Michael Jordan One on One 1989 Starting Lineup card sells at auction
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A rare Michael Jordan card sold at auction this week. The 36 year old card was originally packaged as part of an action figure set released by Kenner toys from their popular Starting Lineup series. For some background context Starting Lineups were founded by Cincinnati Bengals punter Pat McInally.
McInally conceived the idea after noticing that action figures were being produced but few if any of pro athletes. He pitched the idea to Kenner (and eventually Hasbro Toys), who released the first sets in 1988. Along with the base sets, Starting Lineups would release other shorter run variation figures. One such set was the One on One.
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Originally sold in 1989 for under $10, One on Ones featured action shots amongst sports rivalries along with a limited edition trading card of each player. The most popular and valuable figures in the set was the One on One scene featuring Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas and the Jordan card from that set is the one that was up for auction. The One on One card that was sold was a graded PSA 10. Currently there are only 31 listed in PSA’s database.
As Fanatics Auctions mentioned in the auction listing, Startling Lineups and cards of Michael Jordan are prized for their rarity and nostalgia. Higher grade cards are also so hard to come by because of age and shelf wear to the packages. While the cards were sealed with the action figure, the seal often was not air tight allowing the cards to shift around in the plastic. As a result, even if the figure and package were in good condition, there is no guarantee the card would be as well. Lastly, the complete One on One Jordan/Thomas figure mint on card (complete and in the box) is still very valuable with sale prices ranging from $500-1000 per 130point.
Opening the package significantly reduces the value so it’s a pretty big risk if a collector decides to go that route. Nevertheless, the last two PSA 10 One on One Jordan cards have now sold for $15,000 and $15,100 on eBay and Fanatics Auctions. Those sale prices might inspire a few less risk averse collectors to open their One on One packages in the hopes of getting a PSA 10.
