Sports card collectors will sometimes pay big premiums to get old and rare cards, and a LeBron James rookie card fits both descriptors quite well. A one-of-a-kind card from the 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection, which is termed “the most valuable and coveted LeBron James card in the world,” is currently up for auction, and is at $70,000 with 12 days remaining in the bidding.
Eventually, the site hosting the auction projects the card will go for more than $200,000.
“It’s sorta like finding Willy Wonka’s golden ticket,” said sports memorabilia expert Ken Goldin. “It really is the Holy Grail of modern trading cards.” He also said it’s not typical for cards printed this century to go for that much money at an auction, but this is an exception.
“It’s highly unusual to see a modern card like this to sell so high,” Goldin said. “A lot of these type of cards end up going to high-end buyers who want to have the best collections.”
It’s worth mentioning that Goldin believes this is the most valuable piece of LeBron memorabilia available today, even more than a game-worn autographed jersey.
“If you had the jersey he wore in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, this card is worth more,” he said.
So if you’re a card junkie and really want this card for your collection, be prepared to shell out a pretty penny for it. Here’s a link to the auction, just in case you have six figures burning a hole in your pocket.
