Victor Wembanyama Sapphire Auto /10 Sells for $81K

2025-26 Topps Chrome Sapphire Victor Wembanyama Auto /10 Sells for $81,436

On April 12, 2026, Goldin closed a major ultra-modern basketball sale: a 2025-26 Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition Topps Chrome Autographs Black Refractor #TCA-VW Victor Wembanyama, serial-numbered 02/10 and graded PSA GEM MT 10, sold for $81,436.

For a market that has already seen strong prices for Victor Wembanyama’s earliest NBA cards, this particular copy stands out as an important early Sapphire autograph of one of the most followed young players in the hobby.

Card breakdown

Let’s start by identifying the card clearly.

• Player: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
• Season: 2025-26
• Product: Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition
• Subset: Topps Chrome Autographs
• Parallel: Black Refractor
• Card number: #TCA-VW
• Serial numbering: 02/10
• Autograph: Topps-certified (pack-pulled ink)
• Grading company: PSA
• Grade: GEM MT 10
• Population: Pop 2 in PSA 10 at the time of the sale

This is an ultra-modern, premium Topps Chrome Sapphire autograph from Wembanyama’s early NBA years. While not his very first NBA-licensed card, it fits into the same conversation as his early-issue, low-serial, on-card or sticker autos that serious player collectors and long-term Wembanyama believers tend to focus on.

Why the card matters to collectors

A few key factors make this card notable:

1. Topps Chrome Sapphire Edition
   Sapphire is the higher-end, online-focused take on Topps Chrome. It’s known for:

   • Smaller print runs than standard Topps Chrome
   • Distinctive cracked-ice style Sapphire finish
   • Tighter checklists and tougher parallels

   That combination usually translates to fewer total copies, especially for low-numbered parallels and autographs.

2. Black Refractor /10
   A serial number of 10 copies worldwide is already a major rarity. For player-focused collectors, /10 often sits in the sweet spot between accessibility (relative to 1/1) and strong scarcity.

3. PSA GEM MT 10, Pop 2
   PSA’s population report (often shortened to “pop report”) tracks how many of each card have been graded at each grade level.

   • This card is a GEM MT 10, PSA’s highest standard grade.
   • It is Pop 2, meaning only two copies had achieved PSA 10 at the time of the sale.

   In ultra-modern, condition-sensitive Chrome and Sapphire cards, that top grade can be a major price driver, especially on low-serial autographs.

4. Early Wembanyama Sapphire autograph
   For Wembanyama, collectors generally prioritize:

   • His earliest NBA cards and autographs
   • Low-serial numbered parallels
   • Recognizable flagship or premium brands (Topps Chrome, Prizm, National Treasures, etc.)

   A Topps Chrome Sapphire autograph /10 in a PSA 10 slab checks several of those boxes at once.

Market context and price comparison

The Goldin sale ended on April 12, 2026 (UTC) at a price of $81,436.

When collectors talk about “comps,” they mean recent comparable sales of the same card or very similar cards. For this Wembanyama, truly direct comps are limited because:

• It’s numbered to just 10 copies.
• Only a small fraction of those have surfaced publicly.
• Only two have reached PSA 10.

In situations like this, collectors usually look to a mix of:

• Other serial-numbered Sapphire Wembanyama autos (different colors, /25, /50, etc.).
• Non-Sapphire but comparable low-serial autos (for example, 2024-25 or 2025-26 Topps Chrome or Prizm golds and blacks in high grade).
• Major early Wembanyama rookie autos from premium products.

Across those categories, recent public sales have shown a very wide range depending on:

• Brand and product tier (Chrome vs. Prizm vs. NT vs. Immaculate, etc.)
• Serial numbering (/99 vs. /25 vs. /10 vs. /5 vs. 1/1)
• Grade and pop counts

Within that context, this $81k-range result sits toward the upper end of what collectors have paid for early, non-1/1 Wembanyama autographs in premium Chrome-style products, especially when:

• The card is /10 or lower, and
• The grade is a true top pop or extremely scarce GEM MT 10.

Because the exact card (2025-26 Sapphire Black Refractor auto /10 PSA 10) has almost no direct prior public sales to compare against, it’s more accurate to treat this as a fresh benchmark rather than call it definitively high or low.

Why ultra-modern Wembanyama still draws attention

This sale sits in a broader story about the hobby and about how collectors treat ultra-modern stars.

• Era: This is firmly ultra-modern — high-end, parallel-heavy, and heavily graded.
• Grading norms: In ultra-modern Chrome and Sapphire, a large percentage of key hits end up slabbed by PSA, BGS, or SGC. That helps the market anchor values around pop reports and recent comps.
• Wembanyama’s trajectory: At the time of this sale, Wembanyama continues to be one of the most closely watched young players, with strong on-court performances, growing global recognition, and a hobby profile that consistently places him in conversations with the most chased modern stars.

None of this guarantees future prices. What it does explain is why collectors and high-end buyers were comfortable competing for a scarce, visually strong, early Sapphire autograph like this.

How collectors might frame this sale

From a collector-to-collector perspective, here’s how this result can be useful:

• For Wembanyama player collectors:
  This sale provides a reference point for early, low-serial Sapphire autos in top grade. If you’re chasing one of the other nine copies (in any grade), this is now part of the pricing story.

• For Sapphire and Chrome-focused collectors:
  It underscores how low-serial Sapphire autos of top-tier young stars can command a sizable premium over more common refractors and higher-serial parallels.

• For new or returning collectors:
  It’s a clear example of how a few factors stack together:

  • Iconic or high-profile player
  • Recognized brand (Topps Chrome Sapphire)
  • Strong parallel (Black Refractor /10)
  • High grade with low population (PSA 10, Pop 2)

  Each of those adds a layer of scarcity or desirability that collectors are willing to pay for.

Takeaways for the broader market

• Scarcity matters more as print runs grow. In an era with many products and parallels, a genuine /10 from a premium line still stands out.
• Grade can be a separator. With only two PSA 10 examples known at the time, this copy carries a built-in differentiator even among the 10 total cards printed.
• Context beats headlines. The $81,436 Goldin sale on April 12, 2026, is a big number, but it becomes most informative when you place it alongside:
  • Other premium Wembanyama autos
  • Other low-serial Sapphire cards
  • The general demand level for ultra-modern superstar prospects

As always, this result is a data point, not a promise. For collectors and small sellers, tracking these types of sales over time is one of the best ways to understand how the market is valuing scarcity, grading, and player performance in the ultra-modern era.