If 2025 proved anything, it’s that the top end of the hobby isn’t “having a moment.” It’s establishing a new baseline.

We watched seven-figure cards transact with real consistency, not just one-off headline sales, but a steady rhythm of demand at the absolute highest tier. In late December alone, a Michael Jordan/Kobe Bryant 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection All NBA Access Pass Patch 1/1 (PSA 6) brought $3.172 million, and a Shohei Ohtani 2025 Topps Chrome Gold Logoman Autograph 1/1 hit $3 million. Then in mid-August, the market set a new ceiling: the Jordan/Bryant 2007 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Dual Logoman Autograph 1/1 (PSA 6) sold for $12.932 million — the biggest sports card sale ever recorded, surpassing the $12.6 million 1952 Topps Mantle (SGC 9.5) from 2022.

That’s not a fluke. That’s a signal.

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