, the most frequently stolen sports cards aren’t necessarily the rarest or most valuable. In today’s hobby, the difference between an ordinary card and a prized collectible can come down to a single grading point. And if the thieves remove the cards from their PSA holders, they could lose much of that value when selling them ungraded.
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LUCAS MAST
Lucas Mast is a writer based in California’s Bay Area, where he’s a season ticket holder for St. Mary’s basketball and a die-hard Stanford athletics fan. A lifelong collector of sneakers, sports cards, and pop culture, he also advises companies shaping the future of the hobby and sports. He’s driven by a curiosity about why people collect—and what those items reveal about the moments and memories that matter most.
