A sealed box of 1986-87 Fleer Basketball cards featuring a Michael Jordan autograph sold for $900,100 in an eBay auction in August 2026. The sale turned an already valuable piece of basketball memorabilia into an even more significant collectible, particularly because Jordan added a special inscription identifying it as a one-of-one item.
The 36-pack hobby box was signed by Jordan and inscribed with the words “Rookie Card Box 1/1” using a white paint pen. Its value comes partly from the historic 1986-87 Fleer set, which contains Jordan’s iconic rookie card, No. 57, alongside cards featuring other basketball legends.
The auction was organized by Upper Deck in partnership with eBay following the expansion of Jordan’s long-standing relationship with the memorabilia company. The arrangement also marked his introduction as an Upper Deck Legacy Partner, creating an opportunity for collectors to acquire specially signed pieces.
The final sale price required an important correction. The auction initially closed at $1,488,100, but eBay later confirmed that the actual completed transaction was $900,100. The updated figure still represented a substantial premium over the $146,400 paid for an unsigned, factory-sealed box from the same Fleer release in the previous year.
According to<a href="https://www.si.com/collectibles/upper-deck-michael-jordan-auction-sets-records-1986-fleer-autographed-hobby-box” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>Sports Illustrated’s coverage of the Upper Deck and Michael Jordan auction, the signed box was the centerpiece of a 10-item sale featuring other Jordan memorabilia. The auction also included specially signed individual 1986 Fleer packs.
Upper Deck had Jordan autograph 23 sealed packs from the original release, using the same white paint pen. Those packs were subsequently included as redemption items in the 2026 Goodwin Champions collection, giving collectors another opportunity to obtain a piece of the historic set.
The 1986-87 Fleer release remains highly regarded because of its association with Jordan’s rookie season and the emergence of basketball card collecting as a major hobby. The sealed box offered something different from an individual rookie card: an unopened collection of packs bearing the signature of the player whose career helped make the release so desirable.
The$900,100 auction result demonstrates the continued demand for rare Jordan collectibles, particularly items combining historical significance, scarcity and his personal autograph.
This story was originally published byAthlonon Oct 30, 2026, where it first appeared in theNBAsection. Add Athlon as aPreferred
