Top 7 Hall of Fame Cards in PSA Vault's Super Bowl Spotlight Auction
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As we’ve highlighted in recent coverage, the current PSA Vault Super Bowl Spotlight Auction on eBay isn’t just about one headline lot, but exploring a curated snapshot of greatness across sports and pop culture. Alongside personal cards from the collections of Tom Brady, Peyton and Eli Manning, a treasure trove of Tyrese Maxey grails, and the iconic 1999 Pokémon Mewtwo, the auction also features rare cards tied to some of the most decorated athletes of all time.
Let’s take a look at some of the athletes and their iconic cards collectors are chasing during the auction, which ends on February 7, with auctions closing every minute from 5:00 to 6:00 pm PT.
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Michael Jordan: An Epic Anniversary Patch Auto
Jordan’s résumé almost reads like a hobby checklist: six NBA championships, six Finals MVPs, five regular-season MVPs, ten scoring titles, and nine All-Defensive First Team selections. Plus, he boasts the highest career scoring average in NBA history at 30.1 points per game.
Jordan is one of very few athletes to own an NCAA championship, NBA championships, and Olympic gold medals (two of them, one in 1984 and the other with the 1992 Dream Team). A rare Jordan patch auto is a crown jewel to any collection, especially one celebrating the 50th anniversary of the NBA.
Wayne Gretzky: A Great Rookie of the Great One
Gretzky holds or shares 60 NHL records, including most assists (1,963) and most points (2,857). He previously held the most goals record at 894 until he was surpassed by Alexander Ovechkin this season. The classic mind-bender: if you removed every goal he ever scored, he would still be the NHL’s all-time points leader on assists alone.
Gretzky posted four seasons with 200+ points and won 10 scoring titles by an average margin of 49 points. Any high-end Gretzky card isn’t just a star card, it’s a physical artifact of statistical absurdity. His O-Pee-Chee rookie is a rare and coveted card for any hockey collector, ensuring the bidding will be fast and furious.
Mickey Mantle: A Mint Card of The Mick
Mantle crushed 536 career home runs and remains the only player ever to hit 150+ homers from each side of the plate. He batted .300 or better in ten seasons despite playing most of his career on damaged knees.
A fun contrast to his tape-measure-shot reputation: Mantle grounded into double plays at an extremely low rate and recorded 80 career bunt singles. He wasn’t just power—he was a complete offensive weapon. And while any Mantle card would be an impressive addition to the collection, a 1966 PSA 9 Mantle is an impressive grade for a card that’s 60 years old.
Dan Marino: A Perfect 10
In 1984, Marino became the first quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a season (5,084) and set a then-record with 48 touchdown passes—numbers that looked futuristic at the time.
When he retired, he held career records for passing yards (61,361) and touchdowns (420) and was the first QB to cross 400 TDs. His key rookies now read like the blueprint for today’s pass-heavy era. His rookie card is notoriously tough to get a top grade, so fans of the Dolphin legend will certainly drive bidding up to secure this PSA 10.
Bird, Magic and Dr. J: A Collector’s Grail
One of the most unique rookie cards ever produced: a perforated three-panel card featuring Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving on the same piece of cardboard.
Bird and Magic went on to win eight combined championships and six MVPs in the 1980s, while their rivalry pulled the NBA into the modern television age. This single card essentially captures the league’s turning point. Nabbing this PSA 9 copy would be the centerpiece of any basketball card collection, so expect bidding to finish strong.
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Bidding Closes Soon
Put together, these cards reinforce what makes the PSA Super Bowl Spotlight Auction special: it isn’t just premium; it’s legendary. You get modern megastars, vintage icons, crossover pop-culture pieces, and player-owned collections all under one roof. For collectors, it’s a reminder that this auction isn’t about a single chase—it’s about seeing greatness, across generations, in one place.
Lucas Mast is a writer based in California’s Bay Area, where he’s a season ticket holder for St. Mary’s basketball and a die-hard Stanford athletics fan. A lifelong collector of sneakers, sports cards, and pop culture, he also advises companies shaping the future of the hobby and sports. He’s driven by a curiosity about why people collect—and what those items reveal about the moments and memories that matter most.
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