In our last auction, we introduced several outstanding basketball items from Part 1 of the Tim Gallagher Collection. The highlights were two Michael Jordan signed 1984-85 Star Co. rookie cards including his coveted #101 true rookie (BGS NM-MT+ 8.5 / BAS 9 Auto.) that sold for $42,955. From the late 1960’s through 2015, the San Diego County resident compiled the largest basketball autograph collection extant, exceeding 20,000 signatures by his estimate. All of his Jordan autographs hail from very early in the GOAT’s career (1981-89), and he got them either in person, through the mail, or courtesy of MJ’s former Bulls teammate John Paxson, who grew up with Gallagher in Ohio.
Part 2 from Gallagher features even more gems, none more eye-popping than this Michael Jordan autographed 1986 Fleer #57 rookie that he signed shortly after the card was produced. In fact, just a few weeks after pulling this card from a pack, Gallagher (who lived in AZ at that time) got MJ to sign it on December 5, 1986 in Phoenix when the Bulls were in town to play the Suns. The Jordan market has been on fire ever since ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary came out, and his Fleer rookie has jumped dramatically. Unsigned Gem Mint 10 examples have reached $100K, while signed versions have hit gargantuan numbers as well. The current record is $125,000 from an eBay sale in May. That card was dual-graded by Beckett, with the card BGS NM-MT+ 8.5 and the autograph rated a perfect BAS 10. Any well-informed collector knows that the card grade is way more important in determining value. Hence, this BGS Mint 9 / BAS 9 example should be considered The Greatest Overall Michael Jordan Card Ever Offered, perhaps even known. MJ’s dark blue penned, rookie-era autograph stands out beautifully on the perfectly centered card. The half point gained on the card more than makes up for the point lost on the signature. The only question is, how much more?
For more on the Tim Gallagher Collection and the story behind this MJ signed rookie card, read these two recent hobby media articles.
https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/news/michael-jordan-autograph-1986-fleer-card
https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/mint-autographed-jordan-rookie-card-set-for-auction-just-part-of-collectors-long-signature-seeking-journey/