NBA Hoop Card Sets are the latest craze in sports collectibles. They come in two varieties: autographed or unsigned.
Autographed cards feature a player’s signature on the back of the card. Unsigned cards don’t have a player’s name on them. The value of these cards varies depending on who they feature and where they are from.
Some players’ signatures are worth thousands of dollars. Others are worth much less. If you want to get into collecting basketball memorabilia, you’ll need to decide whether you want to invest in high-end or low-end cards.
Hoops was founded by two brothers named Bill and Steve Jones. Their company released the first-ever rookie cards back in 1981. They were called the “Rookie” because these cards featured rookies who had never played before.
Over the next few decades, the company continued to release different types of cards including autographs, inserts, parallels, and much more.
In 2017, Hoops released the first set of NBA cards featuring the new jerseys of each team. These cards included the first rookie cards of players wearing those jerseys.
If you are reading this article, then you surely will want to know if the cards you own are worth a significant amount of money.
Read on to find out how to check a card’s price, what makes some cards more expensive than others, and where and how to sell them.
Where To Check A Card’s Price And Where To Sell
In the past, collectors generally depended on Beckett to assess a card’s worth. This magazine was popular because it established the industry standard for price, especially in the 1990s.
This is no longer the case, as the pastime’s popularity continues to increase.
While Beckett is still in existence, the majority of collectors assess value using online purchasing platforms and specialized software pricing algorithms. Comparing eBay sales prices is the most visible example of this.
To utilize this feature online, type the name of the card into eBay’s primary search box. After that, scroll down the leftmost category list on the UI.
Continue doing so until the “Sold Items” and “Completed Items” boxes appear, at which point you can check them.
This returns a list of all verified sales of the specified card, together with the price at which they were sold. Often, the sold prices will reflect the card’s current worth.
Along with eBay price comparisons, hobbyists may make use of specialized pricing tools. Card Ladder, Slabstock, and Marvet Movers are just a few of these.
They maintain a comprehensive database that covers almost all cards, their related price, and market trends. However, keep in mind that certain software applications require a monthly or annual fee to continue using them.
How Can You Tell If A Card Is Rare?
Not all playing cards are equal. While the bulk of them are mass made, a select few are more expensive. There are several factors to consider when assessing the rarity of a card. Let’s take a look at those now.
Card Sets
To begin, collectors should be aware that certain sets are limited edition. The most popular products on the market are Panini’s NBA Hoops and Donruss.
Due to their great market presence, the ones from these things are regarded to be less expensive.
NBA Trading Cards
Following that are chrome cards, which collectors worldwide view as the industry standard. Prizm and Select, for example, have a sleek aesthetic, which improves their demand.
The most limited edition sets, such as National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate, are then added to this tier.
These limited-edition items are significantly more costly than Panini’s more affordable options. As a result, cards earned via these transactions are rare and attract higher customer attention.
Parallel and Short Print Cards fall into this category since they are more limited in supply than the market’s regular selections. A parallel is a version of the base card that deviates from the base card in some aspects, such as color or design.
Short print cards, on the other hand, are printed in a limited amount, which makes them more difficult to locate.
Both of these types carry a higher price tag. Parallel or short print cards are more expensive in contrast to the most prevalent. Collectors typically pay a premium for them due to their superior long-term value.
Rookie Cards
Panini presents a list of players making their NBA debuts in their comprehensive range of merchandise each year.
Because they are the first goods to showcase these young sportsmen, they are more expensive than items showcasing league veterans.
Additionally, the price and demand for the top players in each new class grows in comparison to those rookies who underperform or do not receive sufficient playing experience.
What Cards Are The Most Valuable Today?
While there are several NBA player’s cards that can fetch a lot of money on the resale market, some are far more desirable to buyers than others. If you have any of the following cards in your collection then you may be in for a big payday.
Hoops Michael Jordan
This card was made during Jordan’s last season in the NBA. He played for the Chicago Bulls in the 1992-93 season. This card is estimated to be worth $550.
Jordan’s performance during the 1990-1991 season was incredible as he led the league in scoring and led the East to win over the West in the ‘All-Star’ game. He also won the first NBA championship after he led the Bulls to defeat the Lakers 4-1.
Hoops Michael Jordan AllStar
This card is estimated to be worth around $300. Each card in this set features a golden border around the edges. The city of Miami hosted the 1990 All-Star Game. There were 19 future Hall of Fames in the East, and all of them were future Hall of Famers.
Topps Bill Russell
This is an extremely rare card. Only 1,200 were printed. It was issued as part of the 1957 Topps baseball set. The card is extremely hard to find and very expensive.
Collectors are willing to pay hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a copy. In fact, this card has been sold for over $300,000!
Summary
Hold onto the cards as long as possible because they may appreciate in value. Sell them to a local card shop or eBay.
Don’t always expect to get a high price for your card though, as like all things the value will go up and down through time.
When I was just starting out with my card collection, I had lots of questions about authenticity, trading, and card conditions. But with not that much information available online, I felt quite alone in my queries. Some questions still haven’t been answered to this day.
This site aims to rectify this, and now, I am passing on my knowledge!
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