If we’re being kind, we might refer to Topps’ 1979-80 basketball set as “unspectacular”. The product failed to resonate with collectors at the time of its release. More than four decades on, not much has changed. Despite a attractive design and some sharp action shots, a rookie crop of Alex English, Mychal Thompson and Reggie Theus and, well, not much else, isn’t the stuff … [Read more...] about Ranking Every 1980-81 Topps Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Card
1980s basketball
One Last Year in the Wilderness – Basketball Cards in 1982-83
That major sports card manufacturers have historically made a habit of taking hiatuses from basketball is well-trodden ground. That proclivity for punting on hoops meant that the decades of the 1950s and 1960s – or nearly 30% of NBA history – saw the release of just two mainstream sets. On the bright side, as a result of having to make up for lost time, these issues – … [Read more...] about One Last Year in the Wilderness – Basketball Cards in 1982-83
Hey, Who’s That Guy Guarding Elston Turner in the 1985-86 Wendy’s Denver Nuggets Set?
While Fleer was still in the process of acquiring the NBA’s trading card rights and Star Company was in its final year of production, collectors in the Denver area could find Michael Jordan on a trading card they picked up while grabbing a combo meal. Like seemingly every other basketball card set or single card, this one’s starting to pick up steam. The 1985-86 … [Read more...] about Hey, Who’s That Guy Guarding Elston Turner in the 1985-86 Wendy’s Denver Nuggets Set?
Cheap Vintage: 1979-80 Topps Basketball Set
There's little question that even for the most diehard of vintage basketball collectors, the 1979-80 Topps set is a remarkably tough sell. Given the content, that's entirely understandable. The Design Here's the good: The design is passable - and even unique. In almost every Topps basketball set before it, the team names of the players in question were sprawled either … [Read more...] about Cheap Vintage: 1979-80 Topps Basketball Set
Rookie Cards of 1980s NBA Finals MVPs
It was the decade that brought us the Showtime Lakers, the gritty, gutty Celtics and Sixers and a rebirth of pro basketball under commissioner David Stern. The hoops card market was struggling as the 1980s began but still gave us one of the era's greatest cards. By the end, it was a free-for-all but some of the greats who won MVPs in the era had their rookie cards during the … [Read more...] about Rookie Cards of 1980s NBA Finals MVPs
1983-84 Star Company Basketball Launched Brief New Era
The basketball trading card market was a barren wasteland during the 1982-83 season and appeared to be headed that way again the following year until the arrival of 1983-84 Star Company basketball turned collecting in a completely new direction. Star cards were like the Moses Malone 76ers--something very exciting that appeared in the mid 1980s but didn't last very … [Read more...] about 1983-84 Star Company Basketball Launched Brief New Era