Wilt Chamberlain Rookie Card Sells for Record-Breaking $1.7 Million
Wilt Chamberlain Rookie Card Sells for Record $1.7 Million
A 1961-62 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain rookie card recently sold for $1.7 million in a private deal brokered by Goldin Auctions, setting a new record for the most money ever paid for a vintage (pre-1980) basketball card. The previous record was held by a 1980-81 Topps Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rookie card, which sold for $840,000 in August 2021, also through Goldin.
The Chamberlain card, which sat in a grocery store closet in Crosby, Minnesota, for over 60 years, was discovered by a family member of the store’s owners, according to a press release.
In addition to the rookie card, Chamberlain’s 1959-60 photo-matched, rookie-season-home-white jersey also set a record for the most expensive vintage basketball item. It sold for $1.792 million at SCP Auctions in June 2023.
