The $3,120,000 sale of a Luka Doncic trading card at PWCC Marketplace on Thursday night sets a new all-time record for a basketball card sold at a public auction.
The card that set the record is the 2018 National Treasures Luka Doncic Rookie NBA Logoman Patch Auto 1-of-1 card, which was making its auction debut.
The record does not include reported private sales. This card reportedly changed hands in a private sale in 2021 for $4.6 million – but this PWCC auction was the first time the public had the opportunity to organically set a price on the open market.
“This is the highest price ever realized for a basketball card sold in a verified public auction,” said Jesse Craig, Vice President of Sales at PWCC Marketplace.
“When this card went to the block, we purposefully avoided speculation on a price because this was an important moment for the market to decide on the value of Luka’s best trading card. The card stood on its own merits, and the market placed it where it belongs. If you include private sales, Luka now sits between the high sales for LeBron and Jordan. The market confirmed Luka is in rare air in terms of collectability with this sale.”
Here’s where the auction places Luka in the pantheon of trading card sales:
- It is the highest price ever paid for a basketball card at a public auction.
- It is tied for 7th most expensive trading card ever sold at a public auction.
- It is tied for the 14th most expensive trading card ever sold in a public auction or reported a private sale.
- It is the most expensive basketball trading card sold this year – public or private.
- It is the first time ANY Luka Doncic card has ever sold for more than $1 million in a public sale.
- It is the second highest price ever paid for a Luka Doncic card — second only to the reported private sale of this card for $4.6 million in 2021.
- It is the third-highest price ever paid for a basketball card in either a public auction or reported private sale.
- Luka now holds two of the top three sales numbers for a basketball trading card EVER – be it a public or private sale. LeBron James is #1, and Michael Jordan is #4.
The all-time record for a basketball trading card is $5,200,000. It was set by a 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Gold Rookie Parallels LeBron James trading card numbered to just 23 copies.
The card was sold in April 2021 in a private sale brokered by PWCC.
NOTE: The above stats DO NOT include private fractional purchases that result in valuations as opposed to sales numbers.
Featured Image: PWCC Marketplace
