1997 Metal Universe Michael Jordan #23
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Card Information
Although selling in the $250-$350 range is nothing to scoff at, this card officially arrived on the mainstream hobby radar in late February 2019, when prices seemingly doubled overnight. That's because hobby legend Nat Turner won a copy of its PMG green/10 parallel for $350,100 in a highly publicized eBay auction that ended on February 20, 2019. Collectors scrambled to get their hands on the PMG green's more affordable variation--the base card. Unlike its raw counterpart, the PSA 10 copy of the 1997-98 Metal Universe #23 Michael Jordan base card never retreated from its peak value, holding steady in the $700-$800 range for the duration of 2019 and into early 2020. Surely part of the explanation lies in the limited population report: a mere 87 PSA 10s. The weekend after it was announced that "The Last Dance"--a 10-part ESPN documentary series focusing on the 1997-98 Bulls championship season--would debut on April 19, filling the airwaves with MJ nostalgia for a month while professional sports remained on an indefinite COVID-19-imposed hiatus--the value of the PSA 10 tripled, with a flurry of three sales ranging from $2,000-$2,500 over a span of four days.
Set Information
1997-98 Metal Universe basketball received lukewarm feedback upon release. But things sure have changed over the past few decades. Sticking to the trend of unusual and innovative base set designs that characterizes the mid-late 90s, the base cards feature a cropped action shot set against an intricate, cartoonish etched foil backdrop. It seems silly to think of these cards as "base" cards; each card in the 125-card set boasts meticulous, unique design aesthetics. At the time of release, packs retailed for $2.49 and contained 9 cards. Those packs contained hobby gold: collectors could pull the elusive PMG red and green parallels, gorgeous matrix-etched Platinum Portraits inserts, and other coveted chase cards. Be sure not to confuse this set with its sister product, 1997-98 Metal Universe Championship, which has its own unique place atop the 90s set hierarchy.