Podcast Summary

Podcast: Pablo Torre Finds Out
Episode: 23 and Me: Our Worldwide Hunt for the Missing, Million-Dollar Jordan Rookie Cards
Date: June 25, 2024
Host: Pablo Torre
Key Correspondents: Bradley Campbell
Main Theme: The global mystery of the fate of the nine missing, autographed Michael Jordan “Hunt for 23” rookie cards

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the legendary world of sports card collecting, centering on the hunt for the notorious nine missing autographed Michael Jordan rookie cards from Upper Deck’s "Hunt for 23" promotion. Pablo Torre and correspondent Bradley Campbell embark on a talkumentary adventure that uncovers childhood nostalgia, black market counterfeits, and the transformation of sports cards into high-value assets. The story covers continents, includes the perspectives of collectors, industry insiders, and even a former armored car robber, providing a rich investigation into sports memorabilia, scarcity, and obsession.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Power of Cardboard Nostalgia (03:01–06:31)

• Sports Cards as Cultural Artifacts

  • Both Pablo and Bradley reminisce about their personal obsessions with sports cards growing up.
  • Pablo: “A pack of cards was not just a mystery box. It was also my way of feeling connected to the athletes that I loved.” (01:05)
  • The sacred status of the Michael Jordan rookie card, described by both as almost mystical in its allure.
  • Trauma: Pablo recalls the childhood experience of having his Michael Jordan card collection stolen on the playground. (04:36)

• The Michael Jordan Rookie Card

  • Description: Iconic image of Jordan flying mid-air, tongue out, the card exuding Americana and sporting mythos.
  • “The empire of Michael Jordan began here. This card.” – Pablo (06:09)
  • Transition from childhood collectables to modern assets worth millions.

The Hunt for 23: Manufactured Scarcity and Value (07:49–10:29)

• Upper Deck’s Promotion
  • Upper Deck buys back 23 original Fleer rookie cards, has Michael Jordan sign them, and introduces them into packs as highly coveted golden ticket redemptions.
  • The signed card’s value: “Went for over $1 million. That was in 2022, the most money anyone had ever paid for one of those 23 rookie cards.” – Bradley (08:43)
  • The exclusivity is artificially enforced: Upper Deck contracts MJ never to sign another rookie card.
• The Mystery Emerges
  • Only 14 of 23 are accounted for; 9 are missing and unaccounted for in collector circles (09:13–09:43).
  • The episode launches a worldwide search for these missing cards.

The Search Begins: Dead Ends and Global Investigations (10:29–17:28)

• Stonewalling by Upper Deck
  • Bradley describes unreturned calls, emails, and persistent radio silence from the company.
  • “It feels outright suspicious to me.” – Pablo (11:14)
• The Origins of Upper Deck
  • A quick dive into Upper Deck’s rise, their exclusive relationship with Michael Jordan, acquisition of Fleer, and their role in creating both authenticity and scarcity in the hobby (11:33–14:22).

Chasing Leads Across Continents

Australia: The Collector’s Detective (15:03–17:28)

• Interview with Matt Cassidy (Jordancards.com)
  • Cassidy has also contacted Upper Deck about the missing cards, receiving only silence.
  • Main theory: Upper Deck may still hold the missing cards in a vault, but won’t disclose policy on unredeemed million-dollar collectibles (16:47).
• Quote: “I even just asked... what's your policy on unredeemed collectibles like this... and they just said, 'We don't comment on that.' So I reckon that means they probably still got them.” – Matt Cassidy (17:06)

Belgium: A Winner’s Tale (17:41–19:52)

• Interview with Ivan Weddington
  • Ivan recounts redeeming one of the golden tickets, describing the excitement of receiving an autographed MJ rookie card and filming the unboxing.
  • “It is the autographed Michael Jordan Fleer rookie card. The one and only. It's got a hologram on the back to authenticate it. It's autographed in blue ink.” – Ivan (19:29)

The Counterfeit Epidemic & Armored Car Robberies (21:12–27:10)

• The Fake Card in Studio
  • Twist: Bradley reveals the Jordan rookie card he brought in is a $10 counterfeit.
  • “It's pixelated as hell. It's like a reprint...” – Bradley (20:57)
  • Counterfeiting origins: Story of Anthony Curcio, a former football player turned notorious armored car robber, whose associate mass-produced and sold fake Jordan rookies with fake authentication (23:53–25:15).
  • Printing plate rumor: The original plates for the Jordan rookie may have been used (26:01–26:27).

Two Mysteries: Missing Cards & Printing Plates (27:02–33:49)

• Boom in Card Values

  • COVID lockdowns and the popularity of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” led to a new collectibles gold rush, with everyone digging for potential treasure (27:45–28:26).
  • Heartbreaking stories of collectors discovering they inadvertently ruined their MJ rookies as children (31:38–32:09).

• Where Did the Nine Cards Go?

  • Bradley hits a wall with Upper Deck and is on the verge of giving up, until recommended to find Chris Carlin, a longtime Upper Deck employee, at a Toronto card show (33:14–36:22).

Breakthrough in Toronto: The Real Fate of the Missing Nine (37:15–41:36)

• Interview with Chris Carlin (Upper Deck veteran)
  • Carlin reveals that all 23 redemption cards were “distributed,” but not all were redeemed directly—Upper Deck’s policy required all prizes to be given away and not kept by company employees.
  • The workaround: The remaining unclaimed cards were sent to kids who wrote letters, entering alternative sweepstakes after the main “Hunt for 23” promotion ended.
  • Quote: “These seven-figure fortunes were just mailed out to kids?... By envelope because they wrote a letter.” – Pablo (41:36)
  • Many of the nine “missing” cards are likely in private hands, ungraded, probably residing in binders, and their owners may not even realize their value.

Epilogue: Counterfeits, Market Movements & Print Plate Lore (42:10–45:27)

• Counterfeits persist, but genuine cards hold insane value.
• Chris Carlin speculates that the original printing plates may have been thrown out when Upper Deck bought Fleer, so “if someone was dumpster diving, they might have got lucky” (43:57).
• Pablo realizes the original Jordan rookie may never be truly scarce due to counterfeiting and print plate rumors.
• Bradley “makes amends” by buying Pablo a new pack to open, ending the episode back in nostalgia (45:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The empire of Michael Jordan began here. This card, which I want to put right here, very, very gently.” – Pablo (06:09)
• “Where are the missing 9 autographed Michael Jordan rookie cards? The last of their kind.” – Pablo (09:36)
• “So after the hunt for 23 ended, Chris just simply called and then sent these fans any leftover autograph Jordan rookie cards. Like the last of their kind.” – Bradley (41:31)
• “So the answer to the mystery of the missing nine Jordan cards is that they were never missing. Like they're out there in the world.” – Bradley (41:45)
• “These seven figure fortunes were just mailed out to kids?... By envelope because they wrote a letter.” – Pablo (41:36)
• “It's pixelated as hell. It's like a reprint of a…” – Bradley, revealing his fake rookie card (20:57)
• “The idea that you are also the security department... verifying all of this stuff is legit.” – Pablo on the fake card ring (25:41)
• “Someone’s college tuition is now gone thanks to your …” – Pablo, joking about how counterfeits undermine the card value (44:41)

Timeline & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment |
|---|---|
| 03:01–06:31 | Cardboard nostalgia, childhood stories, and the mystique of MJ’s rookie card
| 07:49–10:29 | Explaining Upper Deck’s “Hunt for 23” promotion and value escalation
| 10:29–17:28 | The global search begins, Upper Deck’s silence, Australia interview with Matt Cassidy
| 17:41–19:52 | Belgium: Ivan Weddington’s winning redemption story
| 21:12–27:10 | Fake cards, the counterfeit epidemic, and the Armored Car Robber tale
| 27:45–28:26 | COVID, “The Last Dance” and the sports card rush
| 31:38–32:09 | Children’s card-ruining stories highlight the emotional aspect
| 33:14–36:22 | The Toronto lead: searching for Chris Carlin, card show culture
| 37:15–41:36 | BREAKTHROUGH: Chris Carlin details prize distribution, lost cards go to letter-writing kids
| 42:10–45:27 | Printing plate rumors, counterfeiting, and wrapping up the mystery

Tone and Language

• Nostalgic, inquisitive, playful, occasionally exasperated, and always deeply nerdy about sports and collecting.
• The hosts veer between journalistic seriousness (“It feels outright suspicious”) and humorous candor (“I thought it'd be a good moment in the show, and now it's happened again.”)

Conclusion

The nine “missing” Michael Jordan Hunt for 23 rookie cards were not lost to nefarious corporate secrets or black market schemes—they were quietly mailed out to kids who entered alternative sweepstakes by mailing letters. While some may remain tucked away in anonymous private collections (or even forgotten binders), the episode exposes how the hobby’s transformation, the proliferation of counterfeits, and the pure, childlike joy (or heartbreak) of collecting interweave to make these cards so valuable and elusive.

Final note:
The story concludes with Pablo and Bradley opening new packs of cards in the studio, a homage to their childhood selves, and a full-circle, tactile reminder that joy, mystery, and connection endure—no matter the market value.

Listen to the full episode for the complete investigation and more collector tales!