6 Undervalued Vintage Basketball Cards
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The NBA has become a global powerhouse that dominates the modern sports card market. Basketball cards are more popular than ever, but the vintage segment of the basketball card market still trails way behind that of vintage baseball.
Vintage baseball cards have many historical factors in their favor over vintage basketball. The first official basketball card set didn’t come out until 1948, then only one more set was produced until Topps took over in 1957. Then there was another nine-year basketball card hiatus until 1969 when Topps made the super popular “Tall Boy” set.
The choppy history of vintage basketball cards means that many legendary players did not receive cards in their prime. Vintage basketball cards’ lack of popularity may be a turn-off to some, but it is viewed as an opportunity for others.
Nevertheless, there are rare vintage basketball cards of basketball legends that could be found at great prices. This article will highlight some great values in this market in multiple price ranges.
1. 1971 Topps #70 Wilt Chamberlain PSA 6
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Card Appeal: Wilt Chamberlain has playing-days basketball cards from only five mainstream basketball card sets. Today’s players have cards in thousands of different sets, so that alone makes this 1971 Wilt Chamberlain card special. 1971 Topps has a beautiful vibrant and colorful design, and the Lakers purple Chamberlain card does not disappoint. “The Big Dipper” won a Lakers Championship during the 1971-72 season, making this card even more appealing to Lakers fans. This beautiful “Wilt the Stilt” card in PSA 6 condition could be had for less than
PSA Population Count: 369 (811 higher)
Price: $183 (sold 7/30/2025)
2. 1961 Fleer #36 Oscar Robertson Rookie Card PSA 2
Card Appeal: It comes from the iconic 1961 Fleer basketball set. The set is sought after because it bridged a significant gap in basketball card production and produced the rookie cards of Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Lenny Wilkens, and the above-mentioned Oscar.
The Robertson rookie is special because he is considered by many to be the best all-around basketball player of all time. Additionally, 1961 was an extraordinary season for Robertson, as he averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists (a triple-double!). A decent-looking PSA 2 copy of this card could be had for less than the price of a Panini Donruss Elite Basketball Hobby Box.
PSA Population Count: 80 (1,505 higher)
Price: $350 (sold 9/28/2025)
3. 1972 Topps NBA Rebound Leaders Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wes Unseld PSA 8
Card Appeal: This card features three Hall of Fame centers and three of NBA top 50 players. Wilt and Kareem are considered by most to be top 5 players of all time, which makes this card extra appealing. A playing days card of Mantle, Mays, and Clemente would fetch much more than this card, but Wilt/Kareem/Unseld had a similar impact on their sport as those three. This wonderful card with three legends can be had for less than the price of a 2024 Topps Finest Basketball Hobby Box.
PSA Population Count: 146 (only 44 higher)
Price: $58 (sold 12/16/2024)
4. 1961 Fleer #43 Jerry West Rookie Card PSA 3
Card Appeal: Jerry West’s silhouette is the basis for the iconic NBA logo. A rookie card of the literal “logoman” from the renowned 1961 Fleer set just seems like it should be worth a lot more. “Mr. Clutch” averaged 27 points per game for his career and made the All-Star team in every one of his 14 seasons in the NBA. West is considered by most to be a top 15 player of all time, and his rookie card in PSA 3 condition still costs less than a hobby box of 2024 Donruss Optic Basketball.
PSA Population Count: 140 (1,847 higher)
Price: $445 (sold 8/29/2025)
5. 1969 Topps #25 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) Rookie Card PSA 3
Card Appeal: People love the 1969 Topps “Tall-Boy” cards for their unique design and oversized format. The centerpiece of this set is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s iconic rookie card. Kareem was a superstar in the NBA right away as a rookie in ’69, and he is easily a top 5 player of all time. This card in a PSA 3 peaked at around $1,000 during the COVID card boom, and it could easily see those prices again. While today’s players have thousands of rookie cards each, this Topps Kareem is his only one, and a nice PSA 3 copy of the card costs less than a Prizm Deca Basketball Hobby Box.
PSA Population Count: 610 (4,066 higher)
Price: $486 (sold 9/11/2025)
6. 1969 Topps #98 Walt Frazier Rookie Card PSA 7
Card Appeal: Frazier's rookie season was in 1967, but this 69 Topps card is Frazier’s rookie because there were no mainstream basketball card sets from 1962 to 1968. Frazier is a top 50 player ever, and possibly the best Knick in franchise history. Knicks fans will always view Frazier as an icon because he was the best player on the last Knickerbocker’s team to win a championship. He is still relevant today as one of the very best NBA color commentators on TV. This iconic rookie could be had in near-mint PSA 7 condition for the price of two Panini Hoops Holiday Basketball Blasters.
PSA Population Count: 260 (4,066 higher)
Price: $300 (sold 9/21/2025)
David is a collector based in Georgia and a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees, New York Giants, and New York Knicks. He is an avid sports card collector with a strong passion for vintage baseball cards and vintage on-card autographs. David enjoys obtaining autographs through the mail and loves connecting with other knowledgeable collectors to discuss the history and evolution of the hobby. He also previously wrote about the New York Giants for GMENHQ.com