Distributed only in Minneapolis inside potato chip bags you can imagine how rare and difficult it is to find copies of this card in decent shape. His 1948 Bowman rookie card is the last card in the iconic set making condition issues even more common. 1986 Fleer Stickers #1 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Basketball Card. That success spilled over into a very nice ABA and NBA career where he would rack up ABA Rookie of the Year honors in 1976, several All-Star appearances and four NBA championships. 10 Most Valuable 1992 Topps Basketball Cards, 12 Most Valuable 1988 Fleer Basketball Cards, 1989 Fleer Michael Jordan: The Ultimate Collector’s Guide, Bill Russell Basketball Cards: The Ultimate Collectors Guide, 15 Most Valuable 1986 Fleer Basketball Cards, Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. The downside to selling basketball cards to a sports card shop is that they may offer you less money than the cards are worth to make a profit. His ghostly appearance is made even more prominent by a deep black border, something you don’t see too often on sports cards. The Boston Celtic’s legendary Center, Bill Russell, was a rookie back in 1957 when sports cards did not demand as much respect as they do today. And most people forget, he’s actually number three on the NBA’s all-time points per game leader board after posting a 27.4 ppg career mark. The PriceGuide.Cards trading card database has prices achieved from actual card sales, not estimates. If you do, you better bring it forward and cash in on the excitement. Kobe Bryant's most valuable rookie card, 1996-97 Topps Chrome PSA 10, increased from around $5,000 in Feburary to $15,000+ currently. With only 90 of them ever made, it is tough to find one in good condition let alone a grading of a 9 like this one. His rookie card lists him as a member of the Cincinnati Royals who later became the modern day Sacramento Kings. We’ve put together a list with 10 of the most expensive 90’s basketball cards, with lots of info about each one, including how and why they cost so much. Another key to the 1971 Topps set is Chamberlain’s #70 issue. Jordan’s 1986 Fleer sticker can also fetch huge prices. … Since there was a gap in basketball cards for a few years, including Jordan’s first two, this card has extra value … His 1974-75 Topps rookie card can be found fairly cheaply in lower condition but if you locate a copy in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition it will go for thousands of dollars. Poor centering and low quality printing make it difficult to find the card in high grade. His rookie card came in the infamous 1948 Bowman set on which Pollar stands, arms outstretched atop a blue background. If you’re lucky enough to find one that survived in top shape then you’re looking at a high price tag. Braun was one of the best guards to play professionally in the 1950’s. If you remember the Upper Deck days of the mid to late 90’s when all they put out were the best basketball cards on the market, then you definitely remember this card. So, collectors are willing to pay top dollar for the card which displays cards #1-42 on the front and cards #43-99 on the back. And Wilt’s 1961 Fleer rookie card sits atop many others on this list from the iconic set. His passes and all around trickery are the stuff of legend. These were issued by the Boy Scouts of America through the Interlake Youth Incentive Program in the Chicago area and show Jordan breaking down the defense with his signature tongue-out expression. It’s a great looking card and shows Maravich kneeling with the ball atop a bold green background. To build this list, we relied on PSA’s Sports Market Report online price guide to include any basketball card estimated to fetch more than $3,000 on the open market. 10 Most Expensive Basketball Cards from the 90s. Much larger than typical sports cards, his rookie card measures roughly 2 ½” by 4 11/16″. The lone card of the 1975 Topps basketball card set to make our list is the #254 Moses Malone rookie card. And their continued popularity and demand prove that basketball cards still do hold great value. His official HOF enshirement will take place in 2021 … … Bill Russell was also included in the set and is one of seventeen Hall of Famers that appeared in this small set of just twenty-two cards. The most popular basketball card of all-time, though, is the 1986-87 Fleer Jordan rookie card, with high grade examples soaring in value on an annual basis. I managed to finish a full set once: The NHL 1996-97 Upper Deck series. Are you selling sports cards that were produced from 1868 - 1975? Bob Pettit’s 1957 Topps rookie card was actually a double print but collectors will still have a tough time finding them in high grade. Ryan rookie cards in very good condition can cost a collector in the thousands of dollars. Barry could flat out score and was the only player to ever lead the NCAA, ABA, and NBA in scoring over an entire season. J” Erving was easily one of the most entertaining basketball players the game has ever seen. The legendary center was the game’s first unstoppable big man and set the bar for other big men like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell who would soon follow. Baylor’s acrobatic moves were something the game had never seen before and paved the way for other exciting performers like Dr. J, Jordan and Bryant. So you won’t see any Lebron James, Kobe Bryant or Steph Curry cards on here even though those can be extremely valuable, too. If you’re lucky enough to own one or more cards on this list then you’ve got something special. Julius “Dr. So if you wanted to cash in on the excitement of owning a 1996 Topps Chrome Kobe Bryant RC, the time to sell is now. The final 1961 Fleer card on our list is Jerry West’s rookie card, which features tremendous pop due to its bright yellow and orange coloring. After Chamberlain’s rookie, it’s tough to say what the next most valuable basketball card from the 1961 Fleer set is. A young Robertson is shown getting ready to toss a bounce pass while a nice facsimile signature accompanies him. With that strategy, you can never go wrong! Nate “Tiny” Archibald was one of the game’s best guards during the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Pete Maravich’s RC values have skyrocketed over the past few years and it has resulted in his PSA 10 RC, the only one known to exist, to become the second most valuable basketball card of all time. His rookie card is the key to the 1976 Topps set and is easily recognizable as one of the most sought after rookie cards of the decade. Any Jerry West card is likely to be of huge importance to any set and this is no exception. Grade: PSA 10 When it comes to basketball cards, it became popular over the past 20 years... 2. Watch out, though, as the extreme popularity of this card also makes it one of the hobby’s most counterfeited. George Mikan’s 1948 Bowman rookie card tops our list as the “Holy Grail” of all basketball cards. Originally the set wasn’t too popular with collectors but that has changed drastically in recent years. Special Insert: Autographed Game-Used All-Star Jersey. Print defects as well as the usual wear and tear on the colored borders make Moore’s card extra difficult to find in high grade. When Upper Deck first brought game-used jersey cards to NBA collectors, though, there was a jersey in only one of every … So, there you have it: the most expensive basketball cards that you’re ever likely to encounter in the vintage hobby. The “Big O” could do everything on the court and famously became the first NBA player to average a triple-double in 1962. The holy grail of basketball cards, the Larry Bird, Magic Johnson rookie card is a must have card for all basketball card collectors. In fact, the image is the same pose used for his 1948 Bowman rookie card. Just when you think they can’t climb any higher, they do. As he continues to make buckets, his value continues to sky-rocket meaning you should buy his cards today.Unfortunately for him, losing the NBA championship this past season did not do him any favors but it hasn’t done much for hurting the value. As a member of the Cincinnati Royals, Oscar Robertson was the biggest local star to be included in this regional set distributed around the Cincinnati market. Since it was never circulated to the public, this set isn’t what you would typically refer to as a “mainstream” issue. Hall of Famer Jack Twyman’s rookie card debut came in Topp’s first basketball card set in 1957. A nice image of Russell dribbling down low ready to attack the defense dominates the front of the card. After last season’s run, Stephen Curry has become the hottest NBA star to invest in for card collector’s. Like all 1948 Bowman cards, print defects and centering are big challenges with his rookie card. The question is: where do you start on this list? The Hall of Famer was known for his scoring and rebounding abilities and led the league in each of those categories at least once before knee injuries forced him to retire. Jim Pollard helped lead the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA champions during his stint with the team from the late 1940’s through the mid 1950’s. His popularity has skyrocketed the value of his rookie card but those multi-colored borders can prevent some tough wear challenges. Each card has sentimental value to … It’s one of those cases in the hobby that has to do more with printing facts than a player’s accolades. The 2003-04 Exquisite collection was the hobby’s biggest product of that season. To give you a little perspective, it only sold for $18,000 in 2007. Would this set be complete without the “Big O”? Lovellete knew how to win at basketball, becoming the first player ever to win an NCAA Championship, Olympic gold medal, and NBA Championship. Many think they were an attempt by Topps to obtain an NBA license and re-enter the basketball card market. As with most sets of the 1970’s, centering and print defects are common challenges with this card. The 1957 Topps basketball set is one of the most important yet toughest in the hobby–and Bill Russell’s rookie card is the key card to own. His card really pops as he poses smiling with an energetic look on his face. Clyde Lovellette is yet another Hall of Famer to make his rookie debut in the 1957 Topps set. Like the game itself, basketball cards have changed a great deal since Bowman featured Mikan on its first–and only–set back in 1948. Robertson’s 1961 Fleer rookie card is a treasure from an early era of NBA cards. Both Oscar Robertson collectors and 1968 Topps Test fans will pay good money for one of these in top condition. Copyright © 2021 by Old Sports Cards, LLC, Baseball Card Values: How To Determine Their Worth, 100 Most Valuable Baseball Cards: The All-Time Dream List, 40 Most Valuable Football Cards: The All-Time Dream List, 52 Most Valuable Basketball Cards: The All-Time Dream List. November 21st, 2016. Perhaps the most boring card on this list is merely a checklist. There are single cards from lower cost … Or, feel free to call/text me at 305-684-6680! Not surprisingly, the stickers were often peeled off and stuck on any number of surfaces making them basically worthless. Centering and print defects are also challenges so high grade copies of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar rookie cards can fetch big dollars at auction. It’s a key to the set along with the cards of fellow Hall of Famers Jerry West and Jack Twyman. And since this set is arguably the most popular among basketball card collectors, set builders fight over top condition Johnny Moore cards. According to Old Sports Cards, it can go for upwards of $20,000 when collectors are lucky enough to … It must’ve worked though as he finished with a .900 career free throw shooting percentage. 5 out of 5 stars (9) Total Ratings 9, 100% agree - Would recommend. X Research source If you have a lot of lower-valued basketball cards, a sports card shop may be an easy way to quickly make some money … His is a sharp-looking rookie card with its nice, clean cut design and just the right amount of color. Sports > Basketball > Top 25 Most Valuable Basketball Cards, By Thomas Delatte on It can be argued that Chamberlain was the game’s most dominant player to ever set foot on the hard wood. If you’re a collector, just stick to what you love and collect only what you love. Five African American Sports Pioneers You Probably Don’t Know, Five Greatest Upsets in Super Bowl History. Fleer broke the card fronts into three sections with team logo and name at the top, player name and position in the middle, and a large image of the player at the bottom. This card is valuable for one simple reason: it is nearly impossible to track down in PSA 10 Gem Mint condition. You can almost feel him getting ready to break down an opposing defense with one of his signature moves by the way he’s positioned on this card. The most valuable basketball cards in the hobby can easily fetch upper five and six figure price levels. Collectors love his rookie card and are willing to pay big bucks for high grade copies. His rookie card is full of color and shows him intensely eyeing down the bucket as a member of the ABA New York Nets. Topps tried something new with its 1980-81 set, offering cards that featured three different players on perforated mini cards. One of the more notable things about Barry was how he shot free throws: underhanded. He’d earn 1971 Rookie of the Year honors, the Most Valuable Player award in 1973 and would win two NBA titles along the way.