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Michael Jordan card with Menendez brothers goes up in price
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Michael Jordan card with Menendez brothers goes up in price

The price for the card with convicted murderer brothers has nearly tripled its auction price

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Sometimes the little things can make a sports trading card unique and increase in value over time.

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In the case of a basketball card, a recent docuseries about a pair of brothers saw its value shoot through the roof.

Thirty years after its release, an Upper Deck Michael Jordan card has seen its price explode after collectors noticed the infamous Menendez brothers in the background.

The book in question is Michael Jordan 1994 Upper Deck Rare Air No. 89, which features what appear to be convicted murderers Lyle and Erik Menendez in the background.

The Menendez brother can be seen standing courtside in the background of a 1994 Michael Jordan trading card.
The Menendez brothers can be seen standing courtside in the background of a 1994 Michael Jordan trading card. The upper deck

A similar increase in value occurred with a 1990 Mark Jackson Hoops card in which the two brothers also appear seated in the background.

Interest in the card quickly spread this month after a French collector discovered the brothers watching from the bottom right corner of the card as Jordan shoots against the New York Knicks during a Jan. 15, 1990, game.

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The brothers, who recently returned to the public eye because of the popular Netflix series MONSTERS: The Story of Lyle and Erik Menendezwere arrested for their parents’ murders in March 1990, months after they were shot in August 1989.

The brothers attracted further police attention after the initial investigation by spending their inheritance on lavish items – including tickets to basketball games.

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Due to the appearance of the brothers on the collectible, interest in the card increased.

The card is part of a tribute collection featuring incredible photos of Jordan. According to the Clic collection site, card no. The 89 has been graded by PSA only 68 times, with only 18 earning a PSA 10, the standard for perfect condition.

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According to Card Ladder, two PSA 9 examples sold for $705 and $400 on Saturday, easily beating the previous high of $225 for the card in any condition.

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A PSA 10 rated card sold for just $213 in 2021, and another fetched just $95 on eBay in 2023.

The store also found that nearly half of the sales recorded for the Jordan card occurred in the past two weeks.

The price increase for the Jordan card follows a similar trend for the Jackson card, which saw a PSA 10 card sell for as much as $4,000.

Last week, Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon filed a resentencing petition for the brothers, who are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

If approved, they would be eligible for future release.

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