Ayrton Senna Card Once Again Tops CSG-certified Highlights in January PWCC Sales

Certified Sports Guaranty® (CSG®) has teamed up with PWCC Marketplace to bring collectors weekly online auctions presented by PWCC and featuring sports cards graded by CSG. The popular program has offered numerous sales from across the sports cards market, which collectors have flocked to in recent months.

One of the CSG-graded highlights of the upcoming February PWCC auctions is a 2003-04 Topps #221 LeBron James graded CSG Gem Mint 10. This is one of the most popular James rookie cards on the market, as the NBA superstar continues to defy Father Time and dominate his competition two decades after the card was released. Currently with the Los Angeles Lakers, the four-time NBA champion is still one of the best players in the league at 38 years old.

2003-04 Topps #221 LeBron James graded CSG Gem Mint 10 Click images to enlarge.

In fact, the four-time NBA MVP is in the conversation once again for the coveted trophy awarded to the league's best player each season, which is unheard of for a player of his age. James is also chasing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record, which he is expected to break in February 2023.

Notable January Sales

1984 Coleccao de Cromos F1 #128 Ayrton Senna graded CSG 3.5 Click images to enlarge.

On January 29, 2023, a 1984 Coleccao de Cromos F1 #128 Ayrton Senna graded CSG 3.5 sold for $2,220, which was the highest price realized by a CSG-certified card in the month of January. (Another example was the top CSG-certified card in December’s sales.) Senna was a Brazilian race car driver who became a three-time Formula One World Drivers' Championship winner (1988, 1990, 1991). He won a total of 41 Grands Prix and 65 pole positions during his career. However, in 1994, his career was cut short at the San Marino Grand Prix at just 34 years old when he died in a tragic accident during the race.

2006 Ace Authentic Center Court Stars #CC-2 Novak Djokovic Redemption Card graded CSG 9.5 Click images to enlarge.

Another lot that ended on January 29 was a 2006 Ace Authentic Center Court Stars #CC-2 Novak Djokovic Redemption Card graded CSG 9.5 that sold for $1,650. The tennis star won the Australian Open on the same day of the auction, extending his Australian Open record to 10 titles, with 22 total Grand Slam titles to his name. Following the Open victory, Djokovic also returned to the top of the tennis rankings as the new No. 1 player in the world.

2021 Panini Chronicles UFC Contenders Autographs #RS-CGN Ciryl Gane Championship Ticket graded CSG Gem Mint 10 Click images to enlarge.

On January 15, 2023, a 2021 Panini Chronicles UFC Contenders Autographs #RS-CGN Ciryl Gane Championship Ticket graded CSG Gem Mint 10 sold for $1,290. Gane is a French heavyweight mixed martial artist who joined the UFC in 2019. The fighter has an 11-1 record since joining the UFC and has been the No. 1-ranked heavyweight since March 29, 2022.

2007-08 Topps Luxury Box Courtside Dual Autograph Relics #CDAR-BJ Larry Bird/Magic Johnson graded CSG 9 Click images to enlarge.

On January 22, 2023, a 2007-08 Topps Luxury Box Courtside Dual Autograph Relics #CDAR-BJ Larry Bird/Magic Johnson graded CSG 9 sold for $1,170. This card features not one but two NBA legends, with a piece of a Bird game-worn green Celtics jersey and a piece of a Johnson game-worn gold Lakers jersey. Additionally, each Hall of Famer's signature is part of the card, which was limited to only nine copies. Larry Bird is a three-time NBA champion, three-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star, while Magic Johnson is a five-time NBA champion, three-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star. Their rivalry helped define pro basketball in the 1980s.

Other CSG-graded cards in the January auctions included:

• a 2003-04 Bowman #123 LeBron James graded CSG Gem Mint 10 that realized $810 on January 29, 2023
• a 2009 SP Legendry Cuts Mystery Cuts #LC-MC Marlon Brando graded CSG 9 that realized $750 on January 29, 2023
• a 2022 Bowman University Chrome Prospect Autographs #BCPA-BY Bryce Young Red Refractor graded CSG 9.5 that realized $660 on January 15, 2023
• a 1961 Topps #300 Mickey Mantle graded CSG 6 that realized $564 on January 22, 2023
• a 2008 Bowman Draft Chrome #BDP26 Clayton Kershaw Blue Refractor graded CSG 8.5 that realized $504 on January 15, 2023
• a 1966 Topps #50 Mickey Mantle graded CSG 6 that realized $468 on January 22, 2023
• a 1987-88 Fleer #59 Michael Jordan graded CSG 8.5 that realized $432 on January 22, 2023
• a 1989 Score #257 Barry Sanders graded CSG Gem Mint 10 that realized $432 on January 29, 2023
• a 1959 Topps #514 Bob Gibson graded CSG 3 that realized $372 on January 29, 2023
• a 1968 Topps #280 Mickey Mantle graded CSG 4.5 that realized $360 on January 22, 2023

Sell Your CSG-certified Cards on PWCC Marketplace!

PWCC Marketplace and CSG have created a streamlined pathway to grading and selling through an operational partnership between the two companies. The grading and selling program is accessed via an online submission process on the PWCC website, and everything is managed through the PWCC Vault.

Cards sent to CSG receive priority grading and encapsulation through its third-party grading service for sports cards. Graded cards are returned to PWCC and immediately added to PWCC’s Auction Builder Curation Algorithm process, which optimizes cards for sale in upcoming PWCC Weekly Sunday Auctions.

For more information about this program, click here.

Prices realized include buyer’s premium.