Any recommendations on a PSA basketball set?

tkd7

I'm looking for any suggestions on a graded basketball set to work on that won't break the bank.

When I was a kid I collected the '74 set. I liked the NBA/ABA mix. Wondering if that is a reasonable PSA set.

gaspipe26

1975 Carvel Disc's. Hard to find a nice set, but wont kill the pocket book.

TheCARDKid

I like the 77/78 set alot. An attractive design, good player selection, only 132 cards, and they're not impossible to find in mint condition like earlier Topps sets.

rbdjr1

1987/88 Fleer.

This is a 132 card set. U should be able to obtain many PSA 9s and some PSA 10s, without breaking the bank!

1987 Fleer #99 Jerry Sichting PSA 10 - Current high bid is under $4!

1987 Fleer #109 Otis Thorpe PSA 10 - Current high ebay bid is under $11!

1987 FLEER MICHAEL JORDAN 2nd Year - PSA 9 - Key card in series, with one day to go on ebay, this second year gem of Air Jordan is currently being auctioned on ebay, and the high bid now on ebay is currently around $100!

While not packed with stars, there still are plenty of good players to be had in this 132 card set: (...i.e., Kareem Abdul Jabbar (HOF), Charles Barkley, Larry Bird (HOF), Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving (HOF), Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson (HOF), Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon, Isiah Thomas, Mullen, Oakley, Parrish and many more!)...

edit: You should be able to pick-up many of the star cards in PSA 9 grade (i.e., Ewing, Bird, Jabbar, Magic, Barkley, etc.) at low prices! (for example, Ewing is being offered, currently on ebay, for around six bucks and Bird is being auction right now on ebay for around a high bid of $10 in PSA 9!).... Please note: There are three 100% completed PSA Registry sets (all three with a weighted GPA over 9!)

rbd

tkd7

Thanks for the tips. I'm not in a rush but I'm getting close to finishing a couple of sets and looking for something new.

Haven't ventured into basketball yet.

markmac

If you like vintage, you can't go wrong with the 1972 Icee Bear set of 20. They are great looking cards and will not set you back much.
Also, the 1988-89 Fleer set is super cheap. You can get some psa 9 commons for under $3

ldferg

81/82 topps. bird and magic 2nd year. dr j, mchale, issel, kareem, super action, etc... start with the base 66 and then as time permits do the regional issues. psa 9s can be had pretty much at the grading fees. 10s on the other hand will cost some $$$. if you can find someone to come off of them. i've sold a few, but they are hard to come by.

GOODLIEU

I think that you should always collect what attracted you to a set in the first place. Your remembrance of the 1974 Topps Basketball would be a perfect choice although it has 264 cards the commons do not go for a ton and frequently are sold in lots and the two major Rookie stars (Bill Walton/George Gervin) would probably cost the most in a PSA 8 but the major stars after that Wilt,West,Big O,Maravich etc are had at reasonable prices. Good luck on whatever you decide.
Sincerely
Art

1954

tdk-
I think an of the 72-79 would be pretty affordable. I know of a guy who has starter sets for most all of these years in PSA 8/9. If you decide what year to go after and you want a good jump start email me.

Shane
Shaneleo@aol.com

5STAT

It's all in your lack of taste...

The 70's cards are nice and having small sets..makes it easy to put together...but having to buy wax or vending can get costly to fill holes in your set.

As for the 80's sets....86 Fleer Sets are easily made in PSA8 or better condition....and you can pick and choose price....there are loads of that product everyday on Ebay!!

Now as for the 87 Fleer's....there are actually toughter than the 86's..as far as centering and print issues.....just do a comparision between total cards graded in those years.
The 87 low numbers are incredibley hard to find in PSA 9 or better shape!! I have the #4 All Time Finest set and have been working on it for 2+ years..it was #2 until late last year, when the people with deep pockets picked up all the 10's on Ebay...

When those hard to find low numbers come up...they go well above SMR....sometimes 4-6X....

But...you can pick up common singles on the cheap from time to time...like PSA 9's for $6-$9 each.......

As for the 88 and 89 Fleer sets......they are incredibley cheap to put together....so it's all in what you like.

Stingray

All this talk about basketball, I just bought this one. Thinking of doing this set slowly.


Stingray

Dhjacks

I've been working on all of the '70s sets, and if I had to choose one, I'd probably just work on the 1971 set (although I like the '74s also).
This is the first year that the ABA was included, and while Erving didn't come along until '72, it has a number of ABA rookies that won't break the bank. A beautiful and colorful set.

The 1972 set with Erving as a rookie is also a great set.
]
1973 is kind of bland.

1975 has more cards (330), includes team cards and is the last year with the ABA. You won't find as many graded examples on Ebay though.

Good luck.

fensfan

I collect all the basketball sets from early 70s and the mid to late 1980s and am most partial to the beautiful 70-71 set. It is cost prohibitive in mint grade for most but still reasonably affordable in 7-8's, along with a sprinkling of 9s.
As already mentioned by others, 86 fleer can't be beat for sheer RC power and also won't break the bank in psa 8 for just about every card but Jordan.
As always, choose what you like, then fight like hell to spend wisely!

fsjeter

I am partial to the 76-77 Topps Set. Only 144 cards in the set. It is condition sensitive because of the large design but mid grade (PSA 7) cards are readily available and not that expensive at all. PSA 8's are also available but cost a little more and PSA 9's can be expensive as there aren't that many available compared to other sets. Lots of HOF'ers (Jabbar, Erving, Walton, Gilmore, Maravich, Barry, Gervin, Frazier, etc.) and the RC of David Thompson. Also has some nice cards of current coaches during their playing days like Phil Jackson, Rudy Tomjanovich, and Doug Collins. Gotta love those Tall Boys!!

Scott

5STAT

aaahhhhh days of old (1990 to be precise) when I had all I could do to get $50 for a 76-77 set fresh from vending!!
Man, if I could turn back the clock!!

Dhjacks

As a kid, I bought basketball cards only to hold me over until baseball was available again. Therefore, my basketball cards weren't handled much. I submitted most of a set of 1975's and got mostly 8's, 9's and a 10 which got me a long way toward completing the set. Then I was going to submit the '76s. As I was getting them off the top shelf of the closet, I dropped them and messed up the top corners. I was sooooooooo ticked at myself.

Sheamaster

On a whim I started the '81 Topps set. In about one year I've got over 50% in all 8's and 9's. I bought about 30 of the 8's for $1/each on ebay. Very affordable 8's and most 9's are reasonable. I am finding that the regional cards are more difficult to come buy, which is nice for a challenge. A nice set with the first single cards of Bird and Magic.

tkd7

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm currently working on a 1978 Topps baseball set, so any of these basketball sets seems like a piece of cake.

I'm leaning to 1974, but the 1987 Fleer Set looks like a nice one as well.

brianwintersfan

'75's are very tough to find and I hardly see any popping up on Ebay in any quantity. I'm trying to work on a graded Bucks team set and I have one card so far! I just submitted three Brian Winters rookies from the set and one should get me a 9. If anyone has any 75's they want to dump please let me know. I need all the Bucks cards!

Stingray

Thanks a lot guys all this talk on basketball, has me going on the 88 Fleer. Would be a nice to have something else to do just besides 84 Topps. Thought it would be a litter cheaper and easier to do that one instead of 87 Fleer. It was sort of a toss up on which one I like better design wise. For those collecting Fleer which one do you like the best?

Stingray

Butcher

If anybody would like to finish what I started I will gladly sell my 1981-82 Topps basketball set that's listed on the psa set registry. Its about halfway finished with all the keys already bought. $1350 delivered and that also includes 2 vending boxes bought from bbexchange that haven't had any cards sent to psa yet.

fsjeter

<<It was sort of a toss up on which one I like better design wise. For those collecting Fleer which one do you like the best? >>

For me, '88-'89 hands down. No major rookies in the '87-'88 set. The second year Jordan and all the stars are present but that's about it. The '88-'89 set has all the same stars as the '87-'88 set as well as the RC's of Scottie Pippen, John Stockton, Reggie Miller, Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant, and Mugsey Bogues. It also has one of the toughest sticker sets produced by Fleer. Only 4 PSA 10's out of the 2,339 stickers submitted. Design-wise they are about equal but player-wise, I like the "88-'89 set better.

Scott

robr1967

I will make a plug here as well.

I have 32 cards from the 1969-70 tall boys. They are all PSA 8 with NQ. They are all pretty much commons, with a few of the lower (not extremely low) pop cards as well.

I have roughly 60% of SMR in the set, and really only look to try and make a small amount on the cards anyhow. So, if anyone would be interested in 1/3 of the set in one shot let me know.

Thanks
Rob Ruth

rruth@comcast.net

tkd7

<< <i>I will make a plug here as well.

I have 32 cards from the 1969-70 tall boys. They are all PSA 8 with NQ. They are all pretty much commons, with a few of the lower (not extremely low) pop cards as well.

I have roughly 60% of SMR in the set, and really only look to try and make a small amount on the cards anyhow. So, if anyone would be interested in 1/3 of the set in one shot let me know.

Thanks
Rob Ruth

rruth@comcast.net >>



Just a plug for Rob. We completed a deal for a large lot of 1978 Topps Baseball PSA 9 cards that went flawlessly. Great guy.

robr1967

Thanks for the plug.

Glad you enjoy the cards. It made it that much easier, since I was also local to you as well.

In the past, I have sold partial sets from several different years. (all baseball 1971, 1975, 1978) Just felt it was time to move on in those sets.

I am still working on the 1969-70 tall boy basketball set, but if anyone would be interested in it, just let me know.

Lothar52

the 87s are tough...my set is in 8-9 condition and i need about 6 more cards....looking for super centered cards for my set.