The list of Michael Jordan cards is vast. But if you’re looking for affordable Michael Jordan cards, that takes some extra work. Here are 25 cool and notable MJs that won’t break the bank.
25 Michael Jordan Cards Under $23
All of the cards on the following have a high book value of less than $23 in the Beckett Price Guide (as of April, 2020).
1989-90 Fleer Stickers Michael Jordan #3
It’s tough finding early Michael Jordan cards from the 1980s that are affordable. Despite being plentiful, the first three Fleer Stickers are on the pricey side now. The 1989-90 Fleer Super Star Sticker is on the more expensive side of this list, but it’s about the best you can do for ’80s MJs.
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1990-91 Hoops Sam Vincent #223
Sorry, Sam Vincent. This card isn’t interesting because of your presence. It’s not even so much that Michael Jordan’s on it, either. It’s the fact that there’s Michael Jordan wearing a #12 jersey. Jordan’s jersey went missing before the Bulls’ Valentine’s Day game in 1990 so a quick fix was needed. This card is a lasting piece of Michael Jordan history.
This card is found in 1990-91 Hoops Series 1 packs. The photo was changed for the later High Series packs. So, technically, it’s a short print compared to most of the other cards in the original run but it’s not close to being rare.
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1990-91 SkyBox Michael Jordan #41
It’s not so much the front that makes the 1990-91 SkyBox Michael Jordan so interesting. It’s the back. This is the first card to show MJ playing his other other sport, golf. The gear, the swing, the footwork — it’s all here, equal parts odd and amazing.
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1991 Upper Deck Baseball Michael Jordan #SP1
1991 Upper Deck Baseball offered a glimpse at a couple of futures. First, was how Jordan would become a central part of their products within a short time. And there’s that whole Jordan playing baseball foreshadowing that would come to fruition. Back in 1991, this was one of the most coveted baseball cards at a time when baseball cards were at their peak. It might not carry the same value, but especially among middle-aged collectors, having one (or 17) is still a badge of honor.
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1991-92 Fleer Pro-Visions Michael Jordan #2
The original space jam. When it comes to early ’90s sports cards, Fleer Pro-Visions were some of the coolest and strangest. Like the similar inserts in 1991 Fleer Baseball, Terry Smith provided the artwork. Easy to find, this is one cool Michael Jordan card that can still be deemed cheap.
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1991-92 Hoops Michael Jordan #579
The 1992 USA Basketball Dream Team is probably the greatest sports team ever assembled. It’s also a testament to how strong the sport was at the time, making Jordan’s dominance all the more impressive. 1991-92 Hoops is one of several places to find Dream Team cards. The elegance and simple shot give it some traditional appeal. For those wanting something similar but with more design flair, Jordan’s in his iconic USA gear in 1991-92 SkyBox (#534) as well.
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1991-92 Upper Deck Michael Jordan #69 AS
If you grew up watching Michael Jordan, you know this jersey. It’s an All-Star classic. More than that, there’s the dynamic photo, the sneakers, Tim Hardaway watching in the background — even if it’s not significant in the bigger cardboard picture, this is just a great card. Period.
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1991-92 Upper Deck Promos Michael Jordan #1
Jordan’s first Upper Deck basketball card offered a glimpse of what was to come. This promo provided a preview of the 1991-92 Upper Deck Basketball design, their debut with the sport. So there’s some history behind it, especially given how the connected the two are still today in the world of sports collectibles. Even without that, the action shot makes this card fantastic.
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1992-93 Topps Archives Michael Jordan #52
1992-93 Topps Archives Basketball plays ‘What If?’, imaging players from their dark years in the sport. It imagines a 1984 Topps Michael Jordan Rookie Card that never was but could have been had they continued with the sport past 1981-82. And while Topps imagines the card, we’re only left imagining what it would cost today.
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1992-93 Upper Deck Michael Jordan #23
Another Upper Deck card, another stellar photograph. There’s a pattern here. Even on the Upper Deck scale of photos, his one is pure hoops majesty. It’s a combination of power and grace, not to mention a lack of gravity.
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1993-94 SkyBox Center Stage Michael Jordan #CS1
Landing 1:12 Series 1 packs, Center Stage isn’t a tough insert set. But even pulling an “easy” Michael Jordan at the dawn of widespread inserts was a thrill. There’s something classy about how this one looks. The background is without color, allowing the image to pop. The speckle foil effect in the name is that little bit extra that makes it great.
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1993-94 Ultra Famous Nicknames Michael Jordan #7
In the history of athlete nicknames, “Air” Jordan is certainly one of the most iconic. It’s definitely the most profitable. This insert brings it together with a funky ’90s design. Famous Nicknames cards fall 1:5 Series 2 packs.
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1993-94 Upper Deck Holojams Michael Jordan #H4
Only 127,800 of these bad boys were made. Part of a hobby-exclusive box set, the combination of big hologram in the background and color photo in the foreground makes for a card that’s simply cool.
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1994 SP Baseball Holoviews Michael Jordan #16
Upper Deck did quite a few Michael Jordan cards to coincide with his try at baseball. Of all of them, this might be the coolest from a technology standpoint. Similar to the Holojams, it’s a combination of regular card and hologram. However, this time, the hologram is more like an accent. It’s kind of like a futuristic spin on 1983 Topps or 1984 Topps Baseball.
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1994 Upper Deck Baseball Michael Jordan RC #19
A Michael Jordan Rookie Card for under $20? Sure, you have to make some concessions, the big one being that it’s baseball and not basketball. It’s part of the 1994 Upper Deck Series 1 checklist.
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1995-96 Finest Michael Jordan #229
Jordan’s first couple of Finest cards are too expensive to qualify for this list. Even the 1995-96 Finest is starting to creep up as more and more of the basketball card market gravitates towards chromium sets.
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1995-96 Fleer Flair Hardwood Leaders Michael Jordan #4
Falling one per pack, even for a more premium product like this, means that 1995-96 Fleer Flair Hardwood Leader cards aren’t hard to come by. They’re also definitely on the affordable side, even for MJ. Still, there’s an elegance to the floor design and subtle gold foil that makes it attractive.
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1995-96 Hoops Top Ten Michael Jordan #AR7
It’s not so much the theme that makes this an interesting Michael Jordan card but rather its look. For some, the pink and purple in the background might be a little much or dated. To others, it provides some pop. That’s definitely the case with the use of foil, particularly the strip running down the side. Top 10 is a smaller insert set of ten cards (of course) with 1:12 odds for Series 1 packs. In a nutshell, a reasonable target when it comes to Michael Jordan cards.
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1995-96 Stadium Club Spike Says Michael Jordan #SS1
If you chart the rise of Michael Jordan the icon, Spike Lee is an important part of the story. His Mars Blackmon series of Nike commercials played a big part in launching the Air Jordan brand even further into the mainstream. Beyond that, Lee is also one of basketball’s biggest celebrity fans. The Oscar winner offers his thoughts on ten stars from the 1995-96 season in this set, leading things off with his former commercial co-star.
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1996 SPx Michael Jordan #8
Upper Deck mastered the use of holograms and trading cards. Usually, they were reserved for inserts. In 1996, the introduction of the SPx brand changed that. Holograms were the new base. At the time, this was an extremely premium set. But if you’re just looking for a base card — and one of the coolest ever as far as Michael Jordan cards go — this one is tough to beat. There’s actually a couple of different holograms in the background. Add in the pop of the photo, nice card stock and impressive die-cut shape, yeah, this is a gorgeous card no matter its value.
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1996 Topps Stars Imagine Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson #I-6
There was a decade between Oscar Robertson retiring and Michael Jordan making his NBA debut. 1996 Topps Stars Imagine plays with time to show the two playing against one another. It’s a fun concept for a cool and affordable insert.
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1997-98 Ultra Star Power Michael Jordan #SP1
Essentially, this is the affordable alternative to two very popular (and expensive) parallels. Star Power Plus are 1:36 Series 2 packs while Star Power Supreme are 1:288. That one is considered to be one of the most valuable Michael Jordan cards of all-time and fetches thousands. This regular version is just 1:4 packs. It brings with it a fun and color cosmic design.
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1997-98 Z-Force Boss Michael Jordan #10
Similar to the Boss inserts found in Circa Baseball, this Michael Jordan gets its name for being embossed. It’s a gimmick, sure, but it gives it something that a lot of cards don’t have much of — texture. Boss cards are 1:6 packs. There’s also a much tougher and more expensive Super Boss parallel that uses a foil background.
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1998-99 Stadium Club Statliners Michael Jordan #S2
This evokes the 1996-97 E-X2000 A Cut Above Michael Jordan but for several thousands of dollars cheaper. It’s not nearly as rare, it doesn’t have quite the same level of flair and very little of A Cut Above’s prestige, but there is the buzz saw-esque die-cut at the top. Okay, so it’s a Gobot to A Cut Above’s Transformer, but did I mention it’s thousands of dollars cheaper? If you’re looking for affordable Michael Jordan cards, sometimes you have to make concessions and accept alternatives for what they are.
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2001-02 Topps Chrome Michael Jordan #95
If you’re going to want a cheap Topps Chrome Michael Jordan card, you’re going to have to be prepared for some Washington Wizards weirdness. Jordan has earlier cards under the popular brand, but they have all seen significant jumps in prices of late. So, going down the line, here we are.
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Great list! I enjoyed reading this.
Another to throw in.. 1995 Upper Deck Baseball #200 w/ Harry Caray
@Chuck – I’m a HUGE fan of that one. It was on a different list of “fun” MJs a while ago: https://www.beckett.com/news/12-cheap-fun-michael-jordan-cards/
Cool list, makes me wanna start picking them off!