1981 Topps PSA Magic Johnson and Larry Bird prices

RedHeart54 · May 23, 2020 6:15AM

Another couple of cards that have received a boost since The Last Dance are the second year/1981-82 Topps cards if Johnson and Bird. PSA 9s were selling for $50-60 for a long time but are now upwards of $300+ now. I've always felt that these were underrated and undervalued but are now getting their due. (Interestingly the 3 part documentary about the '80s Lakers-Celtics rivalry didn't have much effect on them but The Last Dance apparently has. Go figure.)

doubledragon · May 23, 2020 6:34AM

I've always thought they were undervalued as well, considering they are the first cards that feature them not together. (Excluding the sportscaster cards)

ReggieCleveland · May 23, 2020 7:29AM

Wow, hadn't noticed.

Both Magic and Bird actually have a base RC in 1980 Topps outside of the Bird/Dr. J/Magic card. Bird is coupled with Cartright and John Drew and Jan Van Breda Kolff takes the place of Bird with Dr. J/Magic following. It's a sneaky loophole that allows people to get a Bird or Magic rookie in high grade without paying the iconic premium. The pops on both of those cards are still really low but getting a PSA 10 Larry Bird rookie for $1,300 beats the hell out of $100,000.

These are my '81s. I waited and waited a long time to find a Bird I liked. The '81 set is plagued with centering and tilt issues. It's so difficult to find a copy with zero tilt. I was very happy when I found this Bird and even paid a premium (I think it was $65) but it was well worth it to me. The Magic is centered just a hair too high but I'm still very pleased with the L/R centering and, especially, the zero tilt.

Arthur

hamilton989 · May 23, 2020 7:35AM

Those are beautiful. That said, the 80 Bird/Magic card is still completely undervalued in my opinion. This PSA 8 cost me $2200 via BIN, and I think it was a total bargain. That said your 81s are far more attractive

ReggieCleveland · May 23, 2020 7:56AM

That's one of the most iconic sportscards there are. You can't go wrong with it. Yours looks beautiful.

I just remember going through VCP and seeing that Bird's other base card was, like, $1,000 in PSA 10 and thinking "I can get a Larry Bird rookie in PSA 10 for a thousand dollars?" I'm a Celtics fan so this sort of blew my mind.

After I picked it up I thought "I have to get the Magic rookie to couple it with. I can't have Bird and not Magic." So, now I have PSA 10 Bird and Magic rookies and I'm over the moon with them. The Magic is actually pretty tough. I think there are less PSA 10 Van Breda Kolff Magic rookies than there are Bird Magic rookies.

Arthur

doubledragon · May 23, 2020 8:55AM

Ah yes, ReggieCleveland is right, I forgot about the 1980 Topps where they are featured with seperate from eachother. Good call Arthur. I've always loved the look of their 1981 cards.

thehallmark · May 23, 2020 2:36PM

I've been very bullish on those two cards for a long time, mostly due to my disdain for multi player RCs. I'm sort of bummed that people have caught on.

That set is very condition sensitive, and there are a TON of highly flawed 8s and 9s out there. Be careful - buy the card and so on.

RedHeart54 · May 24, 2020 6:44AM

I regret not getting a PSA 9 Bird to go with my PSA 9 Magic when prices were so cheap but I guess you can never tell when certain cards get "discovered" despite being available for decades. (I do, however, have a signed '81 Bill Robinzine. He died in September 1982 so it might be one of the only ones he ever signed.)

steel75 · May 24, 2020 7:07AM

1st "full size" cards of two of the greats, plus the RC's are so expensive. Look at the 87 Fleer Jordan and how it blew up.

rtimmer · May 26, 2020 9:40PM

I’ve always loved that card signed.

.

But my favorite And rarest Magic and Bird rookies are these:

rtimmer · May 27, 2020 11:41AM

Some nice rookies in that 81set too

ReggieCleveland · May 27, 2020 12:01PM

Dang. You've been punishing that set for a while now, huh?

Arthur

1981 Topps PSA Magic Johnson and Larry Bird prices

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