They represent multiple eras but there's a definite 1970s vibe to the 2019 Basketball Hall of Fame Class. Here's a look at the rookie cards of the inductees who have them. Carl Braun Braun played in the NBA for 13 years, joining the New York Knicks just as the league was getting off the ground and leading them in scoring for seven straight seasons. He … [Read more...]
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Grading Companies Give Much Needed Boost to Junk Wax Era
Broadly defined as baseball cards produced from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, the "Junk Wax Era" is often cited as a primary reason for the crash of the industry felt in the late 1990s. The gist is that cards produced during that time were usually printed in far greater quantities than many collectors believed. As a result, supply became much greater than demand. That … [Read more...]
Double Take: Infamous Menendez Brothers and the 1990-91 Hoops Mark Jackson
It might be one of the most inadvertent — and infamous — backgrounds in sports card history. Two men who resemble convicted murderers Erik and Lyle Menendez appear in the background of a 1990-91 Hoops basketball card depicting the Knicks’ Mark Jackson. It's a recent discovery, oddly unknown despite the product's 28-year-old vintage and wide availability. On the … [Read more...]
Remembering the 1993 Fleer Final Edition Flop
Early 1990s baseball cards are generally considered to be part of the junk wax era. Much of the value they once had has largely been lost. There are a few exceptions to that and the 1992 Fleer Update set is one of those. Believed to have been produced in lesser quantities than most other sets, the 1992 Fleer Update set is one of the few from the era that still has real … [Read more...]
25 Years Ago: Recalling Some Hot Cards of 1993
By 1993, we were just exiting the junk wax era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. 1993 actually saw numerous memorable trading cards issued and with 2018 marking the 25th anniversary, now's a good time to take a look back through time at a few of them. Here's a glimpse at some of the cards that were making waves while North America tuned their TV to Seinfeld and Roseanne and … [Read more...]
Vince Carter Rookie Cards Take You Back to the 90s
There was a time when Vince Carter was the NBA. He was seemingly everywhere. After Michael Jordan had retired once more it was another electrifying dunker out of North Carolina that collectors wanted. “Vinsanity” reigned. After winning the 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year award and following it up the next season by taking home the Slam Dunk title, … [Read more...]
Future Hall of Famer: Tracy McGrady Rookie Cards
He was an athletic teenage project who would go on to become one of the top players of his era. Tracy McGrady had the high-flying, high-scoring game that made him into a fast favorite with card collectors. McGrady eventually became a seven-time All-Star who won two NBA scoring titles. He’s been retired for nearly four years but those who look back at his … [Read more...]
25 Years Later: 1991-92 Upper Deck Basketball Brought Chase to Hoops
Card collectors of today, with boxes that cost over $1,000 and memorabilia cards that are easy to acquire, might find it hard to believe that when Upper Deck entered the basketball card market in 1991-92 they released what was considered a high-end product. Twenty-five years later, even though prices are low, that first issue is a hobby landmark. Not only was … [Read more...]
Shaq Rookie Cards: Little Money for the Big Man
It was the time of the basketball card boom when a giant rookie from LSU entered the NBA. Nearly 25 years have passed and he’s now a retired legend of the game and a Hall of Fame nominee. He can still dunk (just ask Charles Barkley), but back then, Shaq rookie cards were sizzling in anticipation of a huge career to follow. As he matriculated to the Orlando Magic … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Stories Told on Cardboard
I recently purchased a bunch of mostly common 1969-70 Topps hockey cards. I say mostly common because there was one Leo Boivin card in there. Leo Boivin, you see, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I was a little surprised to discover that because to me that would be the equivalent in baseball terms of Mark Belanger or Vic Power being enshrined in Cooperstown. To more ardent … [Read more...]
