The card, one of only two BGS 10s in existence, was purchased by Georgia native Sean Storms, an investor who focuses on elite cards such as these. His plans for the card? To pair it with its other BGS 10 buddy and tuck them away in his private collection.
“It won’t see the light of day for at least 10 years, maybe 15,” he said. “I’m very excited to have the card.”
The card wasn’t easy to find, and Storms is seriously interested in finding the other BGS 10.
“There are only two perfect cards in the world,” he said, noting that he’s confident that the 10s aren’t comparable to the 9.5s out there, many of which have been resubmitted by owners seeking grade bumps multiple times only to have had the 10 elude them.
It’s not the only notable transaction of the year for Storms, who works in the solar energy field, as he sold a BGS 10 Joe Montana 1981 Topps Rookie Card for $65,880 in June.
While 4,675 copies of the Jordan card have been graded, this perfect specimen is one of only two cards to receive the mark from Beckett Grading Services.
This card, which was the first Jordan RC to receive the perfect Pristine grade, was reportedly sold for $150,000 in 2006. However, that sale never was confirmed.
The card’s subgrades included 10s for its centering, edges and corners and a 9.5 for its surface condition. The only other BGS 10 has 10s across the board with the exception of a 9.5 subgrade for its edges.
The first BGS 9.5 copy of the Jordan RC — there have been 116 to reach that mark since — went for $77,600 in a June 2003 deal.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Graded Card Investor. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.