A rare Will Chamberlain rookie card that was discovered last month after languishing in a closet for almost 60 years has sold for a high sum.
Per cllct’s Ben Burrows, the Fleer Wilt Chamberlain SGC 10 card sold privately for $1.7 million in a deal handled by Goldin Auctions. According to Burrows, the card is the only SGC 10 in existence.
It is also the most expensive Chamberlain card of all time.
The rare Chamberlain card and several other old cards were discovered several years ago in the closet of a supermarket store originally operated by the card owner’s family. The card owner took the cards to DK’s Sports Cards in Crosby, Minnesota, for guidance on what to do with them, and they were then taken to SGC to be graded.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
We have privately sold a @sgcgrading 10 Wilt Chamberlain 1961-62 Fleer Rookie Card for $1.7 Million, making it the most expensive Wilt Chamberlain card of ALL-TIME! 🚀📈
Email sell@goldin.co or DM our social accounts if you have the next great collectible that… pic.twitter.com/dHGpRw20Qg
— Goldin (@GoldinCo) September 4, 2024
Per Burrows, GC President Peter Steinberg enthused over the condition of the Chamberlain card.
“Just pound-for-pound, I feel very comfortable saying this is the best Wilt rookie on the planet,” Steinberg said in August. “There’s no space for improvement. If you asked me what could make it even better, I don’t have that response.”
The previous highest price paid for a Chamberlain rookie card was $670,000 for a PSA 9 graded card in 2022. The card sold this week is also the highest sum ever paid for a vintage basketball card of any kind.
