The Michael Jordan Spanish Rookie Card is one of the lesser-known Michael Jordan cards and often referred to as 'The Absolutely True International Rookie Card.' This card was only printed and distributed in Spain in two different back colors, red and blue. The blue back version is much rarer and valuable than the red one. If you want to know the story behind the two color versions, rarity, estimated population, and why the value of these cards will increase exponentially over the years, check out this article.
1985 1986 MICHAEL JORDAN SPANISH ROOKIE CARD TRUE INTERNATIONAL ROOKIE
This card was released in 1985 for the Merchante Album "Campeonato Baloncesto Liga 85-86" (which you can find more information about by clicking the link provided. CLICK THE LINK). The year 1984 was a turning point for basketball in Spain, as the Spanish basketball team made it to the Basketball Olympic Los Angeles 1984 finals against the USA, ultimately losing in a vibrant match 96-65.
The 1984 USA National Basketball team featured many amazing young and rookie players, including Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing, as well as Steve Alford, Vern Fleming, Joe Kleine, Jon Koncak, Chris Mullin, Sam Perkins, Alvin Robertson, Jeff Turner, Leon Wood, and Wayman Tisdale.
THE IMAGE OF THE MICHAEL JORDAN SPANISH ROOKIE CARD 1985 1986
The image on the Michael Jordan Rookie Card 1985 Spanish Merchante displays Jordan during the final game against Spain on August 10th, 1984. This was prior to his debut with the Chicago Bulls on October 26th of that same year.
In the image, Jordan can be seen on his back wearing the number 9 USA National Team t-shirt, scoring while being defended by an unidentified Spanish player, possibly Antonio Martin. The image is bordered with blue stars in a super retro 80s style.
MICHAEL JORDAN TRUE ROOKIE CARD 1985. VALUE FACT 1
Collectors around the world recognize Fleer 1986 Michael Jordan card as the Rookie card, even though other cards were released before 1986. This is because Fleer 1986 was the first set of cards released in all USA territories and distributed randomly in wax packs that included a Michael Jordan Trading Card. Previous American Michael Jordan cards were either promotional or part of a whole set.
However, Merchante 1985 Michael Jordan Rookie Card is considered the first true Rookie Card internationally. Although it was not released in USA territories, it was released in all Spanish regions randomly in wax packs between 1985-1986. The Merchante 173 Michael Jordan Card is a real rookie card, and most experienced collectors are aware of its existence. However, many new collectors and investors who have entered basketball, soccer, and other international sports during the last year may not be aware of this card. This article would help them, and experienced collectors, to better understand the real value of this card.
The image displayed on the card most likely shows the same moment but from a different angle. The Spanish player attempting to block appears to be Fernando Martin.
VARIATIONS OF THE SPANISH MICHAEL JORDAN ROOKIE CARD BLUE AND RED. VALUE FACT 2
This card comes in two variations: the RED CLESA and the BLUE LETONA. I wrote an article on the Merchante Albums that explains the history of these brands (Click HERE to read it). CLESA is a Spanish company that produces milk and dairy products, and they sponsored the cards in the Merchante 84-85 album. In 1978, CLESA bought LETONA, a brand from Catalonia that had an influence in just two Mediterranean Spanish regions, not the entire country. Sponsoring the album was a way of creating brand awareness, so they decided to release two versions of the same album since both CLESA and LETONA sponsored a first-division basketball team in the Spanish league, CLESA FERROL, and CACAOLAT GRANOLLERS. One Basketball album Sponsored by CLESA was released in 17 regions of Spain, and another one sponsored by LETONA was released in just three Mediterranean regions of Spain.
This is why there are two versions of the Michael Jordan Rookie Card: the RED and the BLUE. The BLUE LETONA back Michael Jordan Rookie Card is particularly scarce because it was only released in three territories, as opposed to 17 territories for the RED CLESA one. Aside from the color variations, the cards are absolutely identical in each collection.
MICHAEL JORDAN SPANISH ROOKIE CARD 173 MERCHANTE IS RARE AND VERY SCARCE. VALUE FACT 3
The Spanish Michael Jordan Rookie Card is considered to be one of the rarest Michael Jordan cards in existence, with only a handful having been sold in the market over the last few years. It's important to note that the BLUE back version of the card is three times rarer than the RED one.
As mentioned in the article about Merchante Albums (click here to read it), basketball wasn't a popular sport in Spain until 1984. Soccer was, and still is, the most popular sport for collecting albums and memorabilia. Therefore, 1985 basketball albums are extremely scarce as not many children were collecting basketball cards during that time. Consequently, the printed quantities of these cards were very low.
Another reason for their scarcity is that these cards were designed to be glued into albums, so 99% of the available cards are glue-stuck since they are made of cardboard and not stickers. In Spain, there were no folders available to keep the cards until the appearance of Upper Deck in the '90s. We collected cards by sticking them to albums, which is why most unstuck cards have worn corners and edges. Boys used to keep them in their pockets to exchange them during school time.
Finding an unstuck card is a quest, and although some appear for sale on eBay from time to time, finding one in investment quality is almost impossible.
EXTREMELY LOW POPULATION. VALUE FACT 4
The Graded population for these cards is:
PSA
|
ATH
|
1
|
1.5
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
TOT
|
|||
|
173
|
M. Jordan
Blue Back
|
Grade
+
Q
|
1
–
–
|
0
–
0
|
–
0
0
|
1
0
0
|
1
0
0
|
3
0
0
|
1
0
3
|
4
0
3
|
2
0
3
|
4
1
0
|
0
–
0
|
0
–
–
|
17
1
9
|
|
173
|
M. Jordan
Red Back
|
Grade
+
Q
|
4
–
–
|
2
–
1
|
–
0
0
|
6
1
1
|
4
0
0
|
8
1
1
|
8
0
0
|
14
0
2
|
9
1
2
|
6
0
4
|
5
–
0
|
0
–
–
|
66
3
11
|
BLUE 27, RED 80 ratio 2.96, 1 Blue for every 3 Red
BGS
There is just one RED CLESA BGS 9 graded but it does no appear in the Pop Report.
SGC
There is just one RED CLESA SGC 4 graded
Total graded population of this card is 108. When compared to the Fleer 1986 Michael Jordan Rookie Card population, which has 20068 PSA, 11533 BGS, and 1220 SGC, it becomes clear how rare and scarce these cards are. The ratio is 304 Fleer for each Merchante and 1262 Fleer for each Merchante Blue Back.
I hope this information has given you a better idea of the value and scarcity of this card. As I mentioned earlier, I believe these cards will become more valuable as investments in the coming years. Keep an eye out for these rare cards as they may be one of the most profitable investments in your collection.
If you are interested in purchasing this card, please visit our item for sale by clicking HERE. If the item is not available, please send us a message, and we will contact you as soon as one becomes available in the market.
PRICE EVOLUTION. VALUE FACT 5
Last Sales of Graded Michael Jordan Spanish Rookie 1985 Merchante Cards are:
BLUE LETONA VERSION:
- 03/09/2021 PSA 7 (MC) $15000
- 01/23/2021 PSA 6 (MC) $8500
- 01/14/2021 PSA 5 (MC) $6100
- 06/01/2020 PSA 8 $6854
- 09/19/2019 PSA 6 $1124
- 05/07/2018 PSA 7 (MC) $819
- 02/12/2015 PSA 8.5 $2075
RED CLESA VERSION
- 5/20/2021 PSA 5 $3,653.00
- 3/24/2021 PSA 6 $5,101.00
- 3/23/2021 PSA 7 $15,000.00
- 3/16/2021 PSA 4 $4,900.00
- 2/24/2021 PSA 6 $11,511.00
- 2/07/2021 PSA 4 $5,999.00
- 8/30/2020 PSA 5 $1,999.00
- 6/1/2020 PSA 4.5 $820.00
- 9/19/2019 PSA 8 $2,151.26
- 7/24/2019 PSA 9 $6,988.88
- 7/24/2019 PSA 7 $1,191.00
- 7/5/2019 PSA 8 $1,999.00
- 11/28/2018 PSA 9 $6,099.00
As you can see, the blue version of this card is highly appreciated among veteran collectors, and its value has significantly increased in just six months. In fact, a PSA 5 (MC) has achieved the same price as a PSA 8 six months prior. With the start of the 2021 NBA season, classic rookie cards, especially Michael Jordan's, have significantly increased in value. As more people become aware of these Spanish rookie cards, I anticipate more interest from the market. If more PSA graded Blue rookie cards become available, we can expect prices around PSA 6 for $10,000-$12,500, PSA 7 for $16,000-$20,000, and PSA 8 for $27,000-$32,000 or even more.
I am confident that as more collectors from around the world discover these cards, they will realize how undervalued they are considering their rarity and scarcity. Please take a look at the special article about the Michael Jordan 1986 Spanish rookie Merchante Card, another gem to be appreciated.
We will be adding new cards to our shop soon. If you are interested in any of these Spanish cards, please feel free to contact us.
Fantastic information! I feel as though I lived through that era in Spain after reading that detailed article about these Michael Jordan masterpieces!! 🍻
Thank you Jose! These cards deserve to be known and valued. There are hidden gems, obviously collectors know their existence but are extremely undervalued for the time being. Vintage is always the most secure investment. Investing in a vintage rookie card with lower population than any of the actual limited editions of the new cards, is a great idea.