After Topps left the basketball card industry following its 1981-82 release, the only licensed NBA cards on the market from 1983 to ’85 came from the Star Company. Star did not produce large quantities of its cards and did not distribute them through the same channels Topps had. Star packaged the cards in clear plastic bags as team sets or complete subsets, rather than including a random assortment of cards from the checklist in wax packs. The company then sent the poly bags to dealers and accepted mail orders from around the country. Further complicating the matter for Michael Jordan collectors is the fact this card laid atop card in Bulls team sets, making it subject to any shifting, stacking, etc. that occurred as employees stocked the cards and consumers handled them. Considering that substandard distribution and packaging, high-grade examples of Star cards rarely surface. So it’s headline news when one such as this outstanding PSA 8 with MBA Silver designation hits the auction block.
Interest in Jordan’s Star rookies ratcheted up in recent years as the collecting community started lending more credence to the early M.J. printings, which were released before His Airness’ 1986 Fleer #57 rookie. And no Star shines brighter than the #101, also known as the Collegiate Record card thanks to the fact it honors his accomplishments at the University of North Carolina. One look at the PSA Pop. report for this card shows why this PSA 8 is particularly lustrous. Only seven of the 400-plus non-Qualified examples of this card assessed by the service have earned a higher grade, largely thanks to the dangers these cards faced upon initial distribution. This copy’s sharp edges and corners and striking red border make it one of the most beautiful examples in existence, ensuring plenty of bidders will be wishing upon this Star that they have what it takes to add such a pivotal Jordan card to their collection.
The certification number on this card has been checked against the third-party grader's online database and is active as of 1/6/2025.
