1984-85 Star Jordan XRC 101 Manipulation

[ezez420]

I wanted to get some takes on the 1984-85 Star Jordan Card XRC 101. Maybe there is a clear reason, but it seems that the market for this card is being extremely manipulated to an almost ridiculous point. I have never seen a card go from a few thousand a year ago, to <$7000 in December 2015 to almost $20000 in April 2016. I am referring to the Beckett 8.5s out there. There are plenty of these out there. Although Jordan is the best of all time this card is from 1984, highly counterfeited and does not go up 3 fold in a 4 month span. This is not a high end Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle Rookie.

[Bored5000]

You may be right that the surge in prices of the Jordan Star 101 is just price manipulation (or a PWCC phenomenon). I know the shilling/price manipulation charge has been leveled against the stratospheric rise in prices of some of the rare '90s Jordan inserts from a few years ago.

But I also think the prices of the Star 101 are finally catching up to where they should be relative to how "rare" that card is. I know the card is not rare compared to most pre-war cards, but that is still an iconic card, debatedly his true rookie card. It doesn't sell anywhere close to prices of high grade iconic cards of Ruth and Mantle. PSA alone has graded nearly three time as many '52T Mantles as total Jordan Star 101s have been graded, and look what has happened to the prices of '52T Mantles over the past 2-3 years.

IMO, the Jordan Star 101 has moved more to where is should be price-wise compared to his 86 Fleer card. PSA alone has graded over 14,000 'Jordan '86 Fleers (including 233 PSA 10s) compared to 452 total Jordan Star 101s graded by Beckett.

To me, the really crazy thing is that the 1997 Topps refractor reprints of the Jordan Star 101 card routinely sell for $200-250 at auction.

I get the point you are making. It is kind of amazing where the Jordan Star 101 has gone lately price wise. It may indeed all be manipulation. But the sold listings at $12-14,000 on eBay in recent months for 8.5s have all been BINs. I dunno, maybe the auction price for that card really is $20K right now in a Beckett 8.5.

[JustinD]

These to me are waiting for a crash, but I feel the misinformation out there on the later printings has finally died and this is now recognized by collectors as Jordan's true RC and not a silly XRC.

Even in a crash situation I do not see any graded nice examples dropping below 2500 ever again. However breaking the 10k barrier is unsustainable.

If you have one, sell it now and replace in 3 years.

[mmier118]

I feel that the card is finally catching up to what people are willing to pay. I have one, and at these prices I'm not even close to being interested in selling. I view this card as my generations 1952 mantle. It had been described as a "unicorn" in the 90's. I remember the first time I saw one and was amazed. It was an $800 card in the 90's when I first saw it and I think it got as high as $2500 or so back then. It got beat up when the Shop at Home scandal broke and is just now regaining it's footing as Jordan's premier rookie card. I'm sure that a large majority of the population is tucked away without the intent of ever coming to market again, that's why it is taking higher and higher prices to pull them out of peoples collections. Is it a bubble? Who knows, but I'd rather ride the wave down then bet I can replace my Star 101 Jordan cheaper than they are now in 3 years.

When I got back into collecting the two big ticket cards I really wanted were a 1933 Goudey Ruth and the Star 101 Jordan. I'm sure there are other "kids of the 90's" that are getting back into collecting cards and that these two will be high up on the list of premier cards to obtain.

[Peter_Spaeth]

How does this get a 9 grade on corners?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1984-85-STAR...3D172170036737

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by JustinD

These to me are waiting for a crash, but I feel the misinformation out there on the later printings has finally died and this is now recognized by collectors as Jordan's true RC and not a silly XRC.

Even in a crash situation I do not see any graded nice examples dropping below 2500 ever again. However breaking the 10k barrier is unsustainable.

If you have one, sell it now and replace in 3 years.

That PSA refuses to grade them says something, no?

[HRBAKER]

This generation's Mickey Mantle?
Maybe but STAR is not Topps and basketball is not baseball.
Jordan is Mantlesque though, maybe more than Mantle.

[Peter_Spaeth]

The 101 is also not an attractive card IMO -- Jordan's face is a blur really. I don't see how these values last if the major grading service won't even touch it.