1998-99 MJ Game Jersey Auto /23 Sells for $130,540

1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph #UD3-GJ Michael Jordan Signed Relic Card (#14/23) - PSA NM 7, PSA/DNA Authentic

On December 7, 2025, Goldin closed a notable sale for one of the hobby’s cornerstone Jordan cards: a 1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph #UD3-GJ Michael Jordan, serial numbered 14/23, graded PSA NM 7 with a PSA/DNA Authentic autograph. The hammer price was $130,540.

For collectors who track Jordan high-end memorabilia cards, this sale offers a useful data point for a historically important issue in the late-90s insert era.

Card overview

Let’s break down exactly what this card is:

Player: Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)
Year: 1998-99
Set: Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph
Card number: UD3-GJ
Serial numbering: Hand-numbered 14/23 on the card
Type: Game-worn jersey relic card with on-card autograph
Autograph: On-card (signed directly on the card surface), authenticated by PSA/DNA (Authentic)
Grading: PSA NM 7 (Near Mint 7)
Attributes:
- Low serial-numbered to Jordan’s iconic jersey number (23)
- Game-worn jersey swatch
- Signed by Jordan
- From a historically important late-90s Upper Deck memorabilia/autograph run

This is not a rookie card, but it is widely viewed as a key issue from the early era of mainstream game-used memorabilia and certified autographs.

Why this card matters

The late 1990s were a turning point for basketball cards. Insert cards started to include pieces of game-worn jerseys and, increasingly, certified autographs. Upper Deck was at the front of that transition, and Jordan was the face of those innovations.

This particular card checks several boxes that matter to advanced collectors:

Early game-used memorabilia era: The 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons produced some of the first broadly recognized game jersey and autograph combinations. Cards from these sets helped define what “high-end” meant in the pre-exquisite era.
On-card autograph + game-used relic: Combining an on-card (hand-signed directly on the card) signature with a game-worn jersey piece remains one of the most sought-after card formats. For Jordan, these early examples are especially important because they predate the modern flood of memorabilia cards.
Ultra-low print run /23: Serial numbering to 23 aligns with Jordan’s jersey number and keeps supply extremely tight. Even as the hobby has grown, 23 copies worldwide is a small number relative to collector demand.
Late-90s Bulls era nostalgia: The 1998-99 timeframe roughly tracks the end of the Bulls dynasty, making any premium Jordan release from this window feel closely tied to his playing days rather than post-retirement products.

Grading details: PSA NM 7, PSA/DNA Authentic

This copy is graded PSA 7 (Near Mint), with the autograph labeled PSA/DNA Authentic. A few points of context:

Card grade (PSA 7):
- A PSA 7 allows for light wear—minor corner touches, slight surface or edge issues. For late-90s thick memorabilia cards, that level of wear is fairly common.
- Older relic/autograph cards often suffer from chipping, edge wear, or surface defects due to their construction and handling at the time.
Autograph grade (Authentic only):
- PSA/DNA has certified the autograph as genuine but has not assigned an autograph numerical grade (like 9 or 10). Some collectors pay a premium for higher auto grades, but for many Jordan collectors, authenticity and eye appeal matter more than the number.

For a card like this, particularly when the print run is just 23 copies, collectors tend to focus on overall presentation and scarcity rather than chasing only the top technical grade.

Market context and recent sales

When collectors talk about “comps” (short for comparables), they mean recent sales of the same card or closely related cards used as reference points. For this Michael Jordan 1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph #UD3-GJ, true one-to-one comps are rare because:

Only 23 copies exist.
They do not appear at auction frequently.
Condition, autograph strength, and eye appeal can vary significantly.

Recent years have seen a general trend for high-end Jordan memorabilia/autograph cards from the late 1990s and early 2000s:

Top-tier Jordan game jersey auto cards from this era have routinely sold in the mid five-figure to six-figure range, depending on serial number, set prestige, patch quality, and grade.
Serial-numbered cards tied to his jersey number (like /23) tend to command a premium relative to more abundant parallels or later releases.

Within that context, the $130,540 sale price at Goldin on December 7, 2025 positions this card in the high end of the range for late-90s Jordan auto-memorabilia issues, especially considering:

Ultra-low print run (/23).
Strong set pedigree as an early game jersey autograph.
Solid but not gem-mint card grade (PSA 7).

While exact historical records for this specific serial number (14/23) or this exact grade may not be publicly visible for every past sale, the realized price fits with the growing focus on scarce, on-card, game-used Jordan pieces versus more common modern inserts.

How this sale fits into the broader Jordan market

Jordan’s high-end card market has become more selective over time. Instead of broad enthusiasm for everything with his name on it, collectors increasingly prioritize:

Low-serial numbered cards, especially those tied to jersey number themes.
Early game-worn memorabilia rather than modern or event-worn material.
On-card autographs from the 1990s and early 2000s.

This 1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph checks all of those boxes. The December 7, 2025 Goldin result reinforces a few ongoing trends:

Supply is thin: With just 23 copies, even a small group of serious Jordan collectors can absorb nearly all supply. When one comes to auction, it can reset expectations for the card and related issues.
Pedigreed sets still matter: Collectors continue to show a preference for recognizable, historically important sets over obscure or overproduced issues, even within the premium segment.
Condition is important, but rarity can outweigh grade: A PSA 7 is not top-of-the-population, yet the realized price demonstrates that for ultra-low-numbered, historically important Jordan cards, collectors are willing to pay strong numbers for attractive mid- to high-grade copies.

What collectors can take away from this sale

If you are a newcomer, a returning collector, or a small seller trying to understand where this fits in the hobby, a few practical takeaways:

Think in terms of tiers: Cards like this belong to the highest tier of Jordan collecting: extremely low print run, on-card auto, game-worn memorabilia from a key late-90s set. Most Jordan cards will never approach this type of valuation, and that’s normal.
Use comps as reference, not guarantees: Recent sales (like this Goldin result) provide reference points, not promises. Each card’s condition, autograph presentation, and timing in the market can shift the final price.
Understand the era: Late-90s inserts and memorabilia cards sit between vintage and the ultra-modern autograph/patch explosion. They are limited in quantity, heavily collected, and often more condition-sensitive than today’s premium stock.
Rarity plus story is powerful: This card carries both: extreme scarcity (/23) and a meaningful place in the timeline of Jordan memorabilia and the evolution of the hobby.

Final thoughts

The December 7, 2025 sale at Goldin of the 1998-99 Upper Deck Game Jersey Autograph #UD3-GJ Michael Jordan, numbered 14/23 and graded PSA NM 7 with PSA/DNA Authentic, at $130,540 continues to highlight how deep collector demand runs for early, on-card, game-used Jordan issues.

For collectors watching the high-end Jordan market, this result underscores the enduring importance of historically significant sets, tight serial numbering, and strong provenance. For newer hobbyists, it serves as a clear example of how scarcity, set reputation, and era can combine to create a true cornerstone card.

As always, treat this sale as data, not direction—one more piece in the evolving picture of how the market values Michael Jordan’s most important cardboard.