Kobe was always going to make any list with the most expensive 1990's cards, and the 1996-97 Topps set has one of the strongest rookie classes of all time. Your basketball cards can be worth anything from a few hundred dollars to millions of dollars. 1992 was all about Shaquille ONeal. Even in lesser condition, 1990 Topps Frank Thomas No Name on Front cards fetch thousands, making it the most valuable 1990 baseball card originally available to the general public. The 90s were a classic era, and arguably the best time to be a fan of basketball aside from the modern-day. 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. The 1990s is a storied decade in the game of basketball. Stats via Basketball Reference. 10 seed Santa Clara to an NCAA tournament win over Maryland as a senior, Steve Nash was selected 15th in the 1996 NBA draft. 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. The 1997-98 Kobe Bryant Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Card #81 was sold recently in a private sale for $2,000,000, making it the most valuable 1990s basketball card to date. It features MJ reaching to dunk the ball on the left with a red Chicago Bulls game jersey patch on the right side. One of the game's best point guards, Thomas was named one of the league's 50 top players. And to have any value at all, the cards on this list will need to be graded in PSA 10 gem mint conditionmeaning they're nearly flawless. Selling in auction sites some of these sites include eBid, Selling in online market places these include eBay and Craiglist. 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. Your email address will not be published. Theyll always make a list of valuable 90s memorabilia, for a number of reasons which soon become apparent. The sport was on the road to recovery following a lack of interest worldwide, helped by Jordan, Weve put together a list with 10 of the most expensive 90s, Weve combed through recent auction data to bring you a list of ten of the most, modern-day big man, its no surprise to see one of, 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, Many of the cards were hand-signed by the man himself, making it one of the very first pieces of, As with the majority of rare Jordan cards from the era, its tough to locate in high-grade and is also extremely popular among collectors and investors following the release of. It is graded 9.5 by Beckett (BAS). This non-perforated card had only 1,200 print runs making it a very rare Shaqs card. 1990 Hoops #358 Michael Jordan. This is because it is the big mans first trading card. The card features AI in his Sixers no. The pack version is the one that is considered his true rookie card, and it was also short-printed since it was a late addition to the set, making it the more valuable of the two and his most valuable rookie card overall. I've always loved the look and feel of this card as it captures Jordan up close doing what he did best: throwing down a slam dunk on a breakaway drive. What is the most expensive card in the world? Although other brands of the mid-90s havent sold as many PSA graded cards as Topps Chrome, each set has inserts and rare cards that can sell for top dollar. Given his height, almost every Shaq RC features him soaring towards the backboard, and this card is no different. With the majority being torn away, it's rare to find mint copies on the market. 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. The odds reduce to virtually zero if the card is to be in mint condition. 10 most valuable basketball card of the 1990s 1. 1993-94 Finest Anfernee Hardaway RC #189 Buy on eBay. This card is produced with a red foil background, making it not as rare as the green Metal gems card in the number 4 spot. Noteworthy rookies of the 1994 season included Jason Kidd and Grant Hill. 1986-87 Fleer Clyde Drexler RC #26 Buy on eBay. His rookie cards dramatically increased the value of all card brands. Some of the best players in the 1990s include: (This is by no means a complete list of the best players from the 90s). This 1992 Classic Draft Pick Shaquille ONeal Auto RC is regarded as one of the most valuable examples. This chrome approach to card design is one that is continued to this day. Talking of unreal basketball cards! 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. Row 2 is the base set and more common while Row 1 and 0 are much rarer. 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. You can still find hobby boxes from all these brands and years on eBay. He was then traded along with No. These are usually worth from a few hundred dollars to up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Being a rookie card with a limited number produced makes it more valuable. It is the same thing with basketball cards. 1. 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. They included a "Trade Upper Deck" card that could be sent to Upper Deck along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope in exchange for a special card of the No. This was a decade that saw one of the most revered players of the game make his debut. This Row 1 card is graded by Beckett as a 9.5 and was sold at a Goldin auction for $136,530. A Michael Jordan rookie basketball card can be worth a few thousand or a few hundred thousand depending on the set and grade. I'll never forget how he got the best of Shaquille O'Neal during the 1995 NBA Finals although you could argue O'Neal wasn't quite yet in his prime. Topps Chrome continued into 1998 with another highly collectible set of cards. 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. Of anyone besides Jordan on this list, Magic Johnson was probably the most exciting as you never knew what his next move was going to be. To understand this, lets take a look at the factors that make basketball cards valuable. Many of the cards were hand-signed by the man himself, making it one of the very first pieces of autographed Shaq memorabilia. Still, notable rookies included Baron Davis, Richard Hamilton, Steve Francis, Shawn Marion, and Jason Terry. This authentic stamp of the biggest name of the game raises the value of the card. Regardless, Hardaway goes down in history as a lighting quick player who constantly attacked the bucket, something Fleer captured nicely on his rookie card. The card has Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers printed at the bottom in gold. This set is nothing flashy but there is lots of solid value throughout. 3 jersey letting out a celebratory shout, with his teammates around. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 1 in the 1997 draft. A big part of the card is devoted to MJs signed autograph. Get my weekly newsletter with the latest hobby updates delivered straight to your inbox! 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. There are a lot of grading companies. Sometimes, what makes a collectible very rare and valuable is an error. Other things that make a card valuable are autographs and patches. In summary, if you're looking for a basketball card set with a lot of star power that you can acquire cheaply then this is one for you. 1996 Fleer Metal Universe Kobe Bryant #181 Error Card $48,000, 9. Kobe Bryant [BGS 9.5 GEM MINT] $1,674.50. The ascetically pleasing card design features two pictures of Jordan. 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. Finest introduced refractors, which is a coating on a cards surface that creates a rainbow-like shine when reflected by the light. 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This mint-condition autographed card is selling for $3,500, making it one of the most valuable baseball cards from the '90s. Getting your basketball card graded is simple as submitting your card to the company. The rarity of the Row 0 ensures that it makes the list of expensive 1990s basketball cards. Dikembe Mutombo and Larry Johnson were the top rookies of the 1991 class, and Jordan cards caught fire after he won his first championship against Magic Johnson and the Lakers to end the previous season. It is in the best condition possible. Allen was part of a loaded rookie class that was headlined by Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson, and while he wasn't the chase card in the 1996-97 Topps Chrome set, his rookie card is a solid consolation prize to anyone who missed out on pulling one of those cards. The card is graded as a Beckett 10, with only the card surface receiving a 9.5. There was competition from Skybox and NBA Hoops, but Fleer had really cemented itself in 1986. The card features MJ soaring into the air with his arm outstretched. Don't have that kind of cash in your bankroll? It is literally one of its kind. This is another special and rare autographed Michael Jordan basketball card. The 1989 Hoops David Robinson rookie card was one of the hobby's most-coveted basketball cards during the early 90s. Michael Jordan, now retired, helped the Chicago Bulls win their 6th NBA championship with his final shot as a bull. (Youll be able to tell, as the back notes where the swatch is from.). We've listed the cards in order, starting with a great option from the late 1990s. However, they were creating solid value through their base designs and high-end value through scarcity with their refractor parallels. The card comes from a 1997 set containing 123 cards. I'd like to think he's in the middle of going across the lane for one of his signature "baby sky hook" shots that were nearly impossible to defend. The Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant who unfortunately recently passed away, made his debut. Prices for 1990 Skybox Basketball Cards. His 1998-99 SP Authentic rookie card is actually his most valuable, but with a limited print run of 3,500, it was not eligible to be included in these rankings. 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. The lightning quick move allowed Hardaway to create just enough separation against opposing defenders to turn him into an elite scorer and passer. The card features Shaq as a rookie in an LSU jersey hanging from the rim with both legs in the air after a trademark dunk. 2 spot in these rankings. 15 (tie). The same card was then included in Hi-Series packs, with "#1 NBA Draft Pick" replacing "Trade Card" printed on the front. Below are some of the most memorable or important single basketball cards, sets and insert sets of the 1990s. 1992 Classic Draft Pick Shaquille ONeal Auto RC $500,000, 4. 1990 Big Blue Shaquille ONeal #19 Non Perforated card $100,000, 8. 1990 Hoops card list & price guide.