IN THE EVER-EVOLVING WORLD OF SPORTS COLLECTIBLES, SPECIALIST JOE ORLANDO SAYS WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE NEW IS GOOD FOR THE OLD
By Joe Orlando | September 16, 2025
There’s a funny thing that happens when one segment of the sports collectibles market steals the spotlight or the headlines at any given moment, particularly when that segment is clearly categorized as either a vintage or modern collectible. Some collectors think the success in one area somehow means the other area, or areas, must decline or become less desirable. They are almost scared of increased demand in the collectible categories they aren’t comfortable with or have no interest in. In essence, they are fearful of what is foreign to them. While this feeling can be triggered by category, it most commonly occurs between vintage and modern collecting bases, regardless of the collectible type.
Personally, I have always found this strangely emotional position to be a combination of nonsensical and comedic. As many hobbyists know, the market is cyclical. By definition, markets are designed to move. They ebb and flow based on current collector sentiments and what becomes available, with both short-term trends and long-term patterns emerging. Collectors know this, yet a portion of them almost take offense at the notion that a part of the market is getting more attention than the one they currently collect. It is taken, by some, as an assault on their personal taste. “How dare someone else pay that much for a collectible I don’t like or understand!”
In the aftermath of the record price paid for the 2007 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant card, which sold for $12,932,000 at Heritage Auctions this summer, I thought it was the perfect time to revisit this topic. And, yes, I purposely used the word “revisit.” I didn’t use it because I have written about this subject before as a member of the Heritage team; it’s because I have seen this movie again and again as the collectibles market goes through its typical cycle.
This 2007 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autographs Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant card became the sports card price record holder after selling for $12,932,000 at Heritage Auctions in August 2025.
This ultra-modern, record-setting card received more media attention than any sports collectible Heritage Auctions has ever sold, in large part because of its shocking price and the fact that it featured legends that many people alive today saw play. Does that mean vintage cards and collectibles are under some kind of threat at this moment? Of course not, but that doesn’t stop some vintage collectors from lashing out with their insecurities on full display by voicing their displeasure with the news.
More attention generated by the success of this card means more attention for the entire hobby. The same can be said when a classic, blue-chip vintage collectible breaks through barriers, like the 1932 Babe Ruth “Called Shot” jersey, which sold a year ago for $24,120,000. In Heritage’s 2025 Summer Platinum auction, numerous vintage records were set, too, from the signed PSA EX+ 5.5, 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle to the game-worn, autographed, and photo-matched 1960 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees home jersey. Let’s not forget that.
Both the signed PSA EX+ 5.5, 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle ($1,067,500) and game-worn, autographed, and photo-matched 1960 Mickey Mantle New York Yankees home pinstripe jersey ($5,246,000) established new price records in Heritage Auctions’ Summer Platinum event in August 2025.
I am old enough to have experienced two noteworthy market cycles before the present explosion began, one around the beginning of the century and another during the first hobby boom of the 1980s. For those who were active collectors at the time, let’s walk down memory lane together, shall we? For those not old enough (or active enough) to remember, here are two examples from the past.
During the last market surge between 1998 and 2001, modern cards generated some stunning prices. Tiger Woods cards, which were incredibly hot commodities at the time, produced two memorable hobby moments I can recall. Near the end of that market run, a PSA Gem Mint 10 example of his 1996 SI for Kids card and one of his 1998 Champions of Golf/Masters Collection cards sold for $125,000 and $40,000, respectively.
Collectors today are probably saying to themselves, “What’s the big deal? I see modern cards sell for six and seven figures all the time today.” Around the year 2000, you could acquire a PSA NM-MT 8, 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle for about $35,000 and a PSA PR 1, T206 Honus Wagner for approximately $50,000. That should put everything into context very quickly. Relative to vintage prices, for supremely iconic cards, those Woods results were jarring for many hobby veterans.
Rewinding the clock to the mid-to-late 1980s, there was a time when 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly and 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco rookie cards were worth more than high-grade 1960s cards of players like Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, and Willie Mays. The Mattingly and Canseco rookie cards, which were base cards and not chase cards, were bringing $100-$200 at their peak. You could even pick up late-1960s Mantle cards in quality condition within that price range. Mind you, this is well before third-party grading, but still!
The headliners on any given day in the hobby can change, but the long-term outlook is almost always bright when something current is helping to drive general interest in the space.”
Did either of those modern surges have any negative impact on vintage? No. If anything, those unprecedented modern prices brought more attention to vintage because they brought more attention to the overall hobby. Collectors stopped for a moment and realized that they might be missing some obvious buying opportunities in vintage. The energy in the modern market introduced more people to collecting, and one of the natural consequences is that, eventually, some of those new participants start moving back in time with their tastes. The headliners on any given day in the hobby can change, but the long-term outlook is almost always bright when something current is helping to drive general interest in the space.
Every time Shohei Ohtani does something special, people bring up Babe Ruth’s unfathomable exploits. Every time Patrick Mahomes leads the Kansas City Chiefs to victory, he is inevitably compared to Tom Brady, who was compared to Joe Montana before him. Every time LeBron James reaches another milestone, Michael Jordan (the player) is brought back to life. When Alexander Ovechkin was approaching the all-time goals scored record, we were repeatedly reminded of Wayne Gretzky’s greatness.
The old and the new work in tandem, not against each other. Modern collectibles help remind us of the past, not erase it. They raise awareness and help expand the overall market, not the other way around. By drawing people in, they can bring to light categories that might offer value. They can open new hobbyists’ eyes to collectibles they never considered before. The sports collectibles market cycles – it always does – and it’s not a bad thing. Don’t fear it; embrace it. No matter what happens in the market, we should always collect what speaks to us. We should never feel swayed to buy collectibles simply because others find them fashionable.
But, as the wise Ted Lasso once said, “Be curious, not judgmental.”
