Few professional athletes have achieved the reputation and bravado that Dennis Rodman pulled off throughout his basketball career. Besides his flamboyance on and off the court, Dennis Rodman is arguably one of the best defensive basketball players in NBA history and his likeness has been edified on several high-value basketball sports cards ever since. During this article we will take a look at the most valuable Dennis Rodman Cards and
To date, Dennis Rodman’s Fleer 1988 #43 card is the most valuable and rare basketball card carrying his likeness. Although he’s hardly recognizable without his iconic multi-colored hair, his confidence and bombast are easy to see. Likewise, several Dennis Rodman rookie cards have appreciated in value, fetching price tags above the hundred-dollar mark.
Any fan of ‘90s basketball can appreciate the legendary career of Dennis Rodman. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of his most valuable basketball cards, explain what makes them special, and dive into the history of possibly the most enigmatic player of all time. Before we get into which are the best Dennis Rodman cards, let’s take a quick look at the career of one of the biggest National Basketball Association (NBA) names.
Dennis Rodman’s Career at a Glance
Dennis Rodman was born on May 13, 1961, in Trenton, New Jersey. He played basketball at Southeastern Oklahoma State University before being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1986 NBA draft.
Rodman quickly became a key player for the Pistons, helping the team win consecutive championships in 1989 and 1990. Over the course of his career, he established a reputation for himself as an intense player with fierce defensive and rebounding skills, as well as for his ever-changing hairstyles and off-court antics.
In 1993, Rodman was traded to the San Antonio Spurs, where he played for two more years before being traded to the Chicago Bulls. After this second trade, Rodman made up one of the most successful teams in NBA history, helping to win three more championships alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen from 1996 to 1998.
He was then traded a few more times, briefly playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks before retiring in 2000. In 2011, Rodman was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
When Was Dennis Rodman’s Rookie Season?
Dennis Rodman’s rookie season in the NBA was the 1986-87 season, during which time he played for the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 6.5 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game during his rookie season. By the end of the year, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and identified as an up-and-coming star before the coming season.
Although he was taken in the 1986 NBA Draft, the Dennis Rodman rookie card did not appear until the 1988-89 Fleer #43. In lower grades the value of this card is about $20. But in the higher grades and a gem mint, this is the holy grail of Rodman cards as you will see below.
The Most Valuable Dennis Rodman Sports Cards
From the day that Dennis Rodman joined the NBA to the day he retired, card companies were quick to release his image and stats for fans to collect. Thanks to his outlandish style, he’s been a fan favorite for collectors and, today, many of his cards are quite valuable.
The prices mentioned in this article are based on PSA 10s GEM-MT cards. So, if you do own any of these cards, don’t expect to make quite as much for ungraded base cards. So let’s take a look the first card of this list.
1. Fleer 1988 #43 Dennis Rodman
Although the Fleer 1988 #43 card wasn’t released in Dennis Rodman’s official rookie season, it’s widely considered to be the first rookie card ever made depicting the player. Understandably, it’s pretty rare with less than 300 graded GEM-MT cards, and it fetches a hefty price tag as high as $3,500 if sold in mint condition.
The card depicts a half portrait of Rodman holding a basketball while on the court and confidently looking up before taking a shot.
This initial release marks a different and perhaps less interesting period in Rodman’s career before he became known for his self-marriage, colorful hairstyles, and personal friendship with the leader of North Korea.
For its rarity and uniqueness alone, the 1988 #43 Fleer rookie cards are a consummate collectible item and worth every penny of their value.
2. 1993-94 Finest Dennis Rodman Refractor #173
After a successful run with the Pistons, Dennis Rodman was traded to the spurs in 1993, where he played two seasons. The 1993-94 Finest Refractor #173 captures Rodman on the court wearing his new Spurs jersey, with a psychedelic blur of color and texture behind him, perfectly capturing Rodman’s personality and flamboyance.
This is arguably one of the rarest Dennis Rodman cards in the world with less than 100 graded items and only 1 GEM-MT offering reported by PSA. Understandably, that single GEM-MT card sold for a hefty amount, totaling $1,173 at auction.
If you own a copy of this card, we highly recommend sending it in to be appraised, as it could be worth quite a lot of money. Cards graded between a PSA 8 and 9.5 could still be worth as much as $400.
3. 2003-04 SP Signature #AS-DR Gold Dennis Rodman
The last card we wanted to share was the Upper Deck 2003-04 SP Signature #AS-DR Gold Dennis Rodman card.
This series was specifically released to be as rare as possible with a low print run of 50. Each card in the set was personally signed by the players represented, making them inherently more valuable than standard cards.
The set also contained unique Gold cards, which were even rare than the standard Signature cards.
To date, only 2 PSA10 GEM-MT cards have been recorded, making this probably the all-time rarest Dennis Rodman card in the world. At auction, this card has earned an outstanding $2,026, however, due to its incredible rarity, it’s unlikely to see another sale anytime soon.
How Much is a Dennis Rodman 1991 Fleer #63 Card Worth?
When it comes to Dennis Rodman basketball cards, this is one of the most common questions we get. With only 71 graded cards on record, though, it’s understandable that collectors are curious about how much they can earn for their copies. Unfortunately, though, the 1991 Fleer #63 card has yet to achieve the same value as other Dennis Rodman cards.
The 1991 Fleer #63 card depicts Dennis Rodman recovering the ball in mid-air while wearing his original Detroit Pistons jersey. Despite the exciting action shot, though, the overall aesthetic of the card is fairly simple with a plain blue frame around Rodman’s portrait.
The back of the card feature’s Rodman’s stats and a brief description of his career set against a wooden background.
Overall, its simple design has made the 1991 Fleer #63 card one of his less desirable over the years. And, despite its limited population, the end result is that it rarely sells for more than $20 irrespective of its condition.
How Much is My Dennis Rodman Card Worth?
As you can probably tell from the wide range of values, some Dennis Rodman cards sell for a small fortune while others sell for just a few dollars. The value of your card will ultimately be determined by a number of factors including its rarity, condition, and specific design.
To determine the exact value of your Dennis Rodman card, we highly recommend sending it into PSA for a professional appraisal. They’ll be able to provide you with an official value and help you discover if you have a valuable card. If you do find you have a rare card that’s worth money and you choose to sell. They can even help you find a buyer who’s willing to pay top dollar for your card.
Other options to sell any of your cards with high grades would be to consider somewhere like Goldin Auctions who regularly have
The Bottom Line
Dennis Rodman was one of the most popular players in the NBA during his career and, today, he remains one of the most popular basketball cards to collect. Thanks to his iconic image and multi-colored hair, Rodman’s cards are highly sought-after by collectors. As a result, they’re up there with some of the more expensive basketball cards. For collectors of basketball legends his cards are definitely within the reach of many collectors.
So, if you own any Dennis Rodman cards, be sure to have them professionally appraised to determine their value. You may be surprised to find out just how much your cards are worth for one of the biggest NBA names of his 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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