Like the 1990 Hoops and SkyBox sets, there were just so many of these cards printed. Lets take a look at the most valuable basketball card brands of the 1990s. These are 16 of the most valuable cards currently valued or recently sold at auction. Top 1990s Basketball Insert Sets Click on the linked sets below to shop for available cards on eBay. With PSA 10 points grade, it is in the best condition possible. The card was sold following the release of the 10-part Netflix special The Last Dance. The North Carolina product was the No. Its a chance to own a piece of basketball history, and its something different compared to the average 90s card. 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. Its the main reason why the card makes the list! 1993-94 Finest Chris Webber RC #212 Buy on eBay. It is literally one of its kind. 1997 Shaquille O'Neal Metal Universe Platinum Portraits #4 Buy on eBay The 1997-98 Skybox Metal Universe Basketball set is best known for the rare Precious Metal Gems cards, which do make an appearance below. 1990 Hoops #65 Michael Jordan. 1 overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft, which of course, was O'Neal.". He averaged 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game over his first six NBA seasons, tallying 29 triple-doubles and earning five All-Star selections. This 1996-97 Topps Chrome Refractor Allen Iverson card is a rare example of the player known as the Answer. Just like the health of a company affect its stock, how much a player goes on to achieve affects the value of his rookie cards. Today we'll be looking at the 20 highest selling PSA graded. Counting down the 20 most valuable Basketball RCs of the 1990s. 11 Most Valuable 1989 NBA Hoops Cards - Old Sports Cards It features a bold Kobe dribbling the ball in a Lakers jersey with the background featuring his face looking on. He possessed incredible shoot ability for a power forward but was also known as a big-time rebounder who could take the ball coast to coast. Price: $600,000 . Also Read: 12 Most Valuable LeBron James Rookie Cards (2003-04 Exquisite Collection Rookie Parallel #78 Sold for $5,200,000), If youre going through your old sports trading cards at home, you might be sitting on a, Read More 15 Most Valuable Bo Jackson Cards (1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #50T Bo Jackson Was Sold For $12,300)Continue, Whilst Michael Jordans playing days are finished, his collectable cards are continuing to break records. Being a gold refactor, this basketball card is visually appealing. Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Basketball Rookie Cards of the 1990s As the modern-day big man, its no surprise to see one of Shaqs rookie cards making the list. A passing of the torch from the MJ years. Many basketball cards from the 90s decade are very valuable today, especially those featuring Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Not only was it the rookie year of Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, Topps Chrome was released. 1990 Hoops #205 Mark Jackson. Apart from being a piece of history, this is one very rare card. The card was released in a defining year for Iverson when he made his debut and won rookie of the year. The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant who unfortunately recently passed away, made his debut. The card features MJ soaring into the air with his arm outstretched. Top 1990s Basketball Rookie Cards to Collect Bolded links go directly to detailed player or set profiles. 1990 Big Blue Shaquille ONeal #19 Non Perforated card $100,000, 8. This card perfectly captures Robinson throwing down one of his two-handed slams, almost making it look easy. Weve combed through recent auction data to bring you a list of ten of the most expensive basketball cards from the 1990s. 1994 was not a particularly exciting year, as Jordan had left to play baseball following his 3rd championship in the 1992-1993 season. The Kobe version also features a basketball and a look of concentration on the face of the Lakers star. That is why its worth reaches the six-figure mark. The Honus Wagner T206 baseball card is considered the rarest card and would most likely break the record for the most expensive card if sold today. 1986-87 Fleer Clyde Drexler RC #26 Buy on eBay. The list is in order of year of release. 1990 Skybox card list & price guide. However, PSA (Pros Sports Authority) is generally regarded as the best. However, they were creating solid value through their base designs and high-end value through scarcity with their refractor parallels. Topps Chrome continued into 1998 with another highly collectible set of cards. Who else but Kobe Bryant in the top spot? Classic Games were a pre-rookie/prospect card company that managed to get the temporary exclusive rights to produce Shaq cards during his time at LSU, and the player was already becoming a major celebrity because of his size and skills. Most Valuable Baseball Cards 1990s - BaseballLoveClub.com The cards are wrapped in colored foil, which is highly susceptible to chips or wears and tear. Also Read:15 Most Valuable Michael Jordan Cards (1997 Psa 7 Was Sold For Over $1.4 Million In February 2021), (Sold December 2020 by Heritage Auctions). The 1990s saw a host of famous players make their debuts and play in their rookie years making the cards very valuable to collectors. The company will closely check the card, and give it a grade (out of 10 points). However, with so many basketball cards printed every year, a whole decade will have an ocean of cards, with a wide range of value. On Fire: Best LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards To Buy Now. As one of the fiercest competitors to ever play the game, Bird used his above-average shooting, passing and rebounding skills to help lead the Celtics to three NBA titles over his career. The signature of Michael Jordan on a basketball card is enough to make it special. The card is a redemption card, only available by mail. 25 Most Valuable 1990 NBA Hoops Cards - Old Sports Cards In this guide, Ill take you through the most valuable 1990s basketball cards, looking at their values and what makes them so rare. While his 1992 Bowman rookie is one of the iconic cards of the 1990s, it's actually his 1992 Fleer Update card that earns a spot on this most valuable list. Read our methodology . In that year, 90 cards were put into the base sets and separated into Rows. 1992 Classic Draft Pick Shaquille O'Neal Auto RC $500,000 4. The pre-rookie card is 1 of only 1200 and is graded by the PSA as a 10, making it highly desirable and rare. This basketball card has surged in value since that tragic passing of Kobe. It is the same thing with basketball cards. 1 pick in the 1996 NBA draft, ahead of UMass center Marcus Camby. As if that is not enough, the card is hand-signed by Michael Jordan himself. ), The 1982 Penny Value Chart (Most Valuable Penny Sold for $18,800), Most Valuable Antique and Vintage Vases: Identifying, Valuing and Buying (2023 Updated), A Detailed Outlook on the 2000 Sacagawea Dollar Value, Antique Floor Lamp: Identification, Valuation, And Buying Guide (2023 Updated), Kobe Bryant Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems #81, 1997 Michael Jordan Upper Deck Game Jersey (Autograph) #GJ13S, Classic Draft Pick Shaquille ONeal Auto RC, Upper Deck Ovation Super Signatures Gold Michael Jordan #MJS, Finest Gold Refractor Kobe Bryant Rookie #269, 1998 Michael Jordan Skybox Moltern Metal #41, E-X2000 Credentials Kobe Bryant Rookie #30, Finest Kobe Bryant Refractor W/Coating #269, Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row 1 Kobe Bryant Rookie #31, Upper Deck Michael Jordan (Game Jersey Autographs) #GJ10A, Auction (Popular high-end auction sites such as. Ungraded & graded values for all '90 Skybox Basketball Cards. This Kobe Rookie card produced in 1996-1997 is considered extremely rare. It also comes with a Members Only parallel, which can be distinguished by a faint watermark. 1993-94 Finest Anfernee Hardaway RC #189 Buy on eBay. 1 in the 1997 draft. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The 90s are known for a number of popular Jordan cards, but few match up to the Ultra Scoring Kings when you hold them up side by side. SP serial numbered their base cards to 3,500 and released a few noteworthy subsets such as this one. 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. (For example, the Row 0 version features a hilarious image of Kobe watching himself dribble.). Its currently listed on eBay for $500,000. Talking of special ONeal cards, youll be hard pressed to find one better than this Big Blue Shaquille ONeal #19 non-perforated card. Rather, the very valuable ones are rookie cards that feature stars of the game like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille ONeal, and Allen Iverson. The Bulls logo, red-colored key nameplate at the bottom and Pippen's bright red jersey really make this card pop to give it strong eye appeal. This later release paved the way for Series 1 and Series 2 releases in the hobby, as Series 2 could feature rookies after they began the season. Coming in the number 1 spot for the most Valuable 1990s basketball cards is the Kobe Bryant Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems card. You can still find hobby boxes from all these brands and years on eBay. Like Barkley, Malone was a guy who was clearly good enough to be an NBA champion but sadly never won one. 4 pick Stephon Marbury on draft night. This card is 1 of only 2 graded as authentic, making it very rare and valuable. Card company Flair made its debut a few years before, but 1996 was their best release to date. These include: 97 UD Michael Jordan auto patch #GJ13 BSA 10, 96 Finest Gold Refractor Kobe Bryant #269 PSA 10, 92 Classic DP Shaq ONeal auto RC PSA 10, and 97 Topps Chrome Refractor Allen Iverson #171 RC BGS 10. What is the most expensive basketball card? Topps Chrome would continue its status as top base set of the rest of the decade. The Super Signatures Gold Michael Jordan card is another example from the Upper Deck collection. 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. In the early to mid 1990s, there were few players as exciting to watch as Shawn Kemp. Fleer remains at the top for overall PSA graded card sales for 1991 basketball card brands, but the competition began ramping up. \What was your favorite decade of basketball? This is because it is a 1/1 autographed card. A passing of the torch from the MJ years, Kobes RCs are clearly some of the most popular youll find at auction today. He averaged 25.7 points per game during his second season in the NBA, peaked at 27.6 points per contest the following year and he earned eight straight All-Star Game selections during his time with the Raptors and Nets. Row 2 is the base set and more common while Row 1 and 0 are much rarer. This makes Big Shaq cards very valuable. When 1996-97 products were first released, Iverson was the rookie card to pull, and his immediate success only further boosted his appeal. The card has Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers printed at the bottom in gold. Okay, this is where it gets even more interesting. The card features Michael Jordan bouncing the ball as he prepares for a scoring run. What I wouldnt give to have one of these in my personal collection! We've listed the cards in order, starting with a great option from the late 1990s. Just twenty-three examples of this particular card were autographed, making them far rarer than the unsigned editions. It was released in 1990, two years before his rookies. Another card that makes it into our list is this SP Authentic Michael Jordan insert card. 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. Like Jordan, Pippen could score, rebound, pass and play lockdown defense. Impressively, it is in mint condition. While Marbury was the bigger star out of the gates, Allen went on to have the better NBA career by a wide margin, developing into one of the greatest three-point shooters in the history of the sport. 1990 Score Bo Jackson (#697) This just may be the most famous "baseball" card of the 1990s, and it remains one of the most popular. I do want to be 100% clear that most of the cards in this set sadly have no value these days. The card features Kobe in a yellow Lakers jersey passing the ball with one hand. In the same vein, those released in the players second year will be more valuable than those released in the third year, and so on. With all collectibles, condition is a big determinant of value. According to Upper deck, the odds of pulling a Michael Jordan insert card is 1 in 144. There are a lot of grading companies. Finest did begin adding a protective coating to peel and remove to their cards in order to prevent sticking and chipping off of the highly glossy, chrome-like surface. This 1997 Michael Jordan Precious Metal Gems card is another example from the Metal Universe brand. 2023 VIP Art Fair Collectibles - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP, 15 Most Valuable Bo Jackson Cards (1986 Topps Traded Tiffany #50T Bo Jackson Was Sold For $12,300), 15 Most Valuable Michael Jordan Cards (1997 Psa 7 Was Sold For Over $1.4 Million In February 2021), 11 Most Valuable Tom Brady Rookie Cards (Costs Upto $3M+), 11 Most Valuable Shaquille ONeal Rookie Cards (Round-up list), 11 Most Valuable Luka Doncic Rookie Cards (Worth Up to $4,600,000), 13 Most Valuable Rookie Cards (1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 Was Sold For $12,600,000). 20 Most Valuable 1991 Upper Deck Basketball Cards Following this, the coronavirus pandemic meant many fans were unable to attend in-person sporting events, leaving them with more money and a desire to interact with the sport. 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. 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. A high school phenom playing in one of the sport's biggest markets, Bryant was compared to Michael Jordan from the start of his pro career. Michael Jordan Cards), with lots of info about each one, including how and why they cost so much. 1980's Most Valuable Baseball Cards George Bush (1990 Topps #USA1) Yes, you read it right. How do I know if my cards are genuine? The card sold in February 2022 for $2,000,000 in a private sale making it the most expensive Kobe card sold. 1997 Skybox Z-Force Michael Jordan Quick Strike card $199,999, 7. As you might expect, the list is dominated by a few major players from the era, (cough, Michael Jordan) but there are a couple of cards that may have gone under your radar. Still, his status as one of the most dynamic stars of the 1990s has helped him maintain some enduring hobby popularity, and the 1994-95 Finest is his most sought-after rookie card. With basketball cards capturing the best highlights of the game and its players, the cards of 1990s are some of the most memorable, which makes them some of the most valuable. Also, I will NOT be using insert set values only the values of base sets. 1990 Hoops #113 Tim Hardaway Rookie Card This is currently listed on eBay for $100,000. Card numbers 49 - 72 in the set feature each player who participated in the 1991 NBA All-Star Game on February 10, 1991, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hall of Famer Vlade Divac left a legacy as one of the first European players to have a major impact in the NBA, paving the way for many more fantastic European players to come. Stats via Basketball Reference. Many of the cards were hand-signed by the man himself, making it one of the very first pieces of autographed Shaq memorabilia. Like many sports cards of this era, they were heavily produced in such large quantities that the market is still flooded with them. This Flair Showcase Legacy Collection Row 1 Kobe Bryant is an excellent Rookie card. 12. Top 1980s Basketball Rookie Cards Ranked List, Most Valuable Guide Parallels: Red PMG (/90), Green PMG (/10). The card is personally autographed by Jordan in a thin blue pen with the serial number 8/23 also handwritten. Vinyl Records Value: Your Old Value Records Worth a Fortune, Vintage Stiffel Lamps: Value and Price Guide, Vintage Smith Corona Typewriter: History, Models, and Value, Vintage Schwinn Bikes: [Types, Identification, and Values], Vintage Rooster Cookie Jar Identification and Value Guide. You wont find any like it anywhere. The worth of your card can swing wildly depending on factors like the type of card, who is featured in it, how rare it in, and its condition. Several of the players ahead of him also have rookie cards in 1986-87 Fleer Basketball. If he wasn't reigning jumpers over you with his lanky frame and offensive quickness, he was pulling down rebound after rebound or blocking the ball on defense. Shaqs rookie card + autographed + PSA 10 = very valuable. 1981 Topps Basketball Magic Johnson #21 The next card also features Magic Johnson, in a great action shot that sees him evading multiple players on the court. The odds reduce to virtually zero if the card is to be in mint condition. Theyll always make a list of valuable 90s memorabilia, for a number of reasons which soon become apparent. 25 Most Wanted Baseball Cards of 1990 - Wax Pack Gods Pippen's cards have also taken off since "The Last Dance" documentary went on air. Yet another Jordan card to make the list, his 1998 SP Authentic Sign of Times is a tiered release. With only 31 of these cards presented to Beckett for grading, this makes it highly desirable. The card features AI in his Sixers no. It last sold in 2019 for $350,100. The lanky 6'11" forward played sparingly as a rookie, tallying 10.4 points and 6.3 rebounds in 28.7 minutes per game, but his potential was impossible to ignore. It features MJ in pinpoint-sized, die cuts making a shadow illustration on half of the card. 1990 Hoops #391 Gary Payton Rookie Card. It is graded as a Beckett 8 with the autograph graded as a 10. But this particular one is pristine with BGS 10 grade. If you are looking to rip through an old hobby box, the most noticeable flaw will be off-center cuts. We've already touched on this card in our "10 Basketball Cards Every 90s Kid Should Own" article a few months ago: "Due to an exclusive sports card agreement with Classic Games, Shaquille O'Neal was not initially eligible to be included in 1992-93 products. 6 pick in the 1996 NBA draft, UConn standout Ray Allen was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks along with a future first-round pick in exchange for No. While it's impossible to say for sure (as those arguments go), there is no question that Olajuwon was an unstoppable force on both sides of the ball. He was a model of consistency in the middle of the San Antonio Spurs roster for 19 seasons, finishing his career 18th all-time in points (26,496) and seventh all-time in rebounds (15,091).