The Allen Iverson card market just hit an all-time high, after a new record sale that smashed the previous high.
The record-setting card is an elusive 1997 SkyBox E-X2001 Essential Credentials Now parallel.
Image: ha.com
Only 3 numbered copies of the card exist, and the sale was for one graded a 5 by PSA. It was auctioned via Heritage Auctions and bidding finished at $701,500.
Iverson’s previous record (for a solo card) was for a 1-of-1 2016-17 Panini National Treasures Logoman Autograph, which sold for $79,200 in 2021.
A 1-of-1 2007-08 UD Exquisite Collection triple Logoman card, featuring Iverson alongside Kobe Bryant and Stephon Marbury, sold for $146,400 in 2022.
Image: goldin.co
The ‘97 Essential Credentials Now Iverson parallel had never been publicly sold before, making this auction the first time one of the three copies surfaced in over 25 years. Adding to the intrigue, the card was submitted raw at the Toronto Card Show just a few months ago, only to be slabbed and then rewritten into hobby history.
The Significance Of The Essential Credentials Now Parallel
1997 SkyBox’s Essential Credentials cards were some of the most innovative parallel ever created, and they remain beloved today.
They were divided into two variations—”Future” and “Now”—with a unique serial-numbering system that corresponded to a player’s position in the checklist.
Iverson’s card is No. 3 in the set, meaning just three copies of his “Now” parallel exist. In contrast, his “Future” version has a print run of 78, making it significantly more common.
The ultra-limited nature of Iverson’s “Now” parallel, coupled with the stunning foil-acetate design, makes them some of the most coveted Allen Iverson cards ever released.
A Trend Of Big Sales
Iverson’s landmark sale is part of a larger trend of recent high-prices for the parallels. In January, a Dennis Rodman “Now” parallel (#5/5, PSA 8) fetched $219,600—his highest-selling card to date.
Meanwhile, Goldin Auctions is currently auctioning Kobe Bryant’s “Now” parallel (#8/8), which is another that’s being auctioned for the first time ever, and is currently bidding well-over $300k, with over 2 weeks left.
Michael Jordan’s “Future” parallel, limited to 72 copies, once sold for nearly $200,000, while his ultra-rare “Now” version has not been publicly seen since 2016, when a BGS 9/9 sold for just over $50,000. If that card reappeared today, it would likely command seven figures.
Even uncut sheets from the set are fetching big sums—one featuring Jordan, Bryant, and Iverson sold for more than $115,900 in September.
