Buying a MJ rookie....

momo1234 · March 5, 2020 9:12AM

I have decided...again, that I would like to buy a MJ rookie. I had the sticker (paid 800, sold it for 1400) and now I would like the real deal. I am thinking the 86 fleer card graded in a 8 or higher...
Realistically speaking...where and when and how is the best place to purchase this? Has anyone here purchased this and can give some advice...
Thanks so much!

VintagemanEd · March 5, 2020 9:27AM

Well I would study eBay sales and other auction house sales and get a range of values. Then you will have to decide the quality and price mesh point that makes sense for you. It is a hot card for sure

erikthredd · March 5, 2020 11:35AM

If buying on ebay don't forget to account for sales tax too. It might make sense to wait for an ebay bucks promotion if you go with an ebay purchase.

maddux69 · March 5, 2020 12:00PM

With the rise in Lebron chrome rookies in PSA 10, I can see Jordan rookies continuing to climb as well. Buy it while you can!

ndleo · March 5, 2020 12:20PM

I would make an adventure out of it and go to a major regional show to buy in person. Cash talks and the whole tax issue.

momo1234 · March 5, 2020 12:23PM

Hadn't considered the tax issue...yes you are right.
I am guessing a good deal on an 8 would be around the 2k range and then it goes up from there...Last year at the national i was trying to buy an 8.5 for $2400 and could not find one.
Has anyone here had some luck recently? lets hear your pick ups!

orioles93 · March 5, 2020 12:55PM

@momo1234 said:
Hadn't considered the tax issue...yes you are right.
I am guessing a good deal on an 8 would be around the 2k range and then it goes up from there...Last year at the national i was trying to buy an 8.5 for $2400 and could not find one.
Has anyone here had some luck recently? lets hear your pick ups!

PSA 8s are going for $3000-3500 right now. I was at the philly show last week and didn’t see one under $4k.

VintagemanEd · March 5, 2020 1:24PM

Good point on the sales tax! I still forget that and it would be a killer on $6,000+ Jordan rc. Buying one in person is great but unrealistic a lot of times

momo1234 · March 5, 2020 1:28PM

@orioles93 said:

@momo1234 said:

PSA 8s are going for $3000-3500 right now. I was at the philly show last week and didn’t see one under $4k.

WOW! Surprised....really back in July 2800 was an 8.5 at the national....

jay0791 · March 5, 2020 2:16PM

I would buy a vey nice one...even if it was not the cheapest

Put up a WTB want to buy for this card on the forum here

Maybe a seller wants to avoid auction fees as well

momo1234 · March 5, 2020 2:17PM

great idea. thanks

rtimmer · March 7, 2020 12:57PM

I’d buy one of the star rookies seem very cheap to me.

dan89 · March 7, 2020 1:39PM

Went to the Cleveland National on first day in 2018 with one target. MJ rookie in PSA 9. Centered. After running around could not find one then finally found this one.

Not perfect, however centering is there. One tiny print spot,
which does not bother me. Had cash in hand and paid $4050. Card keeps going up and and up. Most with decent centering cannot be found for under 7K. The advice to go to a big show is spot on.

Vagabond · March 7, 2020 2:22PM

Went to the National in Chicago last year (2019) and was able to pick up a MJ rookie in a PSA 10. Price on the card was $32,500 (they were sellinf around $30,000. I asked for best price and dealer said $28,000. It was already the end of the day (Saturday) and I asked if he would do $27,000 cash and he accepted. We counted the cash together and we made the deal. The last 6 have sold on eBay for an average of about $40,000. I say I did okay.

erikthredd · March 7, 2020 2:35PM

Those are two great looking MJ rookies!

akuracy503 · March 7, 2020 5:10PM

This will be the new “52 Topps Mantle” as the generational chapters unfold.

frankhardy · March 8, 2020 12:18PM

Early last year I bought my PSA 8 pictured below for $1600. Now they are over $3k.

Edited to say that I bought it in March of 2018....not 2019.

momo1234 · March 8, 2020 12:19PM

nice...where did you pick up for 1600? at the national i could not find it close for that

frankhardy · March 8, 2020 2:13PM

I just looked and I stand corrected as to WHEN I purchased it. It wasn't last year in 2019. I bought it in March of 2018. So, I have had it 2 years. I bought it on Ebay. I paid $1,684.99.

I would love to see a highlight clip of that dunk. Seems like I saw where someone was researching which game that photo was taken and nobody could find it.

momo1234 · March 8, 2020 2:14PM

That makes more sense. Last national a PSA 8 was going for over $2500. In 2018 I bought the fleer rookie sticker in a 9 for 700 and sold it in 19 for 1400. Nothing wrong with that on my book.

craig44 · March 9, 2020 6:48AM

I would be very very cautious when buying an MJ rookie. There has been much discussion about the legitimacy of many highly graded ones with the recent hobby issues. Personally, I would research the heck out of any I was looking at. 86 fleer MJ's have been a major target and I sure wouldnt want to get a short one.

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 6:49AM

@craig44 can you elaborate here? are you seeing highly graded cards that were trimmed?

craig44 · March 9, 2020 7:11AM

well... I really dont want to ruffle any feathers, as I know this is a sensitive subject for many, but there is one seller in particular who has taken a specialty in trimming the 86 fleer jordan. That is up to and including 10's. because of the card stock used, each card has a fingerprint and can be photomatched with cards previously sold. there are many threads all over the net detailing this. I have read that this particular seller has been producing these cards since at least the mid 2000's and has altered well over 1 Mill. dollars worth of 86 jordans.

I would personally love to purchase an 86 fleer Jordan, but the evidence seems to indicate that a tremendous amount of highly graded examples are altered.

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 7:13AM

wow! i am relatively new to this forum, but have not heard about this. I knew there was a pwcc issue with grading and selling trimmed cards...but did not realize this was an issue. i guess the only way to do this would be to measure the card before you buy it. i assume it can be measured accurately while in the psa slab..

craig44 · March 9, 2020 7:24AM

@momo1234 said:
wow! i am relatively new to this forum, but have not heard about this. I knew there was a pwcc issue with grading and selling trimmed cards...but did not realize this was an issue. i guess the only way to do this would be to measure the card before you buy it. i assume it can be measured accurately while in the psa slab..

the amount of stock removed is very very small. in fact, i believe they are using laser cutters. I personally do not believe an accurate measurement can be taken while the card is in slab.

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 10:31AM

Strolling on eBay and this comes up with under 10 minutes to go..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-87-Fleer-57-Michael-Jordan-RC-BCCG-9/114137086015?hash=item1a9319b83f:g:0VoAAOSw~QteXUTh

THOUGHTS???

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 10:41AM

sold for $2524 PLUS TAX....
what do you folk think a BCCG 9 equates to nowadays? about 7 years ago it was considered a worthless grading company.

craig44 · March 9, 2020 11:06AM

you have to wonder why someone would send a card of this magnitude to BCCG. I would imagine there is probably a reason...

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 11:07AM

you think BCCG was grading fake cards?

LarkinCollector · March 9, 2020 11:41AM

BCCG grading is fairly accurate in my experience, but you have to adjust for their grading scale. BCCG 9 = Near Mint (7 for most TPGs).

balco758 · March 9, 2020 12:20PM

Bought my PSA 9 from BBCE Dec 2019....$3,900. Thought I overpaid!

craig44 · March 9, 2020 1:22PM

@momo1234 said:
you think BCCG was grading fake cards?

I wonder why, when you have a blue chip card like the jordan, one would use becketts economy grading service not the flagship bgs? That type of behavior certainly raises questions with me. I

I don't believe them to be fake, but altered. For me, personally, it is to risky when so many great Jordan's have been ruined by this guy.

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 1:23PM

so does that mean you are staying away from the card all together? I'm not saying thats a bad strategy but just wondering.

nam812 · March 9, 2020 1:33PM

@craig44 said:
I wonder why, when you have a blue chip card like the jordan, one would use becketts economy grading service not the flagship bgs?.........

I imagine that some of the time it is to prey on the unsuspecting buyer with a "higher number" on the label (ie BCCG 9 instead of PSA 7).

craig44 · March 9, 2020 4:37PM

@momo1234 said:
so does that mean you are staying away from the card all together? I'm not saying thats a bad strategy but just wondering.

Unfortunately I am absolutely staying away from the 86 flee r jordan. Very frequently altered and a very risky proposition.

It really stinks because I wou!d love to add a 9 to my collection. As far as 10's go, I would run, not walk away from those.

mintonlypls · March 9, 2020 9:30PM

Very enlightening thread. Fortunately...I don’t collect basketball cards because I would probably own an ‘86 Jordan RC which might be altered.

momo1234 · March 9, 2020 9:49PM

Seems from this thread like the whole hobby is rigged. Whether it’s high influencers cornering the market or scammers using lasers to trim cards it’s makes me feel like even a simple hobby of collecting cards has been ruined.

craig44 · March 10, 2020 5:43AM

@momo1234 said:
Seems from this thread like the whole hobby is rigged. Whether it’s high influencers cornering the market or scammers using lasers to trim cards it’s makes me feel like even a simple hobby of collecting cards has been ruined.

I wouldn't say the hobby is ruined or rigged, but we do need to exert much more diligence than in years past, especially on high grade/value cards. I still enjoy the hobby, I just do more research and unfortunately I stay away from cards like the 86 Jordan. I still own and buy PSA and I will not let the trimmers ruin this hobby for me.

mikelowell25 · March 10, 2020 4:29PM

@craig44 said:
well... I really dont want to ruffle any feathers, as I know this is a sensitive subject for many, but there is one seller in particular who has taken a specialty in trimming the 86 fleer jordan. That is up to and including 10's. because of the card stock used, each card has a fingerprint and can be photomatched with cards previously sold. there are many threads all over the net detailing this. I have read that this particular seller has been producing these cards since at least the mid 2000's and has altered well over 1 Mill. dollars worth of 86 jordans.

I would personally love to purchase an 86 fleer Jordan, but the evidence seems to indicate that a tremendous amount of highly graded examples are altered.

Craig, i'm confused by your post--are you saying this guy is producing counterfeit cards that are so good that they're finding their way into PSA holders or that he is merely trimming genuine cards??

80sOPC · March 10, 2020 5:51PM

Mike - there is a known trimmer that has bought over 100 Jordans the past few years. Mostly 7/8/9’s. Three of those made 10 on one submission.

momo1234 · March 10, 2020 6:21PM

out Of respect for this forum. I’ll just say.
N
BEEEE
FOREEEE

dan89 · March 10, 2020 6:47PM

LarkinCollector · March 10, 2020 6:48PM

remedylane · March 10, 2020 6:50PM

Fore!!

momo1234 · March 10, 2020 6:54PM

Huh

erikthredd · March 10, 2020 7:00PM

LarkinCollector · March 10, 2020 8:11PM

BEEEEE!

80sOPC · March 10, 2020 8:33PM

Not sure why it would get deleted. If we can’t talk about problematic cards as part of discussion on the hobby whats the point? This is stuff people should know about that are looking for an 86 MJ.

Totally understand if they kill Momo’s last post but what I posted and Craig posted is 100% fact and was posted without judgement. I find it strange that the stock reaction is to cheer for the end of the discussion. Best to ignore this stuff fella’s?

momo1234 · March 10, 2020 8:36PM

Guess I’m too new here. But what did I miss. And why are you guys posting random letters in a response?
Why would you want to stop this conversation ?

Horse · March 10, 2020 8:38PM

I'm too sexy for my cat.

momo1234 · March 10, 2020 8:38PM

Ah ha. So it got too real for y’all? Got it.

Buying a MJ rookie....

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