Tim Duncan's Best Cards As Rare PMGs Hit The Market
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The current boom in the hobby has caused long-hidden grails to surface as collectors look to capitalize on surging prices. We've seen an astounding 10 Tim Duncan PMG sales since August alone. Let's take a closer look at these recent sales and Duncan's most coveted cards.
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The 1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems is the third PMG Skybox released through its Metal Universe brand in the 1990s. It is a second year card for Duncan, and features a gold metallic shine as well as some beautiful script. This card is numbered to just 50 copies, and this PSA 5 sold at Fanatics for $9,300 last week. It is an absolute stunner with an action shot of Duncan rising over Chris Webber for an impending bucket.
This rookie year PMG is Duncan's second, as it came from Metal Universe's 1997-98 series two also called Metal Universe Championship. This PSA 7 sold for almost $44,000 in September at Goldin, beating a PSA 8 which sold at Fanatics for around $35,000 the week prior. It features a rookie Duncan in action, with a mesmerizing circular pattern in the background. Numbered to just 50 copies, this Duncan grail is one of the big fundamental's best cards.
From the set that introduced the legendary PMGs to the world, this is Duncan's true rookie PMG, Numbered to 90 copies with a solid red background, this card is a stunner and will stop most collectors in their tracks. The red contract with Duncan's black Spurs jersey gives viewers the sense that Duncan was living in a Metal Universe on Mars when this shot was taken. This BGS 7 copy sold for $50,000 at Fanatics at the end of August, beating a $40,000 PSA 6 sale on eBay the week before. Despite being numbered to 90 instead of 50, this first true rookie PMG of Duncan still consistently outsells its series 2 counterpart.
The grail of grails, the 1997 PMG greens are numbered to just 10 copies are some of the most sought after cards in the entire world. Common players regularly hit 5 figures, as set collectors and player collectors alike clamor for copies of these ghost cards. This BGS 8 sold for an astounding $228,000 dollars at Fanatics at the end of August, setting an all-time record for any Duncan card sale. Though some might say there are 1/1's with equal desirability, this holy grail is probably Duncan's best card and the market proved it.
The only non-PMG to make the list, this ghost card of Duncan is an underrated grail. With no public sales in a year when a PSA 6 sold for just under $1,000, the 1999 Stadium Club Lone Star Signatures is an unheralded grail. Rumored to have just 23 copies (via CardChannel), this card rarely shows up in public forums as most copies are stashed away in 'forever collections.' Duncan is the chase card in this autograph insert set, as he embodies the Texas Lone Star more than anyone else. Featuring Duncan on a background of stars, Stadium Club made the Lone Star state proud with this one. If you see a copy be sure to snag it as another won't surface anytime soon.
Growing up in 1990s New York City as a devoted Knicks fan, Sam discovered his passion for sports cards in grade school, when he'd visit local street dealers hunting for packs of Finest and Metal. After attending college in St. Louis, Sam spent time in Thailand and Mali working in international aid before the pull of the hobby brought him back. In 2020, he returned to collecting and launched his own card consignment business, reconnecting with the passion that defined his childhood.