Rare LeBron James Rookie Card Expected to Sell for $200,000

Sports trading cards gain value over time, so it's unusual for a new item to spark much fervor. Yet a one-of-a-kind LeBron James rookie card is expected to sell at auction for major money.

The collectible is described as "the most valuable and coveted LeBron James card in the world," and bidding on the 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection is already up to $65,000 with less than 12 days remaining. The auction site estimates a winning price of $200,000 or more.

UPDATE: Sunday, Oct. 2, 9:50 a.m. ET by Thomas Duffy

As noted by Victoria Nguyen of theScore, the card sold for $318,500 on Sunday. There were 20 bids.

---End of update---

"It's sorta like finding Willy Wonka's golden ticket," sports memorabilia expert Ken Goldin told Cleveland.com's Joe Noga. "It really is the Holy Grail of modern trading cards."

The collectible is autographed by James and features a game-worn jersey patch. According to Goldin, it's more valuable than the jersey James donned during Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. 

Decades from now, this card could go down as this era's version of the T206 Honus Wagner collectible, which sold for $2.1 million three years ago.

[Goldin Auctions, Joe Noga]