It should come as no surprise that sports memorabilia, and more importantly, sports trading cards, are one of the fastest growing markets in the entire antiques and collectibles trade. The demand for top tier artifacts is never ending, and record-breaking sales are quickly becoming the norm. That said, I have always advised caution in overheated collecting markets, and the world of sports trading cards is no different. On June 26, a record-breaking sale caught the attention of many sports card enthusiasts, and as expected, the mass media hype machine went into overdrive. It was on that date that a 1986 Fleer basketball card featuring Michael Jordan sold for a record-breaking sum of $2.5 million. The card is considered to be his rookie card and was autographed by Michael Jordan from a secret card signing in Florida sometime last year. The card was also third party graded by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) in 9 condition with an autograph confirmed to be original and graded in solid 10 condition. The $2.5 million price tag makes this the most expensive 1986 card in existence and, of course, one of the most valuable trading cards to come out of the 1980s. As someone who has been in the antiques and collectibles trade since the age of 12, these headlines are never earth-shattering to me. In fact, when I hear about a sale like this I am more often fascinated by what occurred behind the scenes than the actual sale itself. It should come as no surprise to regular readers that I am a bit of a curiosity seeker, and I often have to remind myself (almost on a daily basis) that curiosity killed the cat. This sale however, itched a part of my brain that I just had to scratch. I had a mentor in the trade who once told me to always look beyond the headlines. The devil is in the details, he would always say to me. With that being said, I am by no way stating that this record-breaking sale is invalid. In fact, I believe it is more than valid, but there are some facts that need to be explored so that any potential collector or enthusiast can properly assess the importance of this record-breaking sale. First, this item was auctioned off by Joopiter, which is not one of the first auction houses that come to mind when most collectors think of auction companies that deal in high-end sports cards. Joopiter is becoming a major player in the trade (pun intended), but that is mainly due to who owns Joopiter. Joopiter was started by Grammy-winning American musician Pharrell Williams. He is an artist and also has a passion for collectibles, so he decided to create Joopiter. Obviously due to Pharrells success in music he had the means to properly promote Joopiter, and this record-breaking sale ensures that Joopiter will, at least for now, be a household name among sports card collectors. The devil in this case, however, is not who owns Joopiter or its relevance. The starting bid for this coveted card was $2 million, and Joopiter charges a 25 percent buyers premium, meaning this sale only needed one bid to sell at the $2.5 million price, and it got it. I would assume that when most people hear of a record-breaking sale in any collectible market, especially for an item that sold at auction, they envision several high-profile bidders battling it out at auction to the bitter end. Unfortunately, that didnt happen here as there was only one single lone bid that claimed this item. Another detail that should be pointed out is the fact that this card was originally listed for sale at Sothebys, before being removed at the request of the original consigner. With no disrespect to Joopiter or Pharrell Williams, I am confident that if you ask anyone who is not involved directly in the antiques and collectibles trade to name a well-known auction house, Sothebys would be mentioned more often than Joopiter. Now to be fair, Sothebys isnt always the best choice to auction off an item like this, but I question why the consigner decided to pull the item from Sothebys and go with Joopiter instead? This is the part of my brain that is itching like crazy right now, and unfortunately, I feel this right here says all you need to know about the details of this sale. Make no mistake, however; this does not mean the sale is less than stellar or invalid. I want to make that very clear. The antiques and collectibles trade is a perfect example of an unregulated market, and within that market, most sales are not overly transparent. Ask any high-end collector who regularly bids at auction if they want their name to be publicly released along with the price they paid for any item, and I can assure you that most high-end collectors would surely say no. Privacy is of the utmost importance in the trade, and most high-end auction houses go to great lengths to protect their most prominent buyers. This does not mean that collectors and the overall mass media who reports on these sales should not dissect transactions like this and be able to point out any details that cast some doubts on the record-breaking sale in question. The antiques and collectibles trade is a hype-filled business. Auction companies, grading companies, and high-profile investors operating in these markets have used marketing hype to their advantage for years. It is best we learn from this and question everything. This sale, while valid, deserves scrutiny, and so does every other sale in the trade that attracts media attention. Just some food for thought. Shawn Surmick has been an avid collector since the age of 12. He currently resides in his hometown of Boyertown, Pa., and is a passionate collector of antiques and collectibles. His articles focus on various topics affecting the marketplace.