Bo Jackson Won't Sign This Card. Why?
There is no shortage of Bo Jackson autographs in recent products, including in 2025 Topps Series 1:
RELATED: A Look at the Set That Inspired 2025 Topps Series 1 Baseball
Here's a killer Bo Jackson / Bobby Witt dual autograph from 2024 Topps Stadium Club:
2024 Topps Stadium Club Co-Signers Bo Jackson & Bobby Witt Jr. /5… pic.twitter.com/Crgcc4X6Vh
— Best Cards Ever 🏆 (@CardsBoulevard) November 14, 2024
There are also a handful of his 2025 Topps 1990 variations listed on eBay right now. I found 7 that had already sold on eBay. Some of them are even on-card autographs:
1990 is coincidentally the same year of Bo's most iconic card, and one of the most iconic cards in sports card history: his 1990 Score baseball card:
Interestingly, though, PSA only has 25 of these autographed in their population report. Compare that to the Frank Thomas card from the same set, which has 414 examples autographed in the PSA pop report.
Considering the Bo card sits near the top of most "iconic cards" list, it seems like there should be more examples autographed. So why aren't there?
Start with any recent or upcoming signings, and you'll see a very specific disclosure: "Please note, Bo Jackson will not sign the following items: 'Bat and Shoulder Pads' photo of any kind."
Why is this? As my colleague Mike Sommer highlighted in a great article, it's due to a lawsuit:
"In 2013, photographer Richard Noble sued Nike over improper use of the image. The case was ultimately settled, but one outcome from the lawsuit is that Bo will no longer sign anything with the bat on shoulders image. That makes copies of the card he signed prior to the lawsuit very desirable."
Due to the scarcity, the card is in high demand. You can only find two authenticated by PSA on eBay right now, and both are priced high with offers open:
One has sold recently, for $1,500:
There doesn't seem to be any sign of Bo changing, but we can always hope. If he starts signing them, prices will surely plummet.
Mike runs the hobby YouTube channel Junk Wax Hero, where he talks about a lot of different aspects of the hobby from a collector’s perspective. His most popular series is Attic Find Friday. He also writes a free weekly hobby recap newsletter at junkwaxhero.com. It’s a cliche, but his favorite card is the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.
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