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"Must Own" Modern NBA Rookie Cards without Fabric, Ink and/or Numbering

ThoseBackPagesThoseBackPages Posts: 4,871 ✭✭
in Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum
Yep, thats right, ANOTHER Basketball Rookie Card thread.

i am looking to put together a list of "Must Own" Modern NBA Rookie Cards without any Fabric, Ink and/or Numbering.
Not looking for "Value" per se, but Rookie Cards that really should be in everyones collection, if they choose to collect NBA Rookie Cards

You know, the good old way things used to be when we were young!

For arguments sake, lets make Modern 1980 onward (and i am well aware of STAR Basketball)

1980 Topps: Bird/Magic
1986 Fleer: yada yada yada
1988 Fleer: Pippen, Stockton, Rodman, Miller
1989 Hoops: Robinson
1992 Upper Deck: O'Neil
1996 Topps Chrome: Kobe
1997 Topps Chrome Duncan
2003 Topps Chrome Lebron
2007 Topps Chrom Durant


i may be missing some and would love to hear what you guys have to add, and why!







Big Fan of: HOF Post War RC, Graded RCs
WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle

Comments

  • mtcardsmtcards Posts: 3,340 ✭✭✭
    If you are looking for "iconic" cards, I would change the Shaq to the 1992-93 Stadium Club Beam Team. As for others, 1994-95 Finest Grant Hill, 1995-96 Finest Kevin Garnett and the 1998-99 SP Vince Carter. Sure you could include Dirk and a handful of others looking back on it, but at the time those cards were out, they were the tops in the market
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  • MrNearMintMrNearMint Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭
    I don't know if these cards fall into the "must have" category but they are cool cards of great players!

    90-91 skybox Gary Payton
    90-91 fleer Shawn kemp
    90-91 fleer rookie sensation Tim hardaway
    93-94 finest anfernee hardaway refractor or non-refractor
    93-94 finest Chris webber refractor or non
    94-95 finest Jason Kidd
    94-95 finest grant hill
    95-96 finest Kevin Garnett
    96-97 ultra Ray allen
    96-97 Allen iverson
    97-98 metal Tracy McGrady

    Everyone always wants the finest or chrome rc's but after kg's year they just became redundant and kind of boring looking imo. Take for instance Kobe Bryant's chrome rc. It's kind of boring, but his ultra rc and the overall look of the 96-97 ultra base set its probably one of the coolest looking base sets of the 90's. and its condition sensitive too typically with bad corners and chipping on the edges, which you'd think would be harder to get in high grade but everyone seems to prefer his chrome or finest cards.



  • CenteredMantlesCenteredMantles Posts: 164 ✭✭✭
    Great suggestions so far. I would add the following:

    1981-82 Topps Kevin McHale
    1983 Star Isiah Thomas
    1983 Star James Worthy
    1983 Star Dominique Wilkins
    1983 Star Clyde Drexler
    1984 Star Michael Jordan
    1984 Star Charles Barkley
    1984 Star Akeem Olajuwon
    1984 Star John Stockton
    1985 Star Patrick Ewing

    1993-94 Finest Penny Hardaway
    1996-97 Chrome Allen Iverson
    1998-99 SP Authentic Dirk Nowitzki
    1998-99 SP Authentic Vince Carter


  • Bravesfan007Bravesfan007 Posts: 186 ✭✭
    You've pretty much covered all the iconic rookie cards. The future card you should really keep your eye on is the 2009 Topps Chrome Stephen Curry. All cards in that set are numbered 999 and there's a 500 refractor version. Even though you said no numbering, I think that's his key non auto card. Somebody correct me. He's turning into a star and they are arguably the best team in basketball right now.
  • eagles33eagles33 Posts: 2,683 ✭✭✭
    thes are on my rookie card checklist..

    Player Year Company
    Larry Bird/Magic Johnson 1980 Topps
    Kevin McHale 1981 Topps
    Isiah Thomas 1983 Star
    Clyde Drexler 1983 Star
    Dominique Wilkins 1983 Star
    Michael Jordan 1984 Star
    Charles Barkley 1984 Star
    Akeem Olajuwon 1984 Star
    John Stockton 1984 Star
    Patrick Ewing 1985 Star
    Karl Malone 1986 Fleer
    Chris Mullin 1986 Fleer
    Scottie Pippen 1988 Fleer
    Dennis Rodman 1988 Fleer
    Reggie Miller 1988 Fleer
    David Robinson 1989 Hoops
    Shaquille O'Neal 1992 Topps Stadium Club Beam Team
    Kevin Garnet 1995 Topps Finest (without coating)
    Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Chrome
    Allen Iverson 1996 Topps Chrome
    Time Duncan 1997 Topps Chrome
    Paul Pierce 1998 SP
    Dirk Nowitzki 1998 SP
    Lebron James 2003 Topps Chrome
    Dwayne Wade 2003 Topps Chrome
    Kevin Durant 2007 Topps Chrome
    Scans of most of my Misc rookies can be found <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://forums.collectors.com/m...y&keyword1=Non%20major">here
  • shagrotn77shagrotn77 Posts: 5,617 ✭✭✭✭
    '97 SP Authentic Tim Duncan rookies still seem to be going higher than Topps Chrome.
    "My father would womanize, he would drink. He would make outrageous claims like he invented the question mark. Sometimes he would accuse chestnuts of being lazy. The sort of general malaise that only the genius possess and the insane lament. Our childhood was typical. Summers in Rangoon, luge lessons. In the spring we'd make meat helmets. When we were insolent we were placed in a burlap bag and beaten with reeds - pretty standard really."
  • CenteredMantlesCenteredMantles Posts: 164 ✭✭✭
    The 2012-13 Prizm Anthony Davis would probably be the equivalent of a Chrome or Finest. The guy is solid and should be one of the top 5 players in the league for a long time to come barring any injuries.
  • BPorter26BPorter26 Posts: 3,499 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Eric, to me this is all you need to full fill your basketball wants

    imageimage

    imageimage

    image
    "EVERYBODY LOVE EVERYBODY IT SAYS IT RIGHT THERE ON THE WALL" - JACKIE MOON
  • Nathaniel1960Nathaniel1960 Posts: 2,325 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image
    Kiss me once, shame on you.
    Kiss me twice.....let's party.
  • dberk12dberk12 Posts: 399 ✭✭


    << <i>The 2012-13 Prizm Anthony Davis would probably be the equivalent of a Chrome or Finest. The guy is solid and should be one of the top 5 players in the league for a long time to come barring any injuries. >>



    Completely agree. Davis is going to ball out for a long time on both ends of the floor.

    Another player I would add to the list is Steph Curry. I don't think a small guard has dominated the NBA like him since Iverson. (maybe Nash)


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    -George F. Will
  • VitoCo1972VitoCo1972 Posts: 6,132 ✭✭✭
    The Steph Curry rookie will be the 2009 Topps Chrome. If it were up to me, Blake Griffn's would be the 2009 Panini Prestige #151 (because he won't sign Topps cards due to contract so let's nip that in the bud). The Demarcus Cousins will be 2010 Panini Prestige #215. John Wall will be 2010 Panini Prestige #199. Going forward it's pretty much the Panini Prizm base card. For Anthony Davis it's 2012 Prizm #236. Klay Thompson's best base RC is in that set too.

    With regard to the Panini Prestige sets, each guy has like 4 cards in each (annoying) but the cards I'm pointing out have them in the uniform of their team. That's what's making those ones stand out.

    I'm firmly in the Topps Chrome camp from 2001-2009. Prior to that it is/should be SP Authentic from 1997-2000. 1996 Topps Chrome is a classic set. 1994 and 95 Finest are the best sets. 1991-1993 UD are the best. 1986-90 Fleer are correct and Topps prior to that (except 61 Fleer of course)/
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  • byronscott4everbyronscott4ever Posts: 932 ✭✭✭


    << <i>The Steph Curry rookie will be the 2009 Topps Chrome. If it were up to me, Blake Griffn's would be the 2009 Panini Prestige #151 (because he won't sign Topps cards due to contract so let's nip that in the bud). The Demarcus Cousins will be 2010 Panini Prestige #215. John Wall will be 2010 Panini Prestige #199. Going forward it's pretty much the Panini Prizm base card. For Anthony Davis it's 2012 Prizm #236. Klay Thompson's best base RC is in that set too.

    With regard to the Panini Prestige sets, each guy has like 4 cards in each (annoying) but the cards I'm pointing out have them in the uniform of their team. That's what's making those ones stand out.

    I'm firmly in the Topps Chrome camp from 2001-2009. Prior to that it is/should be SP Authentic from 1997-2000. 1996 Topps Chrome is a classic set. 1994 and 95 Finest are the best sets. 1991-1993 UD are the best. 1986-90 Fleer are correct and Topps prior to that (except 61 Fleer of course)/ >>



    Aren't the SP Authentic numbered though?
  • ThoseBackPagesThoseBackPages Posts: 4,871 ✭✭
    wow that Curry Chrome is an UGLY looking card!
    Big Fan of: HOF Post War RC, Graded RCs
    WTB: PSA 1 - PSA 3 Centered, High Eye Appeal 1950's Mantle
  • PlanemonkeyPlanemonkey Posts: 543 ✭✭
    1988 Fleer Horace Grant
    1991 UD Mutumbo
  • VitoCo1972VitoCo1972 Posts: 6,132 ✭✭✭
    Yes, the SP Authentic cards are numbered but PSA allows numbered cards to count as registry cards as long as the print run for the base card is /999 or more. So in football, the LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees rookies are the 2001 Topps Chrome Refractors (there are no non-refractor base cards)...which are /999. For example, the 1998 SP Authentic Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce print runs are /3500. I believe that carries forward for that 1997-2000 run of SP Authentic cards that are the registry bases.
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  • DavisDavis Posts: 705 ✭✭
    For me personally, the only card outside of the 1986 Fleer set is the 1980 Topps Bird/Erving/Magic.
    I'm working on the 1986 Fleer set because I really like the design and it's loaded with rookies of the stars from my childhood:
    Barkley
    Drexler
    Dumars
    Ewing
    Jordan
    Karl Malone
    Chris Mullin
    Olajuwon
    Isiah Thomas
    Spud Webb
    D Wilkins
    James Worthy
    and a lot of minor star RCs.
  • jay0791jay0791 Posts: 3,556 ✭✭✭✭
    Bobby

    r ya kiddin me!!!!

    those cards are insame

    the 80 signed b/m/j is just unbelieveable
    Collecting PSA... FB,BK,HK,and BB HOF RC sets
    1948-76 Topps FB Sets
    FB & BB HOF Player sets
    1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
  • rtimmerrtimmer Posts: 1,347 ✭✭✭✭


    << <i>If you are looking for "iconic" cards, I would change the Shaq to the 1992-93 Stadium Club Beam Team. As for others, 1994-95 Finest Grant Hill, 1995-96 Finest Kevin Garnett and the 1998-99 SP Vince Carter. Sure you could include Dirk and a handful of others looking back on it, but at the time those cards were out, they were the tops in the market >>



    I think you really need to have both the Shaq upper deck #1 draft card and the Staium Club Bram team cards. Each are in the top 5 iconic cards of the 1990s and thus both fit the must own hurdle. The Bird/Magic card though in my opinion stands so far and away above all the others, I'm surprised at how affordable it still is.
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    Join the Rookie stars on top PSA registry today:
    1980-1989 Cello Packs - Rookies
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