The 1990s saw a host of great basketball stars make their debut as well as some iconic moments. Kobe Bryant [BGS 9.5 GEM MINT] $1,674.50. When selling online, you have the options of selling: The only effort itll take from you is highlighting the specifics of your card (like the player featured, the year of issue, etc) and taking photographs of it thatll help in preliminary evaluations. 4 pick Stephon Marbury on draft night. In fact, Michael Jordans 1993 Finest Refractor accounts for approximately $178,000 in PSA graded card sales according to PSAs auction price reports. The odds of pulling it from a pack is 1 in 55,000 packs. It has a picture of the phenom in game action, as well as a smiling MJ in the background. It has two pictures of Michael Jordan one picture is of the legend executing a beautiful one-handed dunk over another picture of his head. The Ultimate Guide to '90s Basketball Cards - ONE37pm Fleer started out the decade where it left off in the late 80s as the most valuable basketball card brand in the business, despite much of these years being described as junk wax. If you immediately notice the sharp decline in sales from previous years, its mainly because the 1999 NBA draft class did not have many notable hall-of-fame or NBA champion players. 1996 Fleer Metal Universe Kobe Bryant #181 Error Card $48,000, 9. 1990 saw notable rookie cards from Shawn Kemp and Tim Hardaway, along with other historic players such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, and Scottie Pippen. Some of the most valuable cards produced are limited editions featuring historical players in their rookie years. Being a gold refactor, this basketball card is visually appealing. Many people will list a card as a refractor when it is in fact not, because the base 1993 Finest design looks a lot like a refractor to the naked eye. GoldCardAuctions is a high-end investment-caliber trading card company and is the definitive source of sports card investing news and analysis. Hes in his Orlando Magic jersey, as he was their number one pick in the 1992 NBA Draft. 1997 SPx Gold Die-Cut Michael Jordan #5 Signed PSA 10 $59,999, 10. Parallels: Red PMG (/90), Green PMG (/10). The bold signature covers the entire bottom part of the card. It's a novel card and extremely rare so it has a decent value. Weve combed through recent auction data to bring you a list of ten of the most expensive basketball cards from the 1990s. Don't have that kind of cash in your bankroll? Required fields are marked *. All card images courtesy of TCDB, while pricing data is pulled from recent eBay sales as of Tuesday morning. I remember being amazed as a kid when I heard stories of him being able to grab a quarter off the top of the backboard. The card is by Topps, considered to be one of the more exclusive card companies for collectors. Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Baseball Rookie Cards of the 1990s Some of the things considered are: centering of the card, printing errors, and evidence of wear. Most Valuable Basketball Cards 1990s: Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Chrome Refractor Check Prices eBay A card that has skyrocketed since that tragic day in early 2020. Being a rookie card of big Shaq make this card special. Produced in 1999 and known as the Finest Kobe Bryant Refractor card, it features Kobe dunking the ball behind his head in his yellow Lakers jersey. Contact him at [emailprotected]. Teenager Kevin Garnett became the first player since 1975 to jump directly from high school to the NBA when the Minnesota Timberwolves took him with the No. As well as a signature on some versions, the card has a piece of game floor attached, with the location and game noted on the front of the card. 1997-98 Topps Chrome #115 Tim Duncan 6 of. These two are the most well-known and trusted grading companies. The card was graded as a Beckett 9 and sold at a Goldin auction in March 2021 for $198,030. The lightning is made of foil which helps to make Jordan appear to jump out of the card, but it means that the card is in danger of chipping, both on the front and the back. However, lots of brands contributed lots of brand diversitry to the hobby during the decade, including Upper Deck, SP, Hoops, Bowmans Best, and Collectors Choice. The decade started out with mainly Fleer, Skybox, and NBA Hoops. 1989 Hoops #21 Michael Jordan All-Star Estimated PSA 10 Value: $90 MVP Karl Malone may have led the West to a 143-134 victory over the East during the 1989 All-Star Game in Houston, but, not surprisingly, Jordan's All-Star card is the most desirable in the set. 3 pick in the 1994 NBA draft and an immediate star for the Detroit Pistons. This is truly the most valuable basketball card brand of the 90s. You can buy basketball cards wherever they are sold such as in garage sales, and in online selling places like eBay. Its currently listed on eBay for $250,000. Card collectors really value the shiny finish. In this guide, Ill take you through the most valuable 1990s basketball cards, looking at their values and what makes them so rare. So, many basketball cards of this decade capture these highlights and are very valuable. 1994 was not a particularly exciting year, as Jordan had left to play baseball following his 3rd championship in the 1992-1993 season. Click the title of each to see them for sale and auction on eBay. This 1997 Michael Jordan precious metal games card is another card from the highly sought-after Metal Universe collection. The card sold at auction in February 2021 for $1,440,000. 1996 Finest Gold Refractor Kobe Bryant #269 PSA 10 $500,000 3. Everyone likes to talk about the physicality of the game, as well as the dominance of a certain Chicago Bulls team led by. He and the Bulls also dropped the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 to pick up his first NBA title after struggling for years to get past the Detroit Pistons and into the finals. 1986-87 Fleer Clyde Drexler RC #26 Buy on eBay. Prices are updated daily based upon 1990 Skybox listings that sold on eBay and our marketplace. However, its a bit of a misnomer, as it was easier to get a Members Only Beam Teams than a standard pack-pulled Beam Teams. There was competition from Skybox and NBA Hoops, but Fleer had really cemented itself in 1986. If you were to make the argument that Hakeem Olajuwon were the greatest center to ever play in the NBA, you probably wouldn't get too much pushback. 1 1992 Bowman Trevor Hoffman #11 Trevor Hoffman isn't as well-known as the other players on this list, but his #11 Bowman card is still worth a decent bit of money. Card company Flair made its debut a few years before, but 1996 was their best release to date. This Chrome Refractor Allen Iverson #171 cards is one of the rarest cards of this great basketball players nicknamed the Answer. Released in the same year, the Ultra Scoring Kings is one of the most iconic MJ cards that money can buy. However, with so many basketball cards printed every year, a whole decade will have an ocean of cards, with a wide range of value. Topps Chrome would continue its status as top base set of the rest of the decade. Rather one side is shaped like a less-curvy S, while the other is shaped like an X. 10 seed Santa Clara to an NCAA tournament win over Maryland as a senior, Steve Nash was selected 15th in the 1996 NBA draft. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Several of the players ahead of him also have rookie cards in 1986-87 Fleer Basketball. Talking of unreal basketball cards! The card features Michael Jordan bouncing the ball as he prepares for a scoring run. (For example, the Row 0 version features a hilarious image of Kobe watching himself dribble.). You can use serial number or population report to determine cards that are rare. It also paved the way for future NBA stars like Allen Iverson to implement similar moves into their offensive arsenals although Iverson and Hardaway don't necessarily see eye to eye on who did it better. What makes this card so expensive, given the range of premium MJ cards weve seen over the years? 10 Most Valuable Basketball Cards of the 1990s - Antique Mall The bold blue autograph is perfectly placed on the card. This Row 1 card is graded by Beckett as a 9.5 and was sold at a Goldin auction for $136,530. Michael Jordan 1997/98 Metal Universe "Precious Metal Gems" - other than the Jordan rookie card, these may be the holy grail of Jordan collectors, and of basketball cards in general. The card comes from the Metal Universe set, with cards featuring other popular players also highly sought after. Notable rookies from 1993 include Anfernee Hardaway, Chris Webber and Toni Kukoc, each of whom have a Topps Finest Refractor rookie card. The documentary followed Jordans playing career, reminding people of the brilliance of MJ at a time when basketball was canceled and people needed ways to keep engaged with the sport. For the 1990s decade, the basketball cards thatll be worth money are rookie cards cards of players making their debut in that decade. Kobe tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in January 2020 leading to the value of his memorabilia skyrocketing. The 1990s is a storied decade in the game of basketball. The odds of puling a gold refactor from a pack is 1 in 288 packs. 1996-97 E-X2000 A Cut Above Strange die-cuts were a common theme in 1990s inserts. Here is a selection of the most popular sites: Basketball cards from the 1990s are some of the rarest and highly sought-after sports cards around today. Also Read:11 Most Valuable Shaquille ONeal Rookie Cards (Round-up list). Whilst he didnt win any NBA championships, he was an 11-time NBA All-star and won multiple MVP awards. The card is currently listed on eBay for $250,000. The picture has MJ executing a no-look pass, in a black background that blur everything else to highlight the phenom. His Finest rookie card is his most valuable by a wide margin, and it stands as one of the iconic cards of the decade. This set is nothing flashy but there is lots of solid value throughout. His Finest rookie card is his most valuable by a wide margin, and it stands as one of the iconic cards of the decade. Here are 10 of the most valuable. The design is clean and features gold trims. 1997 1998 UD Game Jersey Michael Jordan #GJ13, 1996 Finest Gold Refractor Kobe Bryant #269 PSA 10, 1992 Classic Draft Pick Shaquille ONeal Auto RC, 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractor Allen Iverson RC BGS 10, 1999 Upper Deck Ovation Super Signatures Gold Michael Jordan #MJS card, 1997 Skybox Z-Force Michael Jordan Quick Strike card, 1990 Big Blue Shaquille ONeal #19 Non Perforated card, 1996 Fleer Metal Universe Kobe Bryant #181 Error Card, 1997 SPx Gold Die-Cut Michael Jordan #5 Signed PSA 10, 1998 Upper Deck SP Authentic Michael Jordan #M4 PSA 10 GEM MINT, 10 most valuable basketball card of the 1990s, 1. That is, a rookie card of a star player that is hard to get, autographed by the player, has a patch of his game-worn jersey, and graded as mint. He was ultimately overtaken by Kobe Bryant for top rookie card honors in his class, but the market for his cards remains robust, and his Topps Chrome rookie is the cream of the crop. Now that we've got that out of the way, let's take a look at the list: It should come as no surprise that Michael Jordan's 1990 Fleer basketball card comes in at the top spot ashis cardsare always in high demand with collectors. 4 on the list. If you are looking to rip through an old hobby box, the most noticeable flaw will be off-center cuts. The "Vinsanity" hype was very real during Vince Carter's peak with the Toronto Raptors, and he went on to play 22 seasons, progressing from high-flying dunk contest champion and leading scorer to veteran role player and fan favorite. Michael Jordan Cards), with lots of info about each one, including how and why they cost so much. The card is personally autographed by Jordan in a thin blue pen with the serial number 8/23 also handwritten. The basketball cards that are worth the most are rare rookie patch autos (RPA) of star players in mint condition. As well as a player-worn patch from the biggest name in the sport, the added bonus of a signature from Jordan is enough to make it one of the most expensive jersey patches of all-time, never mind the decade. It is literally one of its kind. (Sold November 2021 by Heritage Auctions), Produced in 1999, the Upper Deck Michael Jordan Game Jersey Autograph card was issued after MJ finished with the Chicago Bulls. It didn't take long for him to develop into the face of the Timberwolves franchise. And since the debut of "The Last Dance" documentary, all of his cards have soared in value. Your email address will not be published. One of the things that always sticks out in my memory was how Divac was able to play at such a high level while being a heavy cigarette smoker. Being a rookie card with a limited number produced makes it more valuable. For those that remember, it was the 1997 UD Game Jersey cards that sparked the jersey patch craze. Although both Upper Deck and Fleer continued to be staple card brands throughout the 90s, a new top dog was about to emerge for the remainder of the decade. 2 spot in these rankings. The pre-rookie card is 1 of only 1200 and is graded by the PSA as a 10, making it highly desirable and rare. Top 1980s Basketball Rookie Cards Ranked List, Most Valuable Guide With many new fans and demand outgrowing supply, the price of basketball cards increased. There were Fleer All-Star sticker card inserts that can be worth more than the base cards on this list assuming the sticker is still in tact and is graded in top condition. Ross is the founder of Old Sports Cards and has been collecting sports cards for over 30 years. For years during the 1980s, there were hardly any basketball cards to collect whatsoever Topps bowed out of the hobby after 1981, Star released a few sets later on and Fleer didn't join the market until 1986.