Image via Complex Original
Every time we think we have seen the absolute height of people’s obsession with Michael Jordan, a story like this one comes out and forces us to reevaluate. People will do pretty much anything to get a piece of His Airness, even if it means shelling out their entire life’s savings to do it. The memorabilia market is full of people who love to buy things they have no use for, and that is doubly true for Michael Jordan. There market has the requisite sneakers and jerseys, but it’s also saturated with golf spikes, bedroom furniture and pretty much anything that bears his signature.
A lot of materials have exchanged hands over the years, with some items only running a couple hundred bucks. Many, though, cost far more than that. Here is a look at the Most Expensive Pieces of Michael Jordan Memorabilia Ever Sold.
20. 1981 High School Yearbook
Date: 1/20/2013
Sold For: $3,750.00
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You'd think that having someone else's high school memories would be kind of weird, but when one of those memories is a personalized autograph from Michael Jordan, it's worth it. At least one person thought so, buying the 1981 Laney High School yearbook with a deeply personal message from MJ inside, which reads "It has been a pleasure knowing you these past years...I hope to see you in the future, Michael Jordan." Was it money well spent? Perhaps not, but at the very least the buyer got firsthand proof of how adept Jordan already was at handling autograph requests from relative strangers.
19. Autographed game-used Converse Pro Leather
Date: 12/12/2012
Sold For: $7,853.00
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MJ has been a Nike man since the day he became a pro basketball player, but before he was allowed to take Phil Knight's money he had to take what Dean Smith and the University of North Carolina gave him. In this case it was a pair of the Converse Pro Leathers, which were a staple of basketball at the time but lacked much of the technology that would become a hallmark of the Air Jordan line. Allegedly, Jordan traded these shoes to one of his friends back in 1982 in exchange for a brand new pair of Nikes; apparently, his friend is not a very sentimental fellow.
18. Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson autographed 1992 NBA All-Star Game storyboard sheets
Date: 9/16/2010
Sold For: $8,000.00
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The 1992 All-Star game is one very fondly remembered by basketball fans, as it was the first game Magic Johnson played after being diagnosed with HIV. Broadcaster Dick Enberg took copious notes to prepare for the contest, and after the game Jordan and Magic both signed his carefully constructed card. How this item eventually came into the auction house's possession is anyone's guess (hopefully Enberg's finances are OK), but someone deemed this look into a play-by-play legend's mind to be worth a staggering eight grand.
17. Net from UNC-Georgetown NCAA Championship Game
Date: August 2011
Sold For: $8,813.00
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How one could prove that this is THE net that Jordan hit his famous jumper on in the 1982 NCAA Championship game is anyone's guess, but if it is then this is a very cool piece of history. One simple shot put him Jordan to the national radar as the next great basketball player, and it's probably fair to say he lived up to the hype. Every clutch moment from his years in the NBA are inextricably linked back to this one, the moment where a skinny freshman named Michael Jordan became "MJ."
16. McDonalds "McJordan" BBQ Sauce
Date: 10/16/2012
Sold For: $9,995.00
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For those wondering, a "McJordan" was a quarter pounder with cheese, bacon, pickles, onions, mustard and barbecue sauce that came out in 1992 and only cost $1.85. Apparently there was a BBQ sauce surplus, because just this past year a North Dakota man sold a one gallon jug of this delightful concoction for just south of $10,000. It's a real shame that the buyer chose to remain anonymous, although it's also certainly understandable. The man (because let's face it, no woman would ever buy something this stupid) who makes such a purchase is probably not someone who wants to broadcast just how dumb with his money he is.
15. Air Jordan XI "Blackout"
Date: 2/17/2012
Sold For: $11,267.00
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Sneakerheads are, if nothing else, incredibly loyal to the Air Jordan line, and this item only proves that they're willing to put their money where their mouth is. The Air Jordan XI is one of the most popular shoes in history, but spending over $11,000 on this unique colorway is next level stuff. What do you even do with these things? Obviously you can't wear them; do they go in a display case? Stay in the box? Back on eBay? These are the tough questions that nobody is asking.
14. Autographed 1994 White Sox jersey
Date: 10/18/2000
Sold For: $14,100.00
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Most will fondly recall Jordan's brief foray into baseball. Most will also say that since he hit just .202 in Double-A, his career was a failure. We think that is ridiculous. Do you realize how hard it is to hit a baseball? The guy just picked up a bat one day, decided he wanted to play baseball, and was instantly a borderline Major Leaguer! That is ridiculous. So call us crazy, but spending $14,000+ on this jersey seems perfectly reasonable when you realize that you get to own a clear example of how MJ was one of the greatest athletes of all time, not just basketball players.
13. Patek Philippe watch
Date: 10/27/2010
Sold For: $16,250.00
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It's nice to know that Jordan appreciated his coaches, as this watch was a gift to assistant coach Tex Winter after the Bulls won their sixth title of the Jordan era in 1998. Apparently Tex wasn't much of a flashy guy, as the watch ended up at Sotheby's auction house in 2010. It's actually a little surprising that this watch was so cheap, as Patek Philippes typically retail for more than $20,000. So kudos to the buyer, whoever he or she is, for getting a great value in addition to an inscription so impersonal ("Thanks, MJ.") that they could easily pretend it was for them all along.
12. Game-Worn Bulls Jersey
Date: 5/21/2009
Sold For: $17,000.00
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Even though game-worn jerseys are pretty disgusting, there's something about the allure of Michael Jordan that makes people want to drape themselves in his dried sweat and ugly clothing. This one is actually on the cheap end of MJ jersey memorabilia, with $17,000 being a relatively bargain-basement price for a game-worn jersey. Some of that may have to do with the fact that it doesn't have a whole lot of significance attached to it, and doesn't have an autograph on it anywhere. If you want that, you'll have to pay a little extra.
11. 1994 Michael Jordan Scottsdale Scorpions Game-Used Complete Road Uniform
Date: 9/19/2009
Sold For: $18,000.00
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Who are the Scottsdale Scorpions, and how did Michael Jordan end up playing for them? Glad you asked! They are a minor league team in the Arizona Fall League, and the very first professional baseball team for whom Michael Jordan plied his trade. While his stint in Arizona was short-lived (the season only lasts about 30 games), the value of his No. 35 jersey cannot be doubted. At the very least, buying this lot will get you a cool hat and some size 13.5 baseball spikes.
10. Autographed game-worn Air Jordan 1s
Date: 11/30/2011
Sold For: $21,780.00
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The 1985 All-Star Game wasn't really a banner effort for Jordan (seven points, six rebounds), although in his defense the fellow starters in the East lineup were Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving. It wasn't really the time for the rookie to be asserting himself with established stars and future Hall-of-Famers to share with. Even if he didn't fill up the stat sheet, that doesn't make MJ's OG Air Jordan 1s that he wore in the game any less valuable. When this auction came up just in time for the holidays, we're sure it made some Jordan diehard very happy come Christmastime.
9. Autographed 1992 Olympic Games Jersey
Date: Sometime in 2007
Sold For: $38,187.50
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While others may try to claim the title, the Dream Team is the greatest basketball team ever assembled, period. The only hole on the team was Christian Laettner, and realistically when has the 12th man ever really mattered anyway? The other 11 guys are all in the Hall-of-Fame, as are three of the four members of the coaching staff. Jordan was the star of that amazing unit, helping the USA win by an average of nearly 44 points per game. It's only fair, then, that an autographed and game-used uniform from this incredibly dominant tournament would go for a huge price.
8. 1984 Game-Used Rookie Home Uniform
Date: Sometime in 2008
Sold For: $49,937.50
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This nifty jersey and shorts combo is one of only two MJ rookie uniforms to be graded a perfect 10, which essentially means mint condition. The auctioneers somehow figured this out using what can only be assumed to be highly scientific methods, and in fact they were also able to determine that MJ wore this uniform during the second half of the season. It's unclear how they knew; perhaps Jordan switched colognes midway through? In any case, His Airness was an easy choice for Rookie of the Year and demonstrated that he was clearly going to be a star, so this is certainly an item worthy of a big investment.
7. Backboard and Rim from Michael's Jordan's "Final Shot"
Date: 9/19/2009
Sold For: $57,000.00
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If you're from Utah, it's probably best for you to just move on to the next slide. This item is the basket, removed from the Delta Center, where Jordan buried his famous final shot to win his final NBA title and forever torment the Jazz and their fans. Most basketball aficionados will vividly remember watching that play unfold, as it was one of the most predictable in the history of sports. Everyone knew Jordan was getting the ball, everyone knew he'd shoot it no matter what, and everyone knew it was going in. As you'll see at the end of the slideshow, this is actually one of the lower-cost items available from this game, one of the most famous in the history of basketball.
6. 1984 Game-used and autographed jersey
Date: 9/19/2009
Sold For: $66,000.00
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Another of several rookie jerseys available for purchase, this one is unique not just because it's got an autograph on it (MJ doesn't just give his "best wishes," he gives "the very best." What a competitor!), but also because it *may* be the first jersey he ever wore in an NBA game. If you want to see why they think it's the first one ever, check out the auction site; there is a very long description detailing the reasons why it may be the original. Even if it isn't, the autograph and fact that it is from such a huge year in basketball lore makes this one a unique part of sports history.
5. 1984 Game-Used Rookie Road Uniform
Date: April 2007
Sold For: $70,500.00
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The real value in this one is that not only do you get the rarely-seen Bulls jersey with cursive "Chicago" script on the front, but you also get the classic short-shorts from the 1980s NBA. Jordan didn't wear these very often throughout his career, arriving at just the moment when players collectively woke up and realized how ridiculous they looked showing off all that thigh. Nevertheless, his rookie numbers (28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game) show just how good MJ was destined to become, making this a pretty cool purchase for any collector with a ton of cash to burn.
4. 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card
Date: 6/5/2011
Sold For: $100,000.00
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We don't always imagine six-figure sales numbers when thinking of a piece of cardboard with a picture on it, but when you're talking about a mint condition Michael Jordan rookie card, you're not dealing with an average item. It was the first card in history to be rated a perfect 10 in every category, essentially meaning it had been untouched by human hands after it came off the assembly line. Authentic MJ rookie cards are an incredibly rare find because so many people counterfeit them, so if you come upon a real one you better hold onto it for dear life and try to cash in.
3. Game-used UNC Jersey
Date: Sepetember 2008
Sold For: $114,000.00
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This is an incredibly rare find, an actual game-used Jordan jersey from his college days at the University of North Carolina. While this one is from his sophomore year (where nothing really happened of note, especially compared to his freshman and junior seasons), it is still a pretty amazing piece of basketball history. No player has ever had as much hype as Jordan, and even more remarkably nobody has ever exceeded the hype quite like him either. It all started his sophomore year, the first time he took the floor after hitting the shot to win UNC the 1982 National Championship as a freshman.
2. Basketball autographed by Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson from the music video "Jam"
Date: 10/9/2010
Sold For: $294,000.00
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We'll be honest: the video of Michael Jordan and Michael Jackson entitled "Jam" is really weird. It's eight minutes long, involves some seizure-inducing camerawork, at one point features MJ giving Jackson a piggyback ride, and (cryptically) features the King of Pop participating in some lighthearted roughhousing with a few young boys. However, this video also produced the second-most expensive piece of Michael Jordan memorabilia ever sold. So it can't be all bad, right?
1. Delta Center Basketball Court
Date: 10/30/1999
Sold For: $1,000,000.00
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If you have a spare 94-by-50 foot room in your house and a ton of cash to burn, this might be a good one for you. You can purchase a lovely, gently used hardwood floor for only $1 million! The card company Upper Deck purchased the floor upon which MJ won his last championship, but it's unclear what they have done with it since then. It had to be one of those things that seemed like a good idea in the store, only they brought it home and they just kind of looked at each other and said "what the hell are we going to do with this?" What it lacks in practicality, though, it more than makes up for in terms of its importance in the history of basketball.
