A 1980-81 Topps basketball rookie card of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson set an all-time sales record last week at Goldin Auctions! Not only did the iconic card break the previous high sale, but it completely demolished it.
When Topps designed their 1980-81 set, they created a three-paneled card; three mini cards of each player to form one full-sized card. Someone at Topps won designer of the century when they decided to place card numbers 34, 139, and 174 on the card together. Those numbers make up a Larry Bird rookie, Magic Johnson rookie, and the great Dr. J, Julius Erving! All on the same card!
1980-81 TOPPS BASKETBALL CARDS
A pack of cards back in 1980 set you back just a quarter if you wanted to search for a Larry Bird or Magic Johnson rookie card. Boxes were released with 36 packs, and each pack contained 8 cards plus one pinup.
The key card is the iconic #6 with the panels of Bird, Magic, and Dr. J.
A pack is going to set you back a tad more than 25 cents today, though. Goldin Auctions sold a full, sealed box for $31,200 in May of this year!. Why such an expensive price for a full box? That Bird-Magic-Dr. J card is breaking sales records!
BIRD-MAGIC-DR. J CARD - RECORD PRICE
The record sale price for a PSA 10 was just over $500,000, set in May and July. Last week, a PSA 10 copy sold at Goldin Auctions for $861,000!
In just three months, the sale price increased $361,000! PSA has only given a grade of 10 to just 25 of these cards, and collectors tend to pay a premium on those high-grade copies.
WE ARE ALWAYS BUYING
If you have Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rookie cards, we're always interested! Just Collect is always buying vintage sports and non-sports cards from 1879 to 1979 as well as select modern cards. If you have a collection that you are considering selling, contact us today to discuss or get our industry-leading purchase offer. If you have a collection that you want appraised, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss your collection and help you understand the real cash value of your collection in the current marketplace. Check out the Just Collect buy list blog here.
OUR BUYING PHILOSOPHY
We've run into a wide range of people and collections over the last 25 years. Although Just Collect is known for buying vintage sports cards and especially vintage baseball cards, we are also extremely interested in buying non-sports cards, too!
Every collection and every collector is different and we treat EVERY collection with the respect and attention that we show for our own collections. We understand that many have put their heart and souls into building their collections. So when you're ready to sell, we understand the feelings that you're going through and will work with you to help you reach a decision that is a WIN/WIN, because if you're not happy, we're not happy.
CONTACT US ANY TIME
Whether you have Larry Bird and Magic Johnson rookie cards, vintage cards or wax you want to sell, you can reach out to us any time!