Are 90's Basketball Cards Worth Anything?
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There is a common misconception among collectors that all cards from the 80s and 90s are worthless, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Don’t get me wrong, the era was so named “The Junk Wax Era” for a reason. Print runs were rampant and in a lot of instances the only “rare” cards were error cards, such as the “No Name” Frank Thomas rookie card.
That said, in the early 90s we witnessed the rise of unique inserts that began captivating collectors and enhancing the collectability of cards at that time.
Just look at what happened with 90s basketball cards.
In 1992 Stadium Club introduced the “Beam Team” insert, which could be found in 1:36 packs - not the most rare insert, but the design was a stark contrast to card design norms of the time. Instead of the standard white borders, this set had a more futuristic-looking, laser etchings. Combine this with the fact that it included one of Shaquille O’Neal’s most iconic rookie cards and you had the recipe for a set worth chasing.
For context, while a PSA 10 of Shaquille O’Neal’s commonly found Topps #362 base rookie card currently sells for around $100, a PSA 10 of his Beam Team rookie sells for around $5,000.
In 1993 we saw Finest introduce the refractor - a modified version of the base cards that have a rainbow-like reflection. These were included in 1:9 hobby packs, but the more prominent players were tough pulls when you consider the checklist had over 200 players.
Just look at Anfernee Hardaway’s rookie card that year. A PSA 10 of his base Finest rookie sells for upwards of $300, whereas a PSA 10 of his rookie refractor sells for upwards of $2,500.
Not only were these cards visually attractive, but they were also attractive on the secondary market.
It didn’t just stop with inserts and refractors either. Card companies leaned further into this idea of rarity throughout the 90s, introducing a flurry of new card design elements, such as game-used jerseys, serial numbered cards, and pack-pulled autographs, each with tougher and tougher pack odds.
1997-98 products may best represent the upside potential of 90s basketball cards in terms of collectibility and value.
1997-98 Upper Deck basketball first introduced game jersey cards. These cards included actual game used material in the card and were only included in 1:2,500 packs. Due to their rarity they command a premium, with the lesser known players’ cards even selling for hundreds of dollars. More prominent players, such as Michael Jordan, on the other hand very quickly get into the thousands - a BGS 9 of Michael Jordan recently sold for over $27,000.
You can’t talk about highly sought after 90s basketball cards without looking at 1997-98 Metal universe. That year’s Metal Universe included a new take on Precious Metal Gems (or “PMGs”), which was first introduced the year prior. For 1997-98, Fleer/Skybox limited the print run to 100 copies for each player, with 90 of the 100 cards printed with a red finish, and the initial 10 printed with a green finish.
While technically not the first serial numbered cards, these have become some of the most sought after basketball cards in existence, fetching upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars for the red Michael Jordan.
While most people may associate this era with overproduction, the 90s ushered in new innovations in card design still being used today. When you look beyond the mounds of base cards, you can see why 90s basketball cards still have collectors seeking out old binders looking for hidden gems.
