Wilt Chamberlain Card Sells for Record $1.7M at Auction After Grocery Store Discovery

A rare Will Chamberlain rookie card that was discovered last month after sitting in a closet for over 60 years has sold for a hefty price.

Per cllct's Ben Burrows, the Fleer Wilt Chamberlain SGC 10 card sold privately for $1.7 million in a deal brokered 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 vintage cards were discovered several years ago in the closet of a grocery store once operated by the card owner's family. The card owner took the cards to DK's Sports Cards in Crosby, Minnesota, for advice on what to do with them, and they were then taken to SGC to be graded.

Per Burrows, GC President Peter Steinberg raved about 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 room for improvement. If you asked me what could make it even better, I don't have that answer."

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 price ever paid for a vintage basketball card of any kind.