About Basketball Cards

History

• Trading cards were originated by tobacco companies in the late 1800s as a way to spur interest in their products, but they are more widely known for being included with such products as bubblegum or breakfast cereals. What was initially a hobby evolved into a multimillion dollar industry with such major players as Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer and others vying for a piece of the market. While early basketball cards typically featured a picture of the player on one side and his stats on the other, modern cards may include an autograph, a piece of a game worn jersey or other inclusions that radically increase the value of the card to collectors.

Significance

• A 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card fetched more than $2 million dollars from a collector, making it the most expensive collector's card in history. While such transactions are exceedingly rare, professional card traders generate impressive income from acquiring and selling basketball and other sports cards. The ESPN sports network reported a LeBron James/Carmelo Anthony autographed jersey patch basketball card sold on eBay for $13,000. Some basketball cards have become so popular that counterfeiting has now become a serious problem in the industry.

Features

• Basketball cards have no inherent value. The worth of a basketball trading card, or any other item of sports memorabilia, is based on the popularity of the player or team, the condition of the card and the availability of the card. Due to the increase in counterfeit cards, a number of serious investors have turned to recognized leaders in the industry, such as Beckett, to grade and authenticate their cards. Cards are graded as Mint, Near Mint, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair or Poor. There is often also an numerical value assigned to graded cards.

Considerations

• Although professional basketball is a popular sport in the United States, basketball trading cards have lagged behind baseball and football trading cards in popularity among both hobbyists and investors. Topps, of the major innovators in the trading card industry, created their first line of basketball cards in 1957. The collection did not sell well and the company didn't make basketball cards again until 1969. They ceased production of basketball cards again in 1982 but re-entered the market in 1992.

Popular

• Many professional collectors believe the first card a player is on, the rookie card, will be the most valuable card of the player's career. The challenge is guessing which rookie player will be the next Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson. Limited edition cards, which may include an autograph or a piece of a game-used jersey or other piece of equipment in packs of cards, also known as inserts, are increasingly popular with collectors and fetch a premium over other cards. According to sports memorabilia retailer Sportsbuy.com, the 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card is one of the most popular, and most counterfeited, cards of the modern era. Jordan's9rookie card goes for around $300 depending on grade.