Aaron Hope 
We’re almost at the one year point with the Air Jordan XX8, which has traditionally been the time to roll over into the next annual installment. This one year schedule was in full effect for 2008’s Air Jordan XX3, which bookended the year with two very valuable limited edition Premier level releases: one in January and another in late December. It started on January 28th, with the release of the Sneakers Jordan 3 Retro in pelle ‘Titanium’ in a colorway inspired by MJ’s alma mater, the University of North Carolina. The University Blue and Titanum XX3 was limited to 529 pairs (23 pairs at 23 select retailers) in the United States, with another 529 pairs allotted to the overseas market.
After several colorways released in between, the product cycle ended on a triumphant note on 12/23/08 with the release of the Air Jordan XX3 ‘Finale’ in a traditional Chicago Bulls palette. The AJ XX3 Finale also conformed to the 23-squared limited edition, but was only issued to US stores and is accordingly doubly rare. Interestingly, while both remain coveted and can run well into the four figures, it seems to be the Titanium that has retained the higher value among collectors, perhaps because of the novelty of a non-Bulls colorway leading off a new model. It’s a clear example of limited number not dictating value, but it certainly is an anomaly! Check out the gallery of both pairs below if you’re unfamiliar, and see the full listings from modernpicdottcom and solephresh on eBay.
