April 8th 2008
Upper Deck and Topps are the two main companies producing modern basketball cards today. Most basketball card collectors have cards of either company in their valuable basketball card collection. In the present generation of basketball card collecting, it is often the brand that matters. The one sought after by most is Upper Deck. Upper Deck has come out with an innovative idea for its collectible brand of basketball cards, SP Authentic. SP Authentic Basketball and the SP Signature Edition are definitely two of those beautiful and memorable sports cards that should form a part of any collector’s dream basketball card collection. On the plus side, those basketball cards are relatively affordable.
The 2006-07 SP Authentic Basketball set comes in a box of 24 packs, with each pack having 5 cards. They have cards of veterans, rookies, autographed cards and even memorabilia. The base set has about 90 cards of veterans and given the small amount of common cards and inserts, it is possible that you will get all the veterans for your basketball card collection, including duplicate. They also have basketball card rookie cards and if you are lucky, you might get a Rookie Authentic card signed by the basketball player. This edition also has autographed cards and memorabilia cards. Our suggestion, buy the entire set.
The 2006-07 SP Signature Edition is every basketball card collector’s dream set as it contains autographed cards of all its players. The card set comes in a tin, with a single pack of three cards, one being an autographed card and the other two are base cards. When this edition was created, it was a one of a kind, but that is not the case today. You have more options available in the market that helps you get more and better signed or autographed cards for your basketball card collection.
If you are new to basketball card collecting, it may be a good idea for you to start off with these branded packs.
April 1st 2008
Collecting sports cards is a hobby that usually begins at a very young age, where there was not much money involved. Given your age and the money factor, you ended up choosing the cheaper bargains, often scouring both the local hobby store and garage sales, going for the cheapest basketball cards to add to your collection. However, today, now that you are both older and have the extra cash ready to spend, those high end rare basketball cards are looking better than old cardboard. However, adding vintage sports cards to your basketball card collection will take some searching and patience. Buying high end collectibles is a big gamble because you might end up paying more and not getting your money’s worth. Take time to understand the product, do appropriate research before actually investing in it and adding it to your basketball card collection. If you are a professional basketball card collector and look for trading opportunities, you need to be more cautious.
So, what is the high end collectibles market in basketball cards and are they really worth the money? Well, if you are interested in speculating in the current market, take a look at the 2006-07 Bowman Sterling Basketball and 2006-07 Chronology Basketball sets. These two basketball card collectibles may be worth the money you are investing and could form a part of your basketball card collection. The 2006-07 Bowman Sterling Basketball box contains six packs of five cards and a box topper pack that contains an extra card. Each pack is supposed to contain two regular rookie cards, one autographed rookie card, one relic rookie card and a veteran card. Autographed rookie cards may be worth the price and has demand in all seasons The advantage of this box is that though it is in the higher end series and you might not get what you want, it still leaves you satisfied with what you have. The second high end collectible for your basketball card collection is the 2006-07 Chronology Basketball which contains cards in tins and there are eight tins in a case. Each tin contains autographed cards of players of the past, present and the future basketball players. As an additional bargain these tins contain redemption cards for the most sought after present day rookie cards.
At the other end of the market are true vintage collectibles. For example, a Michael Jordan rookie is valuable, but isn’t really a vintage collectible. Before the sports card market for basketball took off, in the 1980’s is when you would start. We’ll cover this in a future article.
March 24th 2008
Basketball card collecting enthusiasts normally seek rare cards that add both value and a special touch to their collection. In this context, what can be more special than the rookie card of a baseball player? It is the first card of a player manufactured in the year of his debut and is the only one of its kind. Most companies manufacture very few rookie player cards and hence they are not as easily available as the other cards of the same player. With respect to basketball, rookie cards are a definite collector’s item and should be a part of every basketball card collection. Given the fact that fewer card manufacturing companies produce basketball cards than baseball cards, it is obvious that these rare rookie cards form an inherent part of that special basketball card collection.
Rookie basketball cards of new players are definitely a gamble as they will become valuable, only if the player does extremely well. It also depends on various factors like the basketball player performance, fan popularity and even his personality. However, despite the odds, avid collectors feel that no basketball card collection can be complete without the latest rookie cards in it. Like all other sports card collecting, even in basketball, the primary reason to collect is because they love their player or team, connect with them and want a piece of the action.
A few rookie cards to look out for your basketball collection include Kevin Durrant, Greg Oden, Joakim Noah, Brandon Wright, Nick Young, Yi Jianlian, Corey Brewer, Mike Conley Jr., Acie Law and Al Horford. These are promising young players who have been drafted by the NBA, a lot of things have been said about them in the media. Each player has his own strengths and weaknesses that stake the odds in his favor. Of course there are many other company checklists that you should study and do research before making your final buy of rookie basketball cards.
February 25th 2008
For all those basketball fans out there, nothing is more special than having a classic basketball card collection featuring your favorite players. A basketball player card is both a matter of pride as well as sentiment and it binds the sports fan to his or her favorite basketball player. While the general rule is to buy the basketball cards of your favorite players and enjoy collecting it, no true basketball card collection is complete without its vintage cards or historic sets. If a basketball card collection were to contain all the top player cards in their rookie years, it would be highly desired by avid basketball card collectors. However, the drawback is given the multiple companies producing basketball cards, it is not possible to have all the basketball players in a single pack and you may have to go on a hunting spree to collect all the basketball cards of your favorite players from different sources.
Twenty years ago, however, that was not the case. There was only one company, Fleer, that manufactured basketball cards. It was during this time that great champions like Michael Jordan entered the NBA along with others and dazzled basketball fans with his skills. However, before Fleer entered into the basketball card manufacturing business, Star company manufactured rookie cards of these players. Despite this, today the most sought after cards for a complete basketball card collection is the Fleer Historic Set of 1986-87 and the most sought after rookie card is the Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card. The Jordan rookie card is the most sought after basketball card for basketball fans, bar none.
Apart from Michael Jordan, this Historic Set of Fleer features other great players like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The Historic Set from Fleer is also a great addition to your basketball card collection because it contains other great rookies like Karl Malone, Joe Dumars, Isiah Thomas, Chris Mulin among others. The near mint condition cards from this set are definitely an asset to your existing basketball card collection.
February 19th 2008
Our first review of the the search stats at BasketBallCardChase.com yields a few surprises. But, at the top, there is no surprise at all.
First, near the top of the list are two basketball player superstars from the eighties. For basketball card collectors, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson are near the top of the list. Their playoff duels are classics for any basketball card collection.
At the top of the list, Michael Jordan. Jordan, by far, has the most sought after basketball cards. At any price range, from the rookie card to all-stars to reprint, basketball cards of Michael Jordan are the most popular.
February 4th 2008
An ardent basketball fan and card collector need not despair anymore when trying to find a card for their collection. Their favorite cards can be accessed and bought very easily through the Internet. Sitting right at home or at the office, you can buy the basketball card you want, at the price you want, with just a small click. This has become possible because most card manufacturing companies have either started their own websites or are auctioning or selling through retailers. The Internet has become quite popular and almost every collector uses this medium either to locate, search, buy or sell basketball cards.
It has been seen that leading card manufacturers like Topps, Upper Deck, Fleer etc have their own websites that sell basketball cards in sets to buyers. They announce the various card sets that are popular and by checking with the price guides and other checklist reviews you can buy the set of cards that you like most. This is a good option for people who have started recently collecting basketball cards as these sites provide indepth review, analysis and information related to basketball cards, not to mention value and price.
Among the online retail units that sell basketball cards, Naxcom is rated the best by both dealers as well as buyers. Other online retail card units like the House of cards or DCS Sports Cards, Games and Cards are also a good place to buy basketball cards. These outlets buy the cards from the manufacturing companies and sell it through their sites. They offer shipping of the cards to your place of residence, thereby making the entire card purchase simple. This option is great for collectors who are very busy and cannot spare much time researching basketball cards.
Lastly, basketball cards, like all other sports cards, are auctioned through the Internet through auction sites like Ebay and uBid. If you want an individual card to complete your existing collection, then Ebay is your best bet. However, if you want card sets directly from the retailers and that too at an attractive bargain then you should try uBid
January 28th 2008
Collecting basketball player cards can be a daunting task for people who are new to basketball card collecting. Given the wide variety of cards available, it can also be frustrating. All fans of basketball want to have that perfect collection of their favorite players, but many do not know what to buy, how to buy and where to buy from. Let us deal with what to buy here. Very simply, people flounder at the choices available and therefore end up buying basketball cards that are either duplicates or not as valuable as they assume. So what does one collect and what are the latest choices available, is the query in most collectors mind, especially collectors who have started a basketball card collection recently or planning to start a new collection.
Rookie cards are the most sought after cards in the game of basketball. Most players, via their basketball players union, have entered into a contract with the card manufacturing companies. Hence they almost immediately come out with a rookie card of the player, before he even appears in his first game. These cards of the players, especially those with a lot of promise, are highly popular and are a good buy. Also, rookie cards of existing players, who are both excellent in the game and popular, should form a part of your collection, as they are valued very highly. The value of rookie card fluctuates on large scale and is determined by various factors like performance of the player, past record and his popularity in public. Rookie cards are a good bet to be used as trading cards.
Among other collectible cards, come the limited card editions released by the various basketball card manufacturing companies. It has been seen that signature editions or inserts are very popular with collectors as it binds them with their players. Some card manufacturing companies have come out with specific period related card sets that are a good buy for collectors, like for example, the historic cards manufactured by Fleer. Some basketball cards come with the authentic signature of basketball players and are quite popular among collectors as it gives a personal touch to their basketball card collection.
Lastly, of course, all sports card manufacturing companies come out with their own checklists that help us get an idea of what to buy and where to buy it. These checklists can be compared with the price guides that mention the value of each card and hence helping in taking the final decision as regards purchase depending on one’s budgetary allowance.
January 21st 2008
Basketball card collecting is an age old hobby that has brought together many basketball fans. Card collectors often form a community of their own, discussing and trading their sports cards amongst themselves. If you are planning to collect or sell basketball cards, it is necessary to know the value of the card, as the value will determine its price. This is of great importance as trading basketball cards can be risky and one needs to be cautious. The question now is, how is the value of a basketball card determined? The following steps will help and guide you in determining the value of your basketball card.
First, the condition of your basketball card plays a very important role in determining its value. Any card that is kept in impeccable condition will be valuable and fetch a high price for the seller. So it is important to determine the condition of the card before actually selling it. Condition of the card can be easily determined by a local card shop dealer or any online site which guides you to determine the condition of basketball card yourself. There are fixed criteria on which condition of the basketball card is determined and the approximate value it can fetch.
Secondly, the year of the card is very important as older vintage cards are more valuable when compared to newer ones. Also, if you possess a rookie card, then its value increases as rookie cards of players are in greater demand. Similarly, if your card is from a rare and limited edition, then its scarcity will increase the value of the basketball card. To get more information regarding the basketball card history, origin and other details, do as much as research possible.
Lastly, the best way to identify the exact value of the basketball card is to subscribe and read price guides that talk about the value of the card. Also internet auction sites are another resource that gives you information about the value of your card and can be a valuable tool in determining the value of your basketball card. To find a price, find a card similar to your card listed on Ebay and track it. Once the auction has expired, take a look at the final price for the basketball card to get an idea of its value.
January 17th 2008
This past Sunday, Donald D. Peck, the retired President of Fleer pass away.
At the helm of Fleer, Mr. Peck challenged Topps and their monopoly on the sports card industry. The challenge went all the way to the Supreme Court in 1982 where Fleer was rejected in their challenge to publish baseball card packs. However, he found a way around the ruling and Fleer flourished providing sports cards to fan collections.
More information about the life of Donald D. Peck.
January 14th 2008
Collecting Basketball cards is a hobby that has recently become very popular. In the early days, the game saw very few enthusiasts and hence the number of basketball sports cards available was manufactured by few companies and was also few in numbers. It was quite easy for basketball fans to buy and collect basketball cards, however, the entire scenario has changed today, given the rising popularity of the game, many companies have started manufacturing basketball cards and there are lot of varieties, designs and shapes available in the market. It has now become very important to know what to buy and what not to buy. Here we shall deal with a few pointers on what basketball cards to buy that will determine their future value and card price.
The first step towards starting any card collecting hobby is to understand your budgetary allowances. You have to set a price limit for your purchases, which in other words mean, that you have to decide the amount you are willing to spend on your basketball card collection. Price of cards can be compared using the various online card price guides that are available as well as the online sources of cards for sale. These will help you identify important and valuable cards and also give you information regarding the various bargains available for basketball cards.
Once the price range is decided, you can first choose to start with a set of beginners cards that are easily available at all hobby stores. You could also buy rookie cards of the players you like who are playing today as they can usually found easily and affordable. Another choice for collectors today is that they can also buy cards with serial numbers. These are often more expensive than the non serial cards but they represent a finite set of cards and categorizing these cards become easy if it is already indexed.
Lastly, before buying any basketball card, it is important to realize the importance of accurate research. It is important to discuss card statistics with other collectors and friends. You can also keep in touch with the latest value trends by subscribing to any sports card collectors magazine.