Collector Found Life-Changing LeBron James Card Sitting in His Collection
In this story:
We've all been there. A box of cards we had when we were younger, which we put into storage or left at our parents' place. Then we dig them out and find some hidden gems we forgot about. For one collector, he turned that hidden gem into a house!
Five years ago, a Redditor was caught up in the post-COVID hype of sports cards and found his old collection. What popped out was something that was about to change his and his family's lives.
The Story Resurfaces Five Years Later
The story took place five years ago, but is going viral again after the Lakers' season ended, as speculation about LeBron James and a potential retirement swirls. Now, as of now, it seems unlikely that LeBron James would retire without a retirement tour, but there is at least enough smoke that the consideration is even worth speculating about.
Topps, on their basketball-branded Instagram account toppshoops, posted about the collector who turned an $8 pack of cards into a house, and all it took was this one simple trick!
The Holy Grail of Covid-Era Finds
Personally, I found some old Pokémon 1st Edition cards, but unfortunately, not a Charizard or any holos. One lucky collector found the only thing that might have rivaled a 1st Edition Charizard Holo: the 2005-06 Topps Finest LeBron James Superfractor.
He later submitted the card to BGS for grading and got a BGS 9 with 8.5 edges and surface grades. The card later went to Goldin for auction, where it sold for $336,000 with the buyer's premium. Five years later, per comments he made on Reddit, he has no regrets about selling when he did or if he thinks he could have gotten more.
He mentioned that after consigning to Goldin, he did receive offers in private and tried to pull the card out of the auction, but it was too late. However, he used the money from the sale to buy a house for his family.
What is it Worth Today?
The Card Ladder estimate is significantly below what was paid in 2021, but not as much as for other card sales from that period. The high-end LeBron market is sustainable enough that if it were to come up for auction again, it could generate a similar total, but the seller said the buyer is a premium LeBron James collector with several Superfractors and no intention of selling.
That said, the 2025-26 Topps Chrome Superfractor Image Variation in a PSA 8 recently sold for $305,000, so it isn't unreasonable that a Year 3 LeBron James Superfractor could go for a similar total.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Brendan has worked for various platforms, including The Washington Post, SB Nation, NBC Sports Washington, and more, covering everything from college basketball to fantasy football and betting. An avid collector as a kid, he got back into collecting in 2021 and is a dedicated soccer, football, and basketball collector.
Follow BrendanDarr