LeBron James trading card to hit auction block, could fetch nearly $7M
FOX Business got an exclusive look at a rare LeBron James trading card that could fetch a record sum
Rare LeBron James trading card goes up for auction
Auctioneer Ken Goldin tells FOX Business why a rare LeBron James collectible could rewrite sports memorabilia history.
A rare LeBron James trading card could fetch a record sum of nearly $7 million when it goes up for auction on Wednesday morning.
FOX Business got an exclusive sneak preview of the extraordinary piece of sports memorabilia from auctioneer Ken Goldin on Tuesday, who has estimated what it might bring.
"The card is a true one of a kind and is perhaps the single most sought-after card in the history of the trading industry," said the founder of Goldin Auctions, who was accompanied by hired security as he brought the card into a Broadway office building in Manhattan.
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The "Triple Logoman" card includes game-worn patches from all three NBA teams for which the superstar has played in his career: Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
James has won world championships with all three organizations.
"It is the single first time this has ever been done in the industry," said Goldin. "There has never been a jersey card like this."
A one-of-a-kind LeBron James "Triple Logoman" trading card could net a record sum of nearly $7 million when it comes to auction on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, said auctioneer Ken Goldin. (Goldin Auctions)
The quest for the trophy item inspired a celebrity frenzy in the trading-card industry. Rapper Drake dropped a reported $200,000 on boxes of Panini Flawless cards in an effort to find this unique James collectible.
The plastic case in which the card is kept shows its "flawless" designation and indicates that it is "1/1" — one of only one — in existence.
The card's rarity, coupled with James' success on the court and his larger-than-life image in the global sports culture at large, fuel its desirability among collectors.
LeBron James attends Netflix's "Hustle" World Premiere at Regency Village Theatre on June 1, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"LeBron James is going to become the all-time [NBA] scoring king within the next two years," the auctioneer said.
"His cards have always been the most expensive and popular and everyone believes that since this a one of a kind and so desirable it will be the most expensive and sought-after LeBron card of all time, potentially the single most valuable trading card ever."
The current record price in the segment is $6.6 million.
Goldin likened the frenzy surrounding the LeBron James Triple Logoman card to the fictional fever fueled by Willy Wonka's golden tickets.
That's the amount that was spent on a Honus Wagner T206 trading card; it was issued by the American Tobacco Co. between 1909 and 1911.
It was sold by Robert Edward Auctions in August.
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The Wagner card's reign at the top of the sports-card memorabilia mountain could be brief.
Goldin likened the frenzy surrounding the LeBron James Triple Logoman card to the fictional fever fueled by Willy Wonka's golden tickets.
"Except in this case there was only one golden ticket," he said.