Shohei Ohtani and Michael Jordan drove the biggest headlines in Goldin’s Summer 100 Auction, where multiple cards and memorabilia pieces reached record prices and four items finished above the $1 million mark.
The top result belonged to Ohtani, whose 2018 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Rookie Autograph numbered 2/5 sold for $2.4 million. The card carries a BGS 9.5 True Gem+ grade and a population of two, and the sale established a new public record for any Ohtani Bowman Chrome card.
Jordan was not far behind in impact. A 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Auto Game-Used Patch card brought $1.46 million, while another game-used signed Jordan relic from 1998-99 Upper Deck reached $549,000. Across the auction, elite basketball, baseball, soccer, football, Formula 1, and wrestling pieces all drew aggressive bidding, signaling continued strength at the top end of the sports collectibles market.
Shohei Ohtani sets the pace with a $2.4 million rookie autograph
The headline sale of the event was Ohtani’s 2018 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Rookie Auto numbered 2/5. High-grade, ultra-low-numbered Ohtani rookie autographs have remained among the most chased modern baseball cards in the hobby, and this result reinforced that status in a major way.
For more collector background, read Michael Jordan and Shohei Ohtani Drove August eBay Searches as Vintage Icons, Rookies and Even George Costanza Surged.
A final price of $2.4 million put the card into a very small class of modern baseball icons that can command seven figures with regularity. The BGS 9.5 True Gem+ grade adds another layer of premium appeal, while the Pop 2 notation underscores just how little supply exists at that quality level.
Ohtani had two other notable results in the auction as well. A 2025 Topps Chrome SuperFractor #1, a one-of-one graded PSA 10, sold for $701,500. Another standout was a 2018 Topps Allen & Ginter World Talent #WT-24 Kanji-signed rookie, graded PSA 8 with a PSA/DNA 10 Auto, which realized $226,920.
That Allen & Ginter result was especially notable because it set a public record for a modern-day Allen & Ginter card. For a brand known for crossover appeal, design-driven collecting, and a broader collector base beyond pure flagship rookie chasers, the price shows how Ohtani can elevate cards well outside the most traditional chromium rookie categories.
Michael Jordan posts multiple record-level results
Jordan’s presence in the auction extended well beyond a single marquee card. The strongest result was the $1.46 million sale of a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Auto Game-Used Patch card, a trophy-level modern Jordan issue that blends autograph content, premium brand prestige, and game-used material.
Another Jordan card that drew heavy attention was a 1998-99 Upper Deck Jordan Game Jersey Autographs #MJx-GJ signed game-worn relic card, numbered 12/23 and graded PSA 9 with a population of three. That card sold for $549,000, setting a new public record for the issue.
The Jordan momentum continued with several additional pieces spanning photography, magazines, and key late-1990s and mid-1980s collectibles:
- A signed and inscribed rookie Type I photo from Jordan’s first Nike Air Jordan ad campaign in November 1984 sold for $528,937, a public record for any Jordan photo.
- Jordan’s first magazine cover, the Dec. 10, 1984 issue of OTIA Sports with the headline “A Star is Born,” reached $378,200, a public record for any magazine at public sale.
- A 1996-97 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row card graded PSA 10, population five, sold for $427,000, another record result.
- A 1985 Nike Promo signed and inscribed “#23” rookie card graded PSA 6 with an Auto 8 brought $356,286.
Taken together, the Jordan prices highlight just how broad his market remains. Demand is not confined to rookie cards or iconic inserts alone. Premium patch autos, signed relics, historically important photos, early promotional material, and even magazines tied to defining career moments all continue to find serious buyers.
Four seven-figure lots define the top of the sale
The auction featured four items that crossed the $1 million threshold, underscoring the ongoing appetite for elite-condition, low-population, and historically significant material. Ohtani’s $2.4 million Bowman Chrome rookie auto led the field, while Jordan’s Exquisite patch auto followed at $1.46 million.
Although not every million-dollar lot was fully detailed in the provided sale highlights, the presence of four total seven-figure results is important on its own. It shows that the very top of the hobby still has depth, especially when the material offered combines star power with scarcity and presentation.
That trend has become increasingly clear across premier auction houses in recent years. Buyers at this level are often competing for assets that rarely appear in public sales, and when multiple examples surface in the same event, the strongest names tend to separate themselves quickly. Ohtani and Jordan were the clearest examples of that dynamic here.
Other record sales from across the sports world
Beyond Ohtani and Jordan, the Summer 100 Auction produced a wide range of notable results across several categories of collecting. From championship-worn jerseys to rookie cards and modern chase cards, the auction showed how diversified the high-end market has become.
- Kevin Garnett’s 2008 NBA Finals Game 6 championship-clinching, game-used, photo-matched Boston Celtics home jersey sold for $701,500.
- A 1958 Pele Editora Aquarela Ltda. Brasil Campeao Mundial De Futebol #10 Perforated-Black rookie card graded PSA 8 sold for $671,000.
- A 2025 Jaxson Dart Topps Chrome Rookie PREM1ERE Rookie Patch Auto unused redemption card, numbered 1/1, brought $500,200.
- A 2025 Topps Chrome F1 Red Refractor #8 Kimi Antonelli rookie numbered 2/5 and graded PSA 10 with a population of two sold for $360,510.
- A 2025 Topps Royalty WWE WrestleMania 41 Patch Auto #WPA-JCE of John Cena, graded PSA 8 and tied to Cena’s final WrestleMania, sold for $329,400.
Each of those sales says something slightly different about today’s hobby. Garnett’s jersey result reflects the strength of photo-matched championship memorabilia. Pele’s rookie card shows the enduring importance of globally recognized legends in vintage soccer. Dart and Antonelli point to how quickly the market can react to modern rookie scarcity. Cena’s sale is another reminder that wrestling cards and event-linked memorabilia remain capable of delivering major prices when the moment and item line up.
Why the Ohtani and Jordan markets remain so powerful
Ohtani and Jordan occupy different places in collecting history, but both markets share a few of the same fundamentals. Scarcity matters. Condition matters. Eye appeal matters. Most of all, collectors want pieces that feel central to the player’s story.
For Ohtani, that usually means premium rookie-era material, especially autograph cards from cornerstone brands like Bowman Chrome and Topps Chrome. His two-way brilliance and worldwide popularity continue to give him a rare ceiling among active athletes. When one of his top-tier rookie autographs appears in elite grade and low serial numbering, the market tends to respond aggressively.
Jordan’s market works from a longer-established base, but the same principles apply. Exquisite patch autos, signed game-used relics, rare 1990s inserts, early Nike-linked material, and first-appearance crossover items all tap into different segments of Jordan collecting. What stands out is that demand remains strong across all of them. That level of breadth is difficult for almost any athlete to match.
The auction results also suggest that buyers are rewarding pieces with clear storytelling value. A card tied to a player’s rookie season, a photo from the launch of the Air Jordan era, a first magazine cover, or a jersey worn in a championship-clinching game all offer more than scarcity alone. They connect collectors to a defining moment.
Key sale prices from the Goldin Summer 100 Auction
- Shohei Ohtani 2018 Bowman Chrome Red Refractor Rookie Auto #2/5, BGS 9.5 True Gem+: $2.4 million
- Michael Jordan 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Auto Game-Used Patch: $1.46 million
- Shohei Ohtani 2025 Topps Chrome SuperFractor #1 1/1, PSA 10: $701,500
- Kevin Garnett 2008 NBA Finals Game 6 photo-matched Celtics jersey: $701,500
- Pele 1958 Editora Aquarela Ltda. Brasil Campeao Mundial De Futebol #10 Perforated-Black Rookie, PSA 8: $671,000
- Michael Jordan 1998-99 Upper Deck Jordan Game Jersey Autographs #MJx-GJ #12/23, PSA 9: $549,000
- Michael Jordan signed Type I photo from November 1984 Nike Air Jordan ad campaign: $528,937
- 2025 Jaxson Dart Topps Chrome Rookie PREM1ERE Rookie Patch Auto unused Redemption 1/1: $500,200
- Michael Jordan 1996-97 Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row, PSA 10: $427,000
- Michael Jordan Dec. 10, 1984 OTIA Sports cover: $378,200
- 2025 Topps Chrome F1 Kimi Antonelli Red Refractor #8 Rookie #2/5, PSA 10: $360,510
- Michael Jordan 1985 Nike Promo signed and inscribed “#23” Rookie card, PSA 6, Auto 8: $356,286
- 2025 Topps Royalty WWE WrestleMania 41 Patch Auto #WPA-JCE John Cena, PSA 8: $329,400
- Shohei Ohtani 2018 Topps Allen & Ginter World Talent #WT-24 Kanji-signed Rookie, PSA 8, PSA/DNA 10 Auto: $226,920
What collectors should watch after these results
The strongest auction outcomes here point to a few categories that collectors will likely keep watching closely. High-grade Ohtani rookie autographs remain among the most important cards in the modern baseball market. Jordan game-used autograph cards and historically important signed material continue to show deep liquidity at the top end. Championship-used, photo-matched memorabilia still attracts major bids when provenance and moment line up cleanly.
There is also a clear signal that nontraditional categories can perform like blue-chip assets when the right item hits the market. A magazine cover, a Type I photo, a wrestling patch auto, or a modern redemption card can all become headline pieces when rarity, player significance, and hobby interest converge.
For collectors tracking the upper tier of the market, the Summer 100 Auction offered another reminder that the best material does not need a broad slowdown or boom to find its level. Cards and memorabilia with elite scarcity, top-grade status, and a direct connection to hobby icons continue to attract premium money, and this sale gave Ohtani and Jordan the clearest proof of that.
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