A photo-matched Bulls uniform brought $2.623 million and a Ken Griffey Jr. rarity reset his card market in a record-minded sports sale.
By Intelligent Collector Staff | May 19, 2025
Heritage Auctions’ May 16-18 Spring Sports Catalog Auction reached $18,487,695, led by one of the strongest Michael Jordan uniform results to come to market. The top lot was the 1992-93 Michael Jordan Game-Worn Chicago Bulls Uniform, which sold for $2,623,000 after being photo-matched to 17 games during the Bulls’ first three-peat run and to the Oct. 18, 1993 cover of Sports Illustrated.
The uniform’s strength came from a combination sports collectors understand immediately: a complete jersey-and-shorts set, direct connection to Jordan’s championship peak, extensive photo-matching and a published image tied to his first retirement. In a category where provenance and use matter as much as the athlete’s name, that combination pushed the lot into trophy territory.
The auction also reset the market for Ken Griffey Jr. cards. The 1998 SkyBox E-X 2001 Ken Griffey Jr. (Essential Credentials Now) #10 PSA Mint 9 realized $280,600, making it the first Griffey card to reach six figures at public auction. Issued when Griffey was the reigning American League MVP and numbered 4 of only 10, the card showed how 1990s insert scarcity continues to move into the high-end sports-card conversation.
Basketball cards and modern baseball also remained active. The 1980 Topps Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson – Scoring Leader, Rookie PSA Gem Mint 10 brought three Hall of Fame names together in one condition-sensitive card, while the one-of-one 2024 Transcendent Collection Shohei Ohtani (’60 Topps – Superfractor Auto) #60SFA-SO PSA Gem Mint 10, PSA/DNA Auto 10 sold for $189,100, helped by its dual English and Japanese signatures.
The memorabilia depth extended beyond basketball and baseball. A 2024 Paris Summer Olympics Gold Medal Presented to Netherlands 4x400M Mixed Relay Team Member Eugene Omalla sold for $70,150, while the 1968 New York Jets Super Bowl III Championship Ring awarded to Matt Snell realized $112,850. Together, those results showed how the sale reached across cards, game-worn uniforms, Olympic history and championship hardware.
For consignors, this is exactly why Heritage can be a best place to sell sports cards and memorabilia. When one auction can support a seven-figure Jordan uniform, a record-setting Griffey card, modern one-of-one cards, Olympic medals and championship rings, it gives important sports material the broad collector audience it needs to find its market.
Source: Heritage Auctions press releases (April 28 and May 19, 2025).