You won’t find it on a list of the most iconic cards.
You might not have even known it existed unless you follow the high-end basketball card market closely.
Nevertheless, when Fanatics Collect opened its October Premier auction Thursday night, lot No. 1 was the 2008 Exquisite Collection Emblems of Endorsements Michael Jordan Patch Auto, limited to 10.
Of course, any Jordan card from the ultra-premium Exquisite Collection brand is expected to fetch a pretty penny, but bidding soared to $384,000 (including buyer’s premium) by the morning after bidding opened.
Adam Gray, a leading basketball card expert, pointed out in an Instagram reel Thursday that not only had the card never sold before at public auction, but he said he expected it to be “one of the biggest MJ auctions ever.”
Gray told cllct that while he would not say the card is well-known within the whole of the collecting community, “It has been viewed as a top tier exquisite patch auto for a really long time amongst that type of collector.”
Gray pointed out a number of factors that make this card incredibly coveted by collectors, in addition to its obvious rarity.
One major value driver, says Gray, is that the on-card auto features gold ink against a black backdrop, as this was the only year Exquisite produced that combination.
Then there is the most intriguing, and somewhat mysterious, aspect of the card: the shape of the patch window. It appears to be a reflected double “E” — likely a nod to Emblems of Endorsements, however, Gray points out it is also a Chinese character called Tiān, which means “heaven” or “sky.”
Considering the massive interest we have seen in the hobby from Chinese collectors, this easter egg could serve to drive the price even further.
Will Stern is a reporter and editor for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.