Bought My 1st Michael Jordan Rookie Card!

You know what card most collectors dream about when they go to bed at night?  The one card they WISH they had in their collection?  For most sports card collectors it is the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card#57.

We all know Michael Jordan is one of the most iconic athletes of all-time.  6 x NBA champion and confident as a poker player who knows your opponents cards.  

Michael Jordan is who every kid pretends to be on the school playground.  Taking that fade away jumper, sticking their tongue out, and hitting the game-winning shot.

It only makes logical sense that his rookie card is highly sought after by his fans and also card collectors.

I recently bought my 1st ever Michael Jordan 1986 Fleer Rookie Card #57.  It was something I always wanted to have and was STOKED to get in my hands.

Thinking about getting your 1st Jordan rookie card?  We already know why you should get one.

But how much should you pay?  How do you know if it is authentic?

Let's talk about authenticity since this Jordan card is one of the most faked in history.

Assuming you are just getting into card collecting and may not be able to possibly spot a fake, always best to buy one already graded by PSAor BGS.  Those are the top 2 card grading companies.

Both grade on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best and most expensive card.

With collectors, centering of the card is probably the most important.  So buying a card that is well centered will help increase its value over time.  Centering means how well the image and borders of the card are evenly spaced around the card.  

Sharp corners, meaning no folding or fraying of the material are also very important.

So once you have found the right card with the right authentication, how much should you pay?

That is the million dollar question!

Considering PSA 10s have gone up from $38,000 to over $48,000 (as of 4/22/20), the price isn't getting any cheaper.

I would definitely suggest starting with a lower grade like I did, maybe a 1 or 2, then possibly sell that one and move up to a 3 or 4 and work your way up the chain. 

If you can pay roughly 10-15% less than current sales I think you would be doing great.  Also, avoid buying off sites that will charge a seller a commission.  If you can pay the seller directly and save them the seller fees you can potentially get a much better deal!