There are millions upon millions of people around the world who collect sports memorabilia. Whether it's ticket stubs to famous sporting events, home run baseballs, signed jerseys, footballs, or game-worn cleats, the list of things sports memorabilia collectors will try to collect is endless. It's a list that will continue to grow forever as long as sports and athletes are around. There is one card that every single sports memorabilia collector would love to add to their collection...that's a Michael Jordan rookie card.

Michael Jordan

Whether you're a fan of basketball or not, you've heard of Michael Jordan. He's widely accepted as the greatest basketball player of all time, he's known as one of the best competitors of all time, and there are some who would consider him the greatest athlete to ever live. He made 11 All-NBA teams and won 5 MVPS, 6 Finals MVPs, and 6 NBA Championships.

Michael Jordan wasn't only a once-in-a-lifetime basketball talent, he was also the definition of a superstar. He played with swagger, dominated basketball games on a variety of levels, and became a global superstar with his gameplay and his endorsements. As of this year, Michael Jordan has made $1.6 billion from his shoe deal with Nike, according to Sportskeeda. Very few athletes have changed the sporting world like Michael Jordan did.

Michael Jordan Rookie Card

When you're accepted as the greatest basketball player of all time and one of the greatest athletes of all time...it turns out that your rookie season basketball card is worth a lot of money. According to KCRG, the Iowa Treasurer, Roby Smith, put up an unclaimed safe deposit box for auction earlier in September. One of the most coveted sporting cards of all time has just been sold for $5,400.

*This is not the actual card that was sold at the auction but is an example of what the card looks like*

The card was up for auction at Iowa Unclaimed Property and received 21 different bids from those looking to grab a piece of sports history.

Iowa Treasurer, Roby Smith, told KCRG

It’s certainly not every day we come across an item in our care that creates this much excitement. While the card has sold, the proceeds from the sale will stay in Great Iowa Treasure Hunt for the rightful owner or heir to claim, as with any auctioned item.

According to KCRG, the treasurer's office receives two to three hundred abandoned safe deposit boxes every year. First, they try and contact the rightful owner. If they can't find the rightful owner, they put the contents of the boxes up for bid, when they run out of storage room.

Michael Jordan's rookie season was in 1984. With a card that is 39 years old, you might think it's beat up or in pretty rough shape. Well...it's not. It was appraised by a Professional Sports Authenticator and received a PSA grade of 7 out of 10. That means the card is in near-mint condition.

What an incredible find right here in Iowa!