Three matching auction titles can still contain different timing, provenance and transaction terms. Record those differences before calling them comps.
Put this guide to work
Use the details you have confirmed to research your card. Leave uncertain fields unconfirmed.
Research your card →The research question and the sample
This review examines three publicly reported Heritage Auctions results for the 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan #57 graded PSA NM-MT 8. The pages were checked on November 4, 2026. We selected these records to demonstrate evidence checking across three 2026 auction dates, not as a complete or random sample of the market. No live pricing API was used.
The scope is deliberately narrow: an already graded single card with this issue and grade. These results do not value an ungraded copy, a Fleer sticker, an altered card, another grading company’s 8, or a PSA 10. We verified the public lot descriptions and displayed results; we did not inspect physical cards, authenticate them, or independently confirm settlement.
April 3: lot 81162, reported result $11,895
Heritage’s auction 50084 lists lot 81162 as sold on April 3, 2026 for $11,895. The title identifies the card and PSA NM-MT 8 grade. The description also identifies the Fred Couples collection as provenance. That makes this record more than a grade-and-price pair.
Our editorial decision is to flag this record as historical context with a provenance difference. The page does not quantify whether that provenance affected bidding. It would be unjustified either to invent a premium or to assert that the association had no effect.
June 27: lot 57519, reported result $18,910
Heritage’s auction 70027 reports lot 57519 sold on June 27, 2026 for $18,910. The title again identifies the 1986 Fleer #57 and PSA NM-MT 8. We recorded the reported sold amount, not an opening bid or an active asking price.
This is a separate dated observation, not proof that every PSA 8 copy was worth the same amount that day. A numeric grade groups cards; it does not establish identical centering, eye appeal, holder presentation or bidder interest. We did not score those visual differences from the description.
September 18: lot 80845, reported result $19,520
Heritage’s auction 50090 reports lot 80845 sold on September 18, 2026 for $19,520, with the same issue and numeric grade in the title. This is the most recent record in our selected sample, not necessarily the most recent sale in the market.
As of our November 4 check, even this record is historical. Before making a current decision, look for newer completed sales and read each lot rather than substituting the newest result here for a current quote.
Keep the price basis visible
Each linked page lists a 22% buyer’s premium. We preserve the displayed “sold for” amounts as reported by Heritage. We have not reconstructed hammer bids or calculated an all-in delivered cost. Read the auction terms before comparing these figures with a platform that displays item price alone.
A buyer’s premium is not the seller’s commission. Nor do the reported amounts establish seller proceeds after fees, shipping, insurance or taxes. Adding another 22% to a reported amount without establishing its basis could double count a charge. Keep those distinctions explicit in a research worksheet.
Why we do not publish a current appraisal from these three records
The selected records span April through September, come from one venue, and include a provenance caveat. Their displayed amounts run from $11,895 to $19,520, but that span is a description of these selected records—not a current valuation interval. It would hide material differences to label their median as the value of your card.
If we keep the April provenance record outside a tighter comparison, only two observations remain. Our worksheet requires at least three included valid records for a summary. We therefore leave the appraisal unresolved, rather than lower the evidence standard to produce a number. A large historical dataset is not automatically a good current sample.
Apply the audit to your own card
Start with the label on your actual holder. Record the company, numeric grade, any qualifier, certification number and exact issue. Confirm the certification record and compare holder details; a valid number alone does not prove another object is genuine.
Find multiple recent records from more than one venue when available. Save sale dates, reported amounts, premium treatment and source URLs. Note provenance and repeated certification numbers. If two records describe the same copy, keep that link visible rather than assuming two independent cards. We have not independently deduplicated these three physical copies by certification number.
Finally, write an inclusion reason for every record and an exclusion reason for every mismatch. Our contribution here is the documented selection and its limits. The linked auction houses supply the reported transactions; we supply the comparison process.
Build and export your own sales worksheet →
FAQ
Are these invented teaching prices?
No. These are displayed historical results from the three linked Heritage lot pages, checked November 4, 2026. They are separate from the fictional arithmetic examples in our tools guide.
Can I use $19,520 as today’s value?
No. That figure is one reported September 18 result for a specific graded copy. It is not a live quote or a guaranteed sale outcome.