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Y ou have come to the end of the box, where the best hit normally resides. You do not know who it is yet, but it does not matter. You know it is going to be something special. As you slide the preceding card to reveal the last card, you catch a glimpse of the patch and see the iconic silhouette of Jerry West. It is the mythical, instantly recognizable and grail-worthy Logoman.
The experience above is a dream for most basketball card collectors. Logoman cards in many ways represent the pinnacle of modern collecting. They have inspired intrigue and collecting frenzies, such as the speculation about the location of the 2003-04 Ultimate Collection vertical Logoman of LeBron James and the pursuit of the triple LeBron Logoman out of 20-21 Panini Flawless, and have captivated collectors to the point that several Logoman cards have commanded seven-figure price tags – like those of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or Anthony Davis. Since they came onto the basketball card scene in the 2002-03 Upper Deck NBA Logo Mania set, these cards have been grails for many collectors due to their checklists, scarcity, recognizability and consistency.
When one considers why Logoman cards are so keenly anticipated each year, you often need not look further than the checklists of the sets they are available in. Although Logoman cards from even the most historic draft busts can fetch a pretty penny (Anthony Bennett’s 1-of-1 Logoman autograph from 2013-14 National Treasures has sold for about $2,700 in recent years), Logoman checklists have featured some of the best All-Star talent and promising rookies over the years.
The 2002-03 Upper Deck Logo Mania set featured three players: Michael Jordan in his final NBA season, the reigning 3-peat champion Kobe Bryant and the number two overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, Jay Williams. 2003-04 Ultimate Collection saw Logoman autographs of top rookies like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade alongside all-time greats like Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Bryant. That year’s inaugural Exquisite Collection issue saw a three-card checklist of dual Logoman cards, including pairings of LeBron with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, and a pairing of Kobe and LeBron (both prep-to-pro phenoms who have changed basketball forever). 2004-05 Exquisite brought dual Logoman cards to bear again, only this time featuring autographs, as well as triple Logoman cards including historic trios such as Yao, Shaq and Tim Duncan and Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. These early sets established a tradition that has continued long beyond 2004-05, with Luka’s 2018-19 National Treasures Rookie Logoman Patch Autograph, the famous Warriors Triple Logoman out of 2020-21 Flawless and the Logoman commemorating three of the best in the modern game in 2022-23 Flawless: the triple LeBron, Giannis and Kevin Durant Logoman.
While there are lesser-known names on many checklists, collectors know that when they see a Logoman patch, chances are it is an all-timer or a great rookie.
“When collectors hear the word ‘Logoman,’ they can usually expect that iconic NBA logo paired with a quality photo of their favorite NBA player, beautiful foiling and potentially an autograph presented vertically or horizontally.”
Scarcity has also helped to drive interest in these striking memorabilia cards. Game-worn Logoman cards rarely exceed ten prints and are very often serialized to five or less. This has helped Logoman cards develop a reputation for being among the rarest cards available for any player from any product year. Many examples are singular prints, adding to the allure of these magnificent cards, and those with autographs are seen by many as the best cards available for a given player each year.
Another feature that plays into the appeal for collectors is recognizability – particularly in the design of the cards as well as the patch itself.
The design of Logoman cards has become a mainstay in the hobby. In an environment increasingly characterized by an ever-more expansive variety of parallels (this year’s Panini Prizm Basketball base cards have more than 50 alone), collectors have come to know and love the handful of designs that are made available each year. When collectors hear the word “Logoman,” they can usually expect that iconic NBA logo paired with a quality photo of their favorite NBA player, beautiful foiling and potentially an autograph presented vertically or horizontally. If one is lucky enough to get a multi-logoman card, collectors can usually expect multiple bold Logoman patches bursting with the striking colors of the logo, photos of a compelling pair or triple and potentially autographs for the dual examples. For a fan of the NBA, what’s not to love?
This recognizability also feeds into another reason collectors love Logoman cards: their consistency. Since their initial release, the NBA trading card hobby has seen many changes. It has seen the acquisition of Fleer/Skybox by Upper Deck, the introduction of the Topps Superfractor, the NBA grant an exclusive trading card license to Panini, the rapid expansion of parallels and the recent market surge in trading cards, plus will soon see another transfer of the exclusive NBA license. Throughout it all, Logoman cards have found a home and have retained the love of basketball card collectors worldwide. It is little wonder that for many, these cards constitute their holy grails.
Sotheby’s and Fanatics Collect are proud to offer several NBA Logoman cards in the partnership’s first live auction, Holy Grails on 24 September 2024, including the incredible Michael Jordan and Julius Erving Dual Logoman Autograph from 2005-06 Exquisite Collection. Make sure you are registered to bid so that you can acquire one of these grails for yourself.
